Bless Your Headlines: Surf’s Pup! The Dogs Are Doing It Better Than We Are

If you’ve ever questioned whether dogs are superior beings sent to remind us how to live with joy, purpose, and a little flair for the dramatic—look no further than Pacifica State Beach last weekend.

Yes, that Pacifica. Fourteen miles south of San Francisco and apparently a whole world away from anything resembling normalcy. Because instead of humans hogging the shoreline with their $2,000 boards and existential crises, we got Labradors on longboards, terriers in tutus, and—heaven help us—a French bulldog named Iza executing perfect form in the medium-size heat like she was born in a wetsuit.

The World Dog Surfing Championships are a real thing. Let that sink in.

While we’re all arguing online about what makes someone “elite” and doomscrolling our way through banana prices, dogs are out here quite literally hanging ten—with better balance and attitude than most toddlers at gymnastics class.

Take Charlie, a 10-year-old yellow Lab who’s clearly been possessed by the spirit of Kelly Slater. His enthusiasm is so strong that his humans have to hide his surfboard if they want to do something boring like talk to friends. Imagine loving anything that much at age 10—or 50. Charlie isn’t just surfing waves, he’s surfing life. And winning.

There were Labs and spaniels in monogrammed life vests, which—first of all—is a level of opulence I aspire to. These dogs paddled into the Pacific, hopped on vibrant boards with their humans, and shredded waves in front of thousands of cheering spectators. I’ve seen graduation ceremonies with less fanfare.

And the judging? Oh, it’s real. These canines are scored on how long they stay on the board, their stability, and whether they pull stunts like turning around mid-ride. Dogs doing tricks while surfing. Meanwhile, I pulled a hamstring trying to stand up too quickly after watching Netflix for four hours.

But perhaps the most blessed headline of all? Iza, a five-year-old French bulldog, taking the gold in the medium-size solo division. Frenchies aren’t exactly known for their athletic prowess (bless their snorty little hearts), but Iza showed up and said, “Watch this.” And we did.

This event has all the elements of a perfect moment in time—wholesome, weird, competitive, and wildly more uplifting than anything else in the news cycle. It’s hard not to smile when you imagine a dog with saltwater in its fur and the wind in its ears, riding a wave like it’s the most natural thing in the world. Because for them, maybe it is.

Here’s the thing: dogs aren’t worried about what people think. They don’t care if their wetsuit makes them look bloated or if the Instagram algorithm favored a Chihuahua over a shepherd. They’re just out there, being present, being joyful, and quite frankly, living better than most of us.

We spend so much time trying to “find balance,” and yet these dogs are literally doing it—on surfboards, in front of thousands, with their tongues out and tails wagging.

So maybe the next time life feels overwhelming, we need to channel our inner Charlie. Grab your board, ignore the noise, and run toward the water. Even if you wipe out, at least you’re out there. And who knows—maybe, just maybe, you’ll win your heat.

And to Iza: hats off to you, darling. You’ve done the French proud. Not since croissants has your country produced something so effortlessly cool.

Bless their salty, sandy little hearts.