Haole Boy was a 90-pound yellow Lab from Ventura, California, who loved the ocean from the start. He didn’t surf right away, though. At five years old, he paddled out on his own and climbed onto his owner’s surfboard, and from that moment on he was a surf dog. He quickly became an elite, award-winning competitor on the Southern California dog surfing circuit. Ventura gave him the title of Official Ambassa-dog of the City, and he wore it proudly. Over time, Haole Boy turned his focus to what mattered most to him. As the official Ambassa-dog for the nonprofit A Walk On Water (AWOW), he spent years working as a certified surf therapist, helping children and adults with special needs and disabilities build confidence by riding waves. His work inspired the true story behind the book Ride the Wave: Love Sofia and Haole the Surf Dog, which follows him teaching a young girl with Down syndrome to surf. When Haole Boy faced health challenges, he kept surfing and kept showing up for the people who needed him. Supporters rallied behind him with the hashtag #standwithHaole, which grew to more than 30,000 followers. Haole Boy has since crossed the rainbow bridge, but his legacy lives on in every person he helped find confidence on a wave.