TROPICSLLIFESTYLE
MUSIC
JIMMY BUFFETT: 'COME MONDAY' BACKSTORY
A FLORIDA BROADCASTING VETERAN & PARROTHEAD WROTE A NEW BOOK ABOUT 50 OF BUFFETT'S MOST ICONIC SONGS. STARTING WITH THIS ISSUE, WE'RE SHARING EXCERPTS FROM THAT WORKBy Scott Atwell
JANE SLAGSVOL GREW UPin an affluent South Carolina family. In the 1940s, her father founded the Greater South Agency, an insurance company with expertise in animal agriculture—especially the poultry industry—according to a 2015 press release that announced the company's sale.
Like her parents and siblings, Jane enrolled at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, where she found a roommate named Larry "Groovy" Gray, who would eventually leave school and make his way to Key West.
In Slagsvol's junior year, she planned a spring break trip to visit her old friend, who had taken up work as a bartender at the Pier House Chart Room. The University of South Carolina bulletin indicates the 1972 spring recess was scheduled for the last week in March.
Understandably, the Chart Room was a home base of sorts for the visiting Slagsvol.
It also had become the professional and social hangout for Jimmy Buffett, who returned to the island after enjoying the extended hospitality of Jerry Jeff Walker in Coconut Grove.A AS SHE SAID "GOODBYE," BUFFETT WAS THERE TO SAY "HELLO." HE HAD JUST CONNECTED WITH "THE RIGHT GIRL." A
The Chart Room was a construction afterthought at the Pier House, cobbled together from a poolside guest suite by owner David Wolkowsky. In the hallway, behind the bar, was a pair of restrooms and a pay phone.
One night, Jane stepped away from the bar to make a phone call, and as soon as she said "goodbye," Buffett was there to say "hello." He had just connected with "the right girl."
SAVING POWER of true love
Once Slagsvol relocated to Key West, she quickly became the inspiration for the songwriter's new music, if not his luck.
Buffett had fled to the end of the road in part to escape the personal and professional rejection that had haunted him in Nashville. By November 1972, his divorce from Margie was official, and his relationship with Jane was blossoming.
In March 1973, one year after meeting Jane, Buffett landed his first major recording contract with ABC Dunhill. Three months later, he released his White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean album, which included a song titled "My Lovely Lady."
In the early days of his recording career, Buffett was required to produce two albums per year—no easy task given the demands of the road.
The ample backing of ABC Dunhill landed the singer a six-night run at the famed Troubadour on Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood, but all the while, the burden of the fast-approaching second album weighed heavily on his writing.
Holed up in smog-filled southern California and pining for Jane, who was in Aspen on vacation, Buffett began to distill his feelings into song.
After the Troubador shows, Buffett headed north to the San Francisco area where he was pencilled in for a three-night gig at the Lion's Share in San Anselmo. (Janis Joplin so loved the venue that she left money in her will for a 1970 funeral party to be staged there, in her honor, headlined by the Grateful Dead.)
E IN THE SHADOW OF MT. TAMALPAIS, HE POLISHED OFF THE LYRICS OF HIS HEARTFELT LONGING FOR JANE E
It was Labor Day weekend, and Buffett opened for Country Joe McDonald, a psychedelic rocker who had gained notoriety at Woodstock.
Appearing on Late Night With David Letterman in 1983, Buffett recalled the cathartic power of "Come Monday" as a "song that kept me from killing myself in the Howard Johnson in Marin County."
Buffett said he was "deathly depressed" at the time, a result of the "size of the rooms and the food next door as well," and in the shadow of Mt. Tamalpais, he polished off the lyrics of his heartfelt longing for Jane.
Buffett's last show at the Lion's Share was on Sunday. He made his way back to Jane in Aspen on Labor Day, September 3, 1973. Monday had come.
song skyrockets career
One month later, Buffett was in the recording studio recording album number two, with Mike Utley and Doyle Grisham reprising their roles from the first session.
Utley remembers Grisham turning to him in the studio and predicting the song to be a hit.
