It all began with Kihei. He learned to surf, took to it naturally, and went on to become a regional champion and a celebrated name in California canine surfing — competing at events like the Purina Pro Plan Incredible Dog Challenge, and the Huntington Beach Surf City Surf Dog Contest before retiring in 2016. What Kihei knew, he passed on. He taught the culture that shaped Carson, a rescue pup who'd been living on the streets before he found his way onto a board — and in 2019, Carson earned his own Triple Crown, three first-place finishes from NorCal to SoCal, dedicated to the memory of legendary waterman Mike Doyle. Carson still competes today, and now he's the one doing the teaching — mentoring Bradley "Shortboard" Cooper, a rescue from Riverside who, at under two years old, already placed 1st in his division at the 2026 World Dog Surfing Championship.
Three rescue dogs. Three champions. One continuous thread of mentorship, passed from surf dog to surf dog — because that's really how this sport gets learned: side by side, wave by wave.
Behind these dogs are Tina Musto and Jill Nakano — part of a tight-knit community of surf dog people already sharing this life up and down the California coast is where they first met Maria and Jeff Nieboer and their award winning surf dog, Charlie. Beyond the waves, they became close friends. Their competitive partnership was cemented by 2021 when they won 1st place in the Tandem Dog category at the World Dog Surfing Championships.
On the beach, entrepreneurial surf dog pioneers, Tina and Jill, Maria and Jeff work as a real team — Jill and Jeff launch, Tina and Maria catch — the same partnership that now anchors the Surf Dog Association. Their own stories even started the way they hope yours will: with a dog. Tina, Jill, Maria, and Jeff saw the surf dog world starting to get noticed — but with no destination for new dogs and owners to learn safely, and no real community to belong to. So they built one.
Surf Dog Association is the only all-encompassing dog surfing group: a place to learn, to compete, and to belong — for every dog and every human, from the first paddle-out to the podium. Whether you're a lifelong surfer, a beginner, or someone who just loves watching a dog catch a wave, there's a place for you here.
Because in the end, it was never really about the trophies. It's about the friendships built up and down the coast, the dog who becomes your best teacher, and the simple joy of paddling out together.
All are welcome — two-legged and four. Come catch a wave with us.
