The day began in gloomy Ventura. We walked among the people who were fishing on the pier, and suddenly heard shrieks of “Look! Dolphins!”

We – along with everyone else – ran over to the side of the pier and saw this small pod swimming quickly toward us from the shore.

It turns out there were between 5-8 dolphins, and they were actually chasing a seal. I wasn’t able to get a good shot of the seal, but it was certainly there, leading the pack.

I was, however, able to catch this AWESOME shot of a dolphin completely out of the water. I love the surfers and the fog-covered palm trees ahead of it.

After all that excitement, a sailboat glided out over the water.

Later on, and several miles down the road, the sun tried to come out, but the gloom was reluctant to give up its hold.

We stopped at a particularly scenic spot and I looked over just in time to see this man standing on an ominous-looking edge. (I know I have a lot of “Favorite” shots, but this one really takes the cake. I was SO.EXCITED when I got this photo.)

Moving back down the PCH, the sun did manage to make an appearance. It was a gorgeous day. Driving down the PCH is one of my favorite things to do, and this day did not disappoint.

“The waves of the sea help me get back to me.” – Jill Davis

Warning: This is going to be a long post. I just wasn’t able to whittle the number of photos I have down to a small number. So get comfortable – it’s going to be a long read!

Now. Getting down to business.

Sunday was a cool, gloomy morning down in Huntington Beach, but that didn’t stop a TON of people from gathering at the dog beach to watch some sporty pups catch some amazing waves.

People showed up with their dogs, regardless of whether they were competing or not. (We opted to leave a certain beagle at home, given his hatred of all things wet and sandy.)

We got there just as the action started, and looked out in the water just in time to see this happy-looking pooch ride a wave all the way back to the beach.

A lot of dogs were content to watch from the sidelines…

While others seemed to be working up the gumption to just TOUCH the water.

Some needed a little bit of an extra push.

And others were totally ready to join the fun.

And speaking of the fun…

This guy was awesome.

And a bit of a show-off.

(I love this shot!)

He made it look so easy!

Meanwhile, back on the beach…

The next round of competitors was getting ready.

Some needed a pep talk.

Others were cool, calm, and collected.

Other dogs were in their own little world.

Back to the action!

The waves were incredible. They seemed to get bigger in front of our eyes.

This pup was a ROCKSTAR. She was amazing.

This dog’s face was priceless. He looks scared, but I’ve read in news articles that he loves to surf.

Although he did seem thankful to be back on solid ground again.

He wasn’t the only one who liked to fly off his board.

Back on the beach, the non-competitors were busy looking cute.

Love the bow-tie!

Still others were just happy to play in the surf.

The last heat hit the water, and they were so much fun to watch!

This was just beyond adorable to me. The dog seemingly pleading to go back to shore, the rubber duckies to keep him company on his board, it’s just the funniest thing.

He did a great job!

Bottom line: This was an AWESOME event. We had a great time watching these amazing dogs and it was a fun event for everyone. We’re already planning on going back next year!

As for who won, we didn’t stay long enough to see which was voted the best. But in my humble opinion, it was this pooch. She was fantastic. And clearly, we weren’t the only ones who thought so!

Thanks to the Surf City Surf Dog competition and all the amazing, awesome, fantastic, mind-blowing pups for putting on a great show. Can’t wait for next year!

Nala is a six (maybe seven?) year-old Mastiff who loves big belly rubs, back rubs, head scratches, and really any kind of petting you’re willing to provide. She’s not shy about flopping down at your feet or leaning into you to encourage a hefty dose of affection.

This big girl’s just one big lover.

She even loves her little brother, Drifter. You’ve seen him around this website – he’s one of my favorite dogs.

But his Big Sis has given him a run for his money. I can’t wait to visit these two again!

When we first adopted Toby, his name was “Scrappy.” We decided immediately that he was not a “Scrappy,” so we mulled over a few names for him. One of those was Copper.

Obviously, we settled on Toby, and we think it fits him really well. But we still call him our little Copper Top every so often. I just love his little copper eyelashes, too. They’re so sweet.

They look darker in this photo, but trust me – our little Copper Top definitely has copper eyelashes.