You never know what's going to happen in a dog surfing competition, and the 2nd Annual World Dog Surfing Championships was no exception.
It brought together some of the top expert and amateur dog surfers. It welcomed thousands of fans and created a fabulous Surf Dog Village with over 18 partners and vendors, including charities the Peninsula Humane Society and Rocket Dog Rescue. Plus, it gave fantastic moments in dog surfing.
And then, of course, there were the whales - a pod of humpback whales set up shop right behind the lineup of dogs and provided additional scenery to an already exciting view.
The event got underway in Pacifica, near San Francisco, and attracted over nearly 40 amateurs and top dog surfers. Pickles The Therapy Pig also attended the competition for his first solo performance.
Judging was tough because all of the dogs gave their best efforts. However, the panel of Sam Stahl, Charly Kayle, and Royce Linder was able to narrow down the competitors to winners into six categories.
"Dogs are basically judged on the overall fact that they caught the wave and that they stayed on the board as long as they can. But there's also style, confidence, the size of the wave," said Andre Crump, the event organizer.
Some events have really big waves, some have very small waves. And that affects the dog. A lot of dogs have different positions on the board."
Fans made the event - they were some of the best, most supportive dog and surfing lovers around - and filled the entire beach end to end. The contest also included dog adoptions, a dog beach fashion contest, partner tents, and several dog-related activities.
Find out how to teach your dog to surf.
2017 World Dog Surfing Championships | Results
Small Surf Dogs Award
1. Gidget
2. Sampson
3. Lucy
Medium Surf Dogs Award
1. Abbie
2. Cherie
3. Tristan
Large Surf Dogs Award
1. Skyler
2. Teddy
3. Derby
Tandem Surf Dogs Award
1. Teddy and Derby
2. The Spaniels (aka "The Littles")
3. Tristan and Bean
Tandem Human/Dog Award
1. Skyler/Homer
2. Dayton & Roxy
3. Ryan & Partner
Top Surf Dogs Award
1. Abbie
2. Sampson
3. Teddy