Hang 8: Flagler Beach to host inaugural dog-surfing extravaganza Saturday
Flagler Beach Mayor Suzie Johnston will be watching Saturday as her 8-pound chihuahua, Wednesday, hits the waves on a surfboard at the Hang 8 Dog Surfing Extravaganza.
“It’s a good thing dogs love water,” she said Friday. Her larger dog will be watching from the beach, but Wednesday will participate in the small dog heat. She added that waves are expected to be 1 to 2 feet on Saturday.
Johnston and Flagler Beach City Commissioner Eric Cooley organized the dog-surfing contest to raise money for K9s for Warriors, SAFE Pet Rescue Inc. and Flagler Humane Society. Johnston said it’s based on a similar contest held in St. Augustine.
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“Eric and I had gone to the St. Augustine dog-surfing contest and it was a really fun family-type activity,” Johnston said. “And Flagler Beach is also a dog-friendly beach.”
The event, the first dog-surfing contest to take place in Flagler Beach, will include a large dog heat, a human-and-dog tandem contest and a costume contest, she said. A dog kissing booth and a dog bone hunt, similar to an Easter egg hunt, will continue all day.
Entrance fees are a $10 donation for the costume contest and a $20 donation to enter the surfing heats.
The fun starts at 8 a.m., rain or shine, with lessons and open dog surfing for practice. The small dog heat starts at 9:30 a.m., followed by the human/dog heat at 10:30 a.m. and the large dog heat at 11:30 a.m. For a complete schedule and information about the extravaganza, visit facebook.com/hang8dogsurfing.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Things to do in Flagler Beach: Dog-surfing extravaganza Saturday
