Bono is a chocolate Labrador from Brazil and a multi-time world champion surf dog. He and his owner and trainer, Ivan Moreira, have been a team since Bono joined the family at just 40 days old. His surfing story started on the water. When Ivan took up stand-up paddleboarding in Búzios and Rio de Janeiro, six-month-old Bono swam out to follow him. Ivan pulled him onto the board, and Bono took to it right away. He found his balance on the waves as if he’d been born to it. In 2014, Bono won his first title at a surf dog competition in California, and he’s been collecting world championships in tandem dog surfing ever since, competing around the globe. On March 10, 2016, Bono and Ivan made history together. They set a Guinness World Record for the longest stand-up paddleboard ride on a river bore, covering 1,690.5 meters (1.05 miles) down the Mearim River in Arari, Maranhão, Brazil. Bono retired from competitive surfing around age 14. At 16, his days are still filled with the ocean. He enjoys beach outings and water therapy, and he watches Ivan surf from the shore or from a special cart.
And the family tradition is in very good paws. Bono’s daughter, Cacau, was born in 2020 and has become one of the most dominant athletes in the sport. Guided by Ivan, she competes at the annual World Dog Surfing Championships at Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica, California. In 2025, she won the overall title for the second year in a row, bringing home three gold medals, one silver, and one bronze across multiple heats.