"At the time that was written there wasn't chord progressions like Jimmy put in that song," Grisham said on an episode of At Home With the Coral Reefer Band(a limited-edition video series on YouTube).
"People weren't saying things exactly the way he said 'em, and the melody is just great on it. It's one of my favorite all-time songs."
"Come Monday" was slated as one of 11 songs on the album Living and Dying in 3/4 Time, and ABC Dunhill ramped up promotion of Buffett following the tragic and untimely death of Jim Croce, a fellow artist on the label.
In advance of the release, executives sent a film crew to Key West to promote their up-and-coming aritst, and Buffett assembled an audience of friends for a film session at the Lantern Inn on Stock Island.
"Come Monday" was the featured tune in the promotion, shown prior to feature films at ABC-owned movie theatres around the country, and later found on YouTube where it has been viewed more than six million times.
N THE SONG'S PROFITS "PAID THE RENT" AND GOT BUFFETT'S DOG OUT OF THE POUND N
Buffett was in London when he recognized the impact of "Come Monday" on his career arc.
Halfway across the globe he heard the song played on the radio and knew instantly, as he often has said, that he would be able to keep his "phony-baloney job for a while."
"Come Monday" peaked at number three on the Adult Contemporary charts. For Jane Slagsvol, its success resulted in something her father could appreciate: an insurance policy, and validation of the decision to hitch her wagon to a man whose profession was less than stable or predictable.
As Buffett said to Letterman, "Come Monday" paid the rent "and got my dog out of the pound."
The Howard Johnson's where Buffett finished the song was located at 160 Shoreline Highway in Mill Valley, near Sausalito, and remains there today as a Holiday Inn Express. The Lantern Inn burned down in April of 1980, and the site was rebuilt for a popular Mexican restaurant called Chico's Cantina.
As for the Lion's Share, the venue that brought Buffett to the San Francisco area of that Labor Day weekend show, it held on as a popular music stage through much of the 1970s, but today fronts a rather pedestrian optical office.
It was never meant for glitter rock and roll. bVIDEO: Commentary by Buffett before presenting his "Come Monday" music video. Published on YouTube by Margaritaville.tvBuffett's "Come Monday" was first released on his 1977 album Living and Dying in 3/4 Time. The song was his first Top 40 hit single. It took spot No. 30 on the Billboard "Hot 100," No. 3 on the "Adult Contemporary" (Billboard) chart, and No. 58 on the "Hot Country Songs" (Billboard) chart.Buffett did not make happy memories during his stay at the Howard Johnson's Motor Lodge in Sausalito, CA, his temporary home while performing at a local club. It was this very place that the depressed songwriter polished off the lyrics to his love ballad "Come Monday," written about how much he missed his sweetheart, Jane (who later became his wife in 1977).When not resting at the Howard Johnson's Motor Lodge, Buffett played a three-night gig at The Lion's Share. The tiny club (capacity: 200), located at 60 Red Hill in San Anselmo, CA, was known as a local hangout for musicians.About the Author: Scott "Flash" Atwell
In Key West, FL, grown men can live their entire lives answering to names like Mockingbird, Jungle Rat and Bow Wow. Stroll the city’s venerable cemetery, perched on the island’s highest peak—Solaris Hill—at 17 feet above sea level, and you will note that many have carried nicknames to their graves, a small slice of the town’s culture etched in granite. The southernmost city is a city of nicknames—or least it was.Scott Atwell earned his moniker as a teenager in the mid-1970’s after volunteering to work for a sports news program on hometown radio station WKWF (call letters stood for Wonderful Key West Florida). The young lad’s penchant for efficiently gathering final scores along the little league baseball circuit impressed one of the official score keepers, who likened him to a “news flash.” Presto, the “Flash” was fixed into the Key West vernacular.
Atwell continued to pursue sportscasting and eventually became an anchor for Tallahassee, Florida’s CBS affiliate, where he covered many of the legendary Florida State athletes and served as a fill-in co-host of the Bobby Bowden TV show. Later, Atwell went to work for Florida State University in public relations and then served a decade as chief alumni officer.
