Dog Surfing Contest - Dogs take on the Waves
Surfing is a very cool sport. One always sees surfers as chilled out, laidback people with no worries in the world who leave all their troubles to the waves. It seems like a very enviable lifestyle with rest, relaxation and a bit of surfing in the golden sun on the cards for the average surfer. But surfing can also get a bit of a bad rep these days with surfers being seen as lazy people with no concerns for the world around them. This is mostly a stereotype and not an altogether accurate one because a lot of surfers who surf as a hobby are pretty successful in their daily lives and those that surf professionally are very committed and dedicated to their chosen line of work.
Surfing can get an even worse knock to just how serious the sport is when events like a dog surfing contest are announced and take place. An article on the BBC website had this to say about the event, “San Diego beach-goers were treated to the unusual sight of dogs taking to the waves in a surfing competition. The event is in aid of San Deigo Police Department's K-9 dog unit and was watched by an estimated 2000 people,” (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10144199.stm). This event probably didn’t go down to well with professional and serious surfers who make a living out of the sport they love. It may have been taken in the wrong way with the sport of surfing being seen as a bit of a joke by saying that if even dogs can do it then anyone can do it. That was probably not the intention of the organisers but it could be interpreted that way. It is also an interesting fact to note that out of those 2000 people who came to watch the event, were they there to support the dogs or support the sport of surfing.
The second line of the quote from the website says that the event was done in order to help the K9 unit of the police department. This is a noble cause because those dogs are fully trained and highly skilled police officers who aid in stopping crimes when human cops can’t get a hold on the situation. In that regard the event was a good thing and probably did a lot to raise the level of awareness that these dedicated police officers deserve. But the question remains that why the dogs had to go surfing and in the process put a light hearted and comical spin to a serious sport, watched by many people all over the world.
There is another aspect to this event that maybe those organising it and those attending it didn’t fathom. Maybe the dogs didn’t want to go surfing, did anyone think about that fact, no not really. It seems like a bit of animal cruelty to me to force highly trained police officers to stand on surfboards and try and surf in a very comical manner for the viewing pleasure of those people in attendance. It seems manipulative to me, maybe bringing the dogs out and showcasing their police training would have been a better use of their talent and skill, it would have allowed them to be seen as serious officers of the law in the eyes of the viewing public, but they chose to strap the poor animals onto surfboards and let them take on large waves.
I’m not too sure I’m on board with stunts like these that put a comical spin on a very serious professional sport and also in the process manipulate and promote animals in a less than positive light, just so people can enjoy a spectacle. People always are up in arms when bears are made to dance or monkeys are trained to imitate others, but when a poor dog has to imitate a surfer no one cares and everyone comes out to cheer.
So it’s up to you the reader to see what you think about this event that took place recently. I could be very wrong and people might feel that it was good for the sport of surfing and for the dogs involved but they probably won’t and will feel the same way I do; that highly trained and skilled animals should not be made a spectacle at the expense of a very serious and professional sport.
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