Dog surfing competition goes virtual, proceeds donated to animal shelter

The pandemic has delayed, postponed or canceled many events, including an annual dog surfing contest in California.

The Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon usually takes place in September at Del Mar Dog Beach in Del Mar, California, but this year's competition was held virtually - accepting videos of dogs surfing from anywhere in the world.

Presenters Doug and Gigi Hokstad provided the commentary for the competition.

Four-legged friends were divided based on weight class and judged on categories including length of ride, size of wave ridden, maneuvers such as walking on the board, turns on the wave, and barking.

The Best in Surf prize eventually went to Sugar, a 10-year-old champ from Huntington Beach, California.

Proceeds from this event go to Helen Woodward Animal Center, an animal shelter.

For more information, visit https://animalcenter.org/surf-dog-surf-a-thon.