He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Miami (where he was pulled from the sports information office in 1980 to suit up for three games as the junior varsity’s back-up quarterback) and a Master’s from FSU (where he was not asked to suit up).
After a 35-year hiatus the “Key West Flash” returned to his island home and the local radio airwaves, hosting a program of exclusive Jimmy Buffett music where each week he illuminates the origins of one song. Atwell gathered those stories in book form, and on the 50th anniversary of the singer’s arrival in Key West, self-published Buffett Backstories—Fifty Years, Fifty Songs, available through Amazon.com.
One day Atwell will be buried in his family’s cemetery plot where you will find him listed under the nickname “Flash."TROPICSLLIFESTYLE
TROPICSLLIFESTYLE
MUSIC
BOSSA NOVA
The History Behind Brazil’s Quiet Revolution
IN THE EARLY 1960'S, BRAZIL INITIATED A QUIET MUSICAL REVOLUTION BY EXPORTING THE SILKY SOUND OF BOSSA NOVA TO THE REST OF THE WORLDBy Charles Waring
1964 WAS A SIGNIFICANT YEAR for pop music.
It not only witnessed the meteoric rise of the long-haired, guitar-toting beat groups, led by such pace-setting bands as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones (who started a trend of songwriting self-sufficiency), but also marked the arrival on the world stage of a new kind of jazz-infused music that blended sinuous, caressing melodies with subtle syncopated rhythms.
The sound originated in Brazil and was called “bossa nova,” a description that translated into English as “new trend.”THE Girl From Ipanema
The song that lit the touch-paper for the bossa nova explosion in the United States, and the rest of the world was called “The Girl From Ipanema,” sung by Astrud Gilberto in a wispy but beguiling girlish voice. It reached No. 5 in the U.S. pop singles chart in the summer of 1964.
The song transformed Astrud into an international star, even though it wasn’t solely hers. “The Girl From Ipanema” was a collaboration between her then-husband, singer and guitarist João Gilberto, with jazz tenor saxophonist Stan Getz, and it featured on the 1963 Verve album Getz/Gilberto.
An amateur singer, Astrud had been drafted in during a moment of last-minute spontaneity to sing opposite her husband, but her presence proved utterly spellbinding.
m"AFTER THE PHENOMENAL SUCCESS OF "THE GIRL FROM IPANEMA," BOSSA NOVA FEVER GRIPPED THE U.S."f
The much-shorter single version of the song edited out João’s vocals almost completely, spotlighting, instead, his young wife, who would go on to make records under her own name from 1965 onwards.VIDEO: Watch 24-year-old Astrud Gilberto sing “The Girl From Ipanema,” the iconic song that sold nearly five million copies and made the world fall in love with Brazil's bossa nova music style.After the phenomenal success of “The Girl From Ipanema,” bossa nova fever gripped the U.S.
Many musicians – particularly jazz ones – were attracted by the music’s delicate melodies, lush harmonies and slinky syncopation, and began recording authentic Brazilian material as well as reconfiguring standard songs using bossa nova-influenced rhythms.
The Birth Of Bossa Nova
Bossa nova’s story really began in 1958, in Brazil. One of its key architects was Antônio Carlos Jobim (1927-1994), a classically trained Rio De Janeiro-born pianist who also played the guitar, sang and wrote songs.
He had risen to fame in Brazil as the composer of music for a 1956 play, Musicas De Orfeu Da Conceição (which inspired the influential 1959 movie Black Orpheus), and as that decade progressed, he helped to fuse elements of jazz with indigenous Brazilian music to create what became known as the bossa nova sound.
Among the first singers to record Jobim’s bossa nova material were Elizete Cardoso (who recorded an entire album of his songs), Sylvia Telles, and – most significant of all – João Gilberto.
Between 1959 and 1961, Jobim worked on Gilberto’s first three albums in Brazil, helping to establish the quiet-voiced singer/guitarist as a new star in his native country.Cover art (with vinyl record) of Jazz Samba, a now-classic bossa nova album by saxaphonist Stan Getz and guitarist Charlie Byrd. Recorded and released in 1962, it helped sow the seeds of North America's love affair with Brazillian music.But Gilberto’s fame soon spread outside of Brazil.
