Originating in the 1920s in California and Hawaii, dog surfing has become a popular world-wide phenomenon, drawing in crowds eager to see dogs trained to surf on bodyboards and surfboards, either with a human or solo. On the Waves in Waikiki , a silent film released in the 1930s, showcases Phillip K. Auna and his terrier Night Hawk, who is able to hang ten while surfing with his owner. In the 1950s, a photograph of Joseph “Scooter Boy” Kaopuiki and Sandy, his dog, surfing in Hawaii was published in UPI and distributed throughout the United States. In 2006, at Imperial Beach in California, the first Loews Coronado Bay Resort Surf Dog Competition was held and, today, continues to be the largest dog surfing competition in the U.S. When competing in canine surfing competitions, dogs are judged based on board size, dog’s confidence, and wave length and size. Competitors are able to register their dog in categories ranging from single or tandem surfing to dog size. Hawaii offers a host of dog friendly beaches from the beloved Waikiki Beach in Honolulu to Kailua Beach located near a dog-friendly mall to Kalapaki Beach, home to the popular Freddie’s Dog Park.
