Gooch is a dog of many talents, and on Saturday he was showcasing one of those talents by riding the waves in Flagler Beach during the third annual Hang 8 Dog Surfing Extravaganza.
Crowds gathered at the beach to watch the pooches shred the mild waves lapping up to shore. And Gooch, a dachshund, was one of the dogs happy to oblige the onlookers by showing off his board-riding skills.
Norman and Gretchen Howell, of Port Orange, brought Gooch, who didn’t disappoint as he rode a surfboard specifically designed for dogs. Norman Howell said Gooch is multi-talented, an AKC champion, a service dog who sniffs out peanuts to protect Gretchen Howell who is allergic, and a rad surfer.
“And the best snuggler ever,” he said.
But not all the dogs were surfing. Some just came to watch, like a pink-haired poodle named Bunny. Suzanne Snowden and Bunny drove up from Daytona Beach to catch the action.
“I love it. I didn’t expect so many dogs,” Snowden said.
Does Bunny surf?
“No, not yet,” Snowden said. “We are starting out with a boogie board.”
Flagler Beach City Commissioner Eric Cooley and former mayor Suzie Johnston organized the charitable event. Their chihuahua, Wednesday, was one of the pooches riding the waves Saturday.
Cooley said 100% of the proceeds from the event are donated to benefit K9s for Warriors, the Flagler Humane Society and SMART which stands for Saving Missing Animals Response Team.
Cooley said that at least 1,000 people attended the event but he said, according to some estimates, it easily could have been double that.
The surf was mild on Saturday so the doggos usually needed a push from their human surf buddies to ride on in to the rust-colored sand of Flagler Beach. Neither the calm sea nor the intense heat dampened the crowd’s enthusiasm as they cheered and clapped for the four-legged, furry surfers.
The competitors were divided into small and large dog divisions.
The event also included a dog costume contest.
Paul Mykytka of Flagler Beach brought his Jack Russell terrier, appropriately named Jack, to check out the action.
Jack doesn’t surf but seemed to enjoy the show just as did Mykytka.
“It was awesome,” he said. “It’s such a fun event.”
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