How a 10-year-old yellow labrador called Charlie became a surfing sensation
Charlie joined about 15 to 20 other canine wave riders in Pacifica, 22 kilometres south of San Francisco, on Saturday at the World Dog Surfing Championships, an annual contest that draws thousands of spectators to Pacifica State Beach.
Pooches competed against similarly sized peers for a chance to appear in the finals. Additional heats featured multiple dogs surfing tandem or riding with people.
Labs, terriers and spaniels in monogrammed life vests dog-paddled out into the Pacific. Once out on the waves, their owners helped them hop on colourful boards and hang 10 as the crowd cheered from the beach.
Judges scrutinised how long the dogs remained on their boards, how long they held their balance and whether they performed tricks such as 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.
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The Age
2 days ago
- The Age
How a 10-year-old yellow labrador called Charlie became a surfing sensation
Charlie, a 10-year-old yellow lab in California, likes surfing so much that he will grab his surfboard and run toward the water. His humans sometimes have to hide his board if they want to chat with friends on the beach. Charlie joined about 15 to 20 other canine wave riders in Pacifica, 22 kilometres south of San Francisco, on Saturday at the World Dog Surfing Championships, an annual contest that draws thousands of spectators to Pacifica State Beach. Pooches competed against similarly sized peers for a chance to appear in the finals. Additional heats featured multiple dogs surfing tandem or riding with people. Labs, terriers and spaniels in monogrammed life vests dog-paddled out into the Pacific. Once out on the waves, their owners helped them hop on colourful boards and hang 10 as the crowd cheered from the beach. Judges scrutinised how long the dogs remained on their boards, how long they held their balance and whether they performed tricks such as 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.
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- The Advertiser
Talented tennis teen causes Coco-lossal upset in Canada
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko has earned the biggest win of her tennis career, beating top seed Coco Gauff in straight sets to reach the quarter-finals of the Canadian Open in Montreal. Mboko dropped her racquet and covered her face in disbelief as the packed crowd leapt to their feet after the 18-year-old tournament wildcard sealed the 6-1 6-4 victory in just over an hour on Saturday (local time). "Thank you, you helped me so much," she told the home crowd in French during an on-court interview. Mboko called her first-ever appearance in the quarter-finals of a WTA 1000 event "incredible", especially after toppling reigning French Open champion Gauff. The Canadian was helped along the way by her error-prone opponent, who never found her rhythm on serve and failed to convert any of her five break-point opportunities. Gauff's sixth double fault set up match point, which Mboko converted when the American's backhand slice drifted into the net. Despite her disappointment, Gauff hugged Mboko at the net and will look to regroup as she prepares to make a run at a second US Open crown next month. In the quarter-finals, Mboko will face Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, who scored a 7-5 1-6 6-2 win over China's Lin Zhu in a battle of unseeded players. Earlier, ninth seed Elena Rybakina edged her way past Dayana Yastremska 5-7 6-2 7-5 in their fourth-round battle. The Kazakhstani will next face another Ukrainian, 24th seed Marta Kostyuk, who came from behind to take out American McCartney Kessler 5-7 6-3 6-3. Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko has earned the biggest win of her tennis career, beating top seed Coco Gauff in straight sets to reach the quarter-finals of the Canadian Open in Montreal. Mboko dropped her racquet and covered her face in disbelief as the packed crowd leapt to their feet after the 18-year-old tournament wildcard sealed the 6-1 6-4 victory in just over an hour on Saturday (local time). "Thank you, you helped me so much," she told the home crowd in French during an on-court interview. Mboko called her first-ever appearance in the quarter-finals of a WTA 1000 event "incredible", especially after toppling reigning French Open champion Gauff. The Canadian was helped along the way by her error-prone opponent, who never found her rhythm on serve and failed to convert any of her five break-point opportunities. Gauff's sixth double fault set up match point, which Mboko converted when the American's backhand slice drifted into the net. Despite her disappointment, Gauff hugged Mboko at the net and will look to regroup as she prepares to make a run at a second US Open crown next month. In the quarter-finals, Mboko will face Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, who scored a 7-5 1-6 6-2 win over China's Lin Zhu in a battle of unseeded players. Earlier, ninth seed Elena Rybakina edged her way past Dayana Yastremska 5-7 6-2 7-5 in their fourth-round battle. The Kazakhstani will next face another Ukrainian, 24th seed Marta Kostyuk, who came from behind to take out American McCartney Kessler 5-7 6-3 6-3. Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko has earned the biggest win of her tennis career, beating top seed Coco Gauff in straight sets to reach the quarter-finals of the Canadian Open in Montreal. Mboko dropped her racquet and covered her face in disbelief as the packed crowd leapt to their feet after the 18-year-old tournament wildcard sealed the 6-1 6-4 victory in just over an hour on Saturday (local time). "Thank you, you helped me so much," she told the home crowd in French during an on-court interview. Mboko called her first-ever appearance in the quarter-finals of a WTA 1000 event "incredible", especially after toppling reigning French Open champion Gauff. The Canadian was helped along the way by her error-prone opponent, who never found her rhythm on serve and failed to convert any of her five break-point opportunities. Gauff's sixth double fault set up match point, which Mboko converted when the American's backhand slice drifted into the net. Despite her disappointment, Gauff hugged Mboko at the net and will look to regroup as she prepares to make a run at a second US Open crown next month. In the quarter-finals, Mboko will face Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, who scored a 7-5 1-6 6-2 win over China's Lin Zhu in a battle of unseeded players. Earlier, ninth seed Elena Rybakina edged her way past Dayana Yastremska 5-7 6-2 7-5 in their fourth-round battle. The Kazakhstani will next face another Ukrainian, 24th seed Marta Kostyuk, who came from behind to take out American McCartney Kessler 5-7 6-3 6-3. Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko has earned the biggest win of her tennis career, beating top seed Coco Gauff in straight sets to reach the quarter-finals of the Canadian Open in Montreal. Mboko dropped her racquet and covered her face in disbelief as the packed crowd leapt to their feet after the 18-year-old tournament wildcard sealed the 6-1 6-4 victory in just over an hour on Saturday (local time). "Thank you, you helped me so much," she told the home crowd in French during an on-court interview. Mboko called her first-ever appearance in the quarter-finals of a WTA 1000 event "incredible", especially after toppling reigning French Open champion Gauff. The Canadian was helped along the way by her error-prone opponent, who never found her rhythm on serve and failed to convert any of her five break-point opportunities. Gauff's sixth double fault set up match point, which Mboko converted when the American's backhand slice drifted into the net. Despite her disappointment, Gauff hugged Mboko at the net and will look to regroup as she prepares to make a run at a second US Open crown next month. In the quarter-finals, Mboko will face Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, who scored a 7-5 1-6 6-2 win over China's Lin Zhu in a battle of unseeded players. Earlier, ninth seed Elena Rybakina edged her way past Dayana Yastremska 5-7 6-2 7-5 in their fourth-round battle. The Kazakhstani will next face another Ukrainian, 24th seed Marta Kostyuk, who came from behind to take out American McCartney Kessler 5-7 6-3 6-3.
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
How a 10-year-old yellow labrador became a surfing sensation
Charlie, a 10-year-old yellow lab in California, likes surfing so much that he will grab his surfboard and run toward the water. His humans sometimes have to hide his board if they want to chat with friends on the beach. Charlie joined about 15 to 20 other canine wave riders in Pacifica, 22 kilometres south of San Francisco, on Saturday at the World Dog Surfing Championships, an annual contest that draws thousands of spectators to Pacifica State Beach. Pooches competed against similarly sized peers for a chance to appear in the finals. Additional heats featured multiple dogs surfing tandem or riding with people. Labs, terriers and spaniels in monogrammed life vests dog-paddled out into the Pacific. Once out on the waves, their owners helped them hop on colourful boards and hang 10 as the crowd cheered from the beach. Judges scrutinised how long the dogs remained on their boards, how long they held their balance and whether they performed tricks such as 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.