By 1961, American musicians visiting the country – among them flutist Herbie Mann and guitarist Charlie Byrd – had played alongside Brazilian musicians and enjoyed a firsthand experience of the burgeoning bossa nova movement.
Back in Washington, D.C., saxophonist Stan Getz saw Byrd’s band live, heard them play some bossa nova tunes he liked, and requested they record an album together.
Bossa Nova Comes To America
Aided by producer Creed Taylor, Getz and Byrd were recorded in All Souls Unitarian Church in Washington, D.C. and the results were released as Jazz Samba on Verve Records in April 1962.
Its success (70 weeks on U.S. pop album charts, peaking at No. 1) was aided by its high-flying single: a blissful version of Jobim’s “Desafinado” which made No. 15 on Billboard's Hot 100 in November 1962 and later won a Grammy.
D"THE AUDITORIUM WAS PACKED WITH ALMOST 3,000 ATTENDEES CURIOUS TO HEAR THE EXCITING NEW MUSIC UP CLOSE"x
Jazz Samba not only helped to sow the seeds of North America’s love affair with Brazilian music, it also gave new impetus to Stan Getz’s career. Indeed, the saxophonist would continue to record bossa nova songs on a regular basis right up until his death, in June 1991.
America’s awareness of bossa nova music was heightened by a concert held at Carnegie Hall at around the same time as Jazz Samba’s release, on November 21, 1962.
The auditorium was packed to the rafters with almost 3,000 attendees, including many jazz musicians curious to hear the exciting new music up close. They witnessed bossa nova’s prime progenitors – Jobim, Gilberto, Luis Bonfá, Sérgio Mendes, Carlos Lyra and others – performing with Getz, Byrd, and pianist and soundtrack composer Lalo Schifrin.VIDEO: Watch jazz musicians Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd play their hit song “Desafinado,” which reached No. 15 on Billboard's Hot 100 in November 1962 and later won a Grammy. The high-flying single appeared on the album Jazz Samba, released by Verve Records in April 1962.The Bossa Nova Explosion
The concert’s critical and commercial success inspired a raft of jazz musicians who were excited by the improvisational possibilities that bossa nova presented.
Dizzy Gillespie, Quincy Jones, Wes Montgomery, Cannonball Adderley, Jimmy Smith and Oscar Peterson are just some of the big names that embraced the seductive sound of Brazilian music in the 1960s.
Even some of the most famous pop groups of that era were inspired by the hip sound that had first emanated from Rio’s beach cafes.
B"FAMOUS POP GROUPS OF THAT ERA WERE INSPIRED BY THE HIP SOUND THAT HAD FIRST EMANATED FROM RIO'S BEACH CAFES"E
Bands such as The Beatles (“And I Love Her”), The Kinks (“No Return”), and The Beach Boys (“Busy Doin’ Nothin’”) brought a bossa nova flavor to some of their songs, while a plethora of big-name singers covered Brazilian material.
Two vocal giants, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, devoted whole albums to Antonio Carlos Jobim’s songbook.The Importance of Antonio Carlos Jobim
Both Sinatra and Fitzgerald recognized that Jobim was a musical giant whose stature as a songwriter rivaled the North American greats that they so admired, like George Gershwin and Cole Porter.
Indeed, Jobim was responsible for writing so many of bossa nova’s key songs, including “The Girl From Ipanema,” “Desafinado,” “One Note Samba,” “Photograph,” “Insensatez” (AKA “How Insensitive”), “Corcovado” and “Meditation.”
