A five-year-old Labrador Retriever named Rosie claimed four first-place awards at the Rosie World Dog Surfing Championship event in Pacifica, California, drawing hundreds of spectators, some of whom had travelled hundreds of miles and were wearing her image on their T-shirts and hats, SF Gate reported.
How Rosie Became One of California’s Most Recognised Dogs
Known as ‘Rippin’ Rosie’, the golden Lab began her surfing career at just seven months old, climbing onto a stand-up paddleboard with her owner, prosecuting attorney Steve Drottar. Over time, she moved on to bigger waves, building both skill and confidence. Today, Rosie joins Steve in the water four to five times a week, and has accumulated close to 340,000 Instagram followers along the way.
Drottar has surfed in Santa Cruz his whole life, and the two have become a recognisable pair on the water. ‘Here comes some old dude with a stand-up board and a great big cute yellow Lab on the end of the board,’ Steve said. ‘It’s kind of hard for people not to smile.’
Local surfer Jeremiah Kille, who has watched the pair in action, put it simply: ‘It’s a blast to watch them out there.’
The 10th Annual World Dog Surfing Championships
The competition at Pacifica Beach, near San Francisco, was the 10th annual edition of the World Dog Surfing Championships. Around 15 dogs competed across categories divided by size: small, medium, and large. All contestants were judged on the length of their wave rides, the size of the waves they took on, and their overall confidence and performance.
In the small dog category, a mixed-breed named Bradley Cooper took the prize. Iza, a five-year-old French bulldog, won the medium-size contest, the Associated Press reported. Then it was Rosie’s turn. She and Drottar paddled out together, caught several waves in front of the packed beach crowd, and when the results came in, Rosie had won four first-place awards.
The post-event photograph said plenty: Rosie with new medals around her neck and a fresh trophy at her side.
What the Rosie World Dog Surfing Story Is Really About
The spectacle is fun, but Drottar’s account of why he does it carries a quieter point. ‘What Rosie teaches people is that a dog is more than just being on the couch,’ he said. ‘A dog can be part of your life, part of your adventures, however far you want to take it. Having your dog accomplish something with you develops such an amazing bond. I just hope that I can share some of the joy.’
That is not a small ambition. Rosie’s following did not grow because surfing dogs are a novelty: it grew because the image of a large, confident Lab riding a wave alongside her owner captures something about what the relationship between a person and a dog can look like at its best. The crowds at Pacifica, the fans in branded clothing, and the fact that this is now a decade-old annual competition all point to a genuine and growing appetite for exactly that.
For Drottar and Rosie, the next stop is the water, most likely within the next day or two, given their four-to-five-times-a-week routine in Santa Cruz.
