Judges scrutinized how long the dogs remained on their boards, how long they held their balance and whether they performed any tricks, like turning around while riding.
Iza, a 5-year-old French bulldog, won the single surfer heat for medium-size dogs for the first time this year, her owner David Fasoli said.
Fasoli found “pure joy” during the pandemic when he brought home a surfboard from his job at Costco and taught Iza to balance in the swimming pool. The two soon started swimming in the ocean and learning to ride waves as passersby at the beach watched in awe. Now, their competitions are all about defying expectations.
“I have a disability — I only have one hand — so a nonsporting human combined with a nonsporting dog breed, we are kind of phenomenal, defying the odds of what people think we’re capable of doing,” Fasoli said after Saturday’s competition.
Charlie, who has his own Instagram page, entered the extra-large single surfer heat. He also rode tandem with two other dogs in what their humans called “The Dream Team.”
“He loves the crowd,” owner Maria Nieboer said.
Charlie and Nieboer’s husband, Jeff Nieboer, prepare for waves together. When Jeff spots a good one, he turns the board around and tells Charlie to “get ready.”
He pushes the board forward, and Charlie scrunches down and rides the wave as long as he can. Charlie can even steer the board by leaning and surfs toward an awaiting Maria on shore.
