Wildfires, droughts, protests, wars, elections – the news photos coming across my feed have felt rather heavy. Which is probably why when I saw dogs on a surfboard, I couldn’t stop looking at the photos.
The World Dog Surfing Championships brought over a dozen water-loving dogs together, and the photos are the feel-good images the world needs this week.
I had no idea that dog surfing was even a thing but, if you want to see dogs living their best life, the gallery from the August 01 event is a good place to start.
The World Dog Surfing Competition is in its tenth year and, besides delivering the most adorable combination of sport photography and pet photography, the competition raises money for charities each year. The event also includes pet adoptions from local shelters.
Dogs compete in surfing and tricks on the board, along with a tandem competition that has both dog and owner on the surfboard. A stand-up paddleboard event is also part of the competition.
The event drew a crowd to the beaches of Pacifica, California, but thanks to the work of sports photographers (and pet photographers) the whole world can enjoy the unusual competition.
Sports photographers captured the pooches on boards, many of them clad in adorable goggles, as well as shots of the dogs celebrating with their owners.
Surfing is a challenging sport to photograph, mixing fast, unpredictable action with the potential danger of water and sand for a camera.
As the owner of a lovable but hyper dog with too much energy that I’m scared to even bring in a kayak, I’m in awe of both the dogs staying on the boards and the photographers determined to capture the four-legged athletes.
Mix in epic sports photographs with costume-wearing dogs and an event to raise money for charity, and these shots are the feel-good photos that I needed this week.
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