A line of around two hundred spectators wrestled for a spot along the ocean’s edge to see dogs compete in the Wags for Waves dog surfing competition at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront on Saturday morning.
Charley, a rescued golden retriever, would win the solo category with a combination of wave size, ride length, and confidence on the board. Fay, a chihuahua, won the tandem category with owner Ben Hagerty.
“We’ve been looking for opportunities to show off his skills,” Charley’s owner Mike Klein said. “We have been working with him for a little over a year and he loves it.”
Co-coordinator Suzan Gridley, began planning this a year ago. She eventually developed Wags for Waves into a non-profit to create a fun event for participants and spectators and to raise awareness in support of dog shelters and animal adoptions.
“The turnout is incredible,” Gridley said. “We are so happy with the number of spectators, and the number of vendors that came out on a fun, beautiful day to an event we haven’t had here before.”