BBOSSA NOVA EPITOMIZES COOLNESS, TRANSCEND TIME, AND TRANSPORTS THE LISTENER TO ANOTHER PLACEp
The composer also enjoyed a long and distinguished recording career, and his success helped other Brazilian musicians find an international audience with their music; among them was pianist Sérgio Mendes (who scored substantial U.S. hits with his group Brasil '66 in the late 1960s), organist Walter Wanderley, guitarist Luis Bonfá, singer-songwriter Gilberto Gil, and chanteuse Elis Regina, who recorded a duets album with Jobim in 1974.Album Elis and Tom (Phillips, 1974) features duets by Brazilian musical giant Antônio Carlos Jobim, a key architect of the bossa nova sound, and Elis Regina, an iconic Brazilian singer. Some music critics call it the greatest vocal duet album of all time.The Enduring Appeal Of Bossa Nova
Summing up the appeal of bossa nova music, Sérgio Mendes told this writer in 2019: “I think it’s very sensual, it’s very romantic, and you can also dance to it. Those three components make it very, very beautiful. And it has great melodies – melodies that you can remember.”
Indeed, it does. With its hushed intimacy, poetic lyrics, alluring melodies, and mesmerizing rhythms, bossa nova music continues to cast a spell 60 years after it first came into the world.
It possesses an ineffable quality that just seems to epitomize coolness, transcend time, and transport the listener to another place. TNOTE: This story was originally published April 16, 2021, by uDiscover Music. Permission has been granted to republish it for our readers.About the Author: Charles Waring, Music Journalist and Jazz Critic
When his attempts to become a New Romantic pop god were thwarted, Charles Waring gave up playing music and began writing about it instead. He got his first break at Blues & Soul magazine in the 1990s but has spent the last decade and a half writing mainly about jazz for Mojo and Record Collector. Waring also has curated many compilations, and to date has worked on over 300 sleevenote projects. When not writing, he can be found cruising seedy backstreets looking for record shops to satisfy his vinyl fetish.About the Publisher:uDiscover Music (uDiscoverMusic.com)
uDiscoverMusic.com takes an in-depth look at some of the most influential music in the world – and the artists that created it. Full of news, reviews, features, videos, curated playlists and quizzes, it’s an essential home for fans of all types of music. Among its contributors, the site has a team of respected authors and journalists who are passionate about what they do, with decades’ worth of experience in print, online, radio and TV journalism.
uDiscoverMusic.com is operated by Universal Music Group, the largest record label in the world and home to the greatest artists in history.Editor's Note: Bossa nova continues to enchant new generations. In 2021, world-famous singer Billie Eilish added her own take on the sound in "Billie Bossa Nova," a song from her new album Happier Than Ever. While clearly not a "traditional" bossa nova, it's certainly a respectable tribute to the original music style.TROPICSLLIFESTYLE
All rights reserved; Tropics Lifestyle magazine / Palm Life Publishing. No part of this article or publication may be shared, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form other than that in which it is published; including this condition being imposed on the purchaser of the content.TROPICSLLIFESTYLE
BEACH GPETS
SURFING DOGS
RIDE WAVES AND CAPTURE HEARTS
HANG 20! WORLD-FAMOUS SURF DOG SURF-A-THONFUNDRAISES FOR PETS WHILE CELEBRATING SURFING CANINES AND THE LOVING HUMAN-DOG CONNECTIONBy Lisa A. Bastian
DOGS ARE ADORABLE ANIMALS with such diverse personalities. For many, yapping at leaves, playing Fetch or simply sleeping with their pet parents are their favorite activities.
But for a small cadre of adventurous canines, the relatively new water sport of dog surfing is by far their Reason for Living.
In September 2006, the Helen Woodward Animal Center (HWAC) of Rancho Santa Fe, CA, became one of the first groups in the world to celebrate dog surfing by organizing a competition now known as Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon.
Today, this free, annual event delights thousands of humans (and their dogs) all day long at Del Mar Beach, CA.
“You’ll see dog cuteness everywhere you look and a lot of happy people,” says Jessica Gercke, HWAC’s public relations director. “Knowing they’re all here to support pets is the ‘cherry on the top’ for us at the Center. Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon truly is one of the coolest things to put on your bucket list and see in person.”
? "WE MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE FOR ANIMALS AND PEOPLE"?
Thanks to about 200 employees, over 300 to 400 volunteers, and many generous donors and sponsors, “we make the world a better place for animals and people,” says Gercke.
Since 1972, the Center has served the greater San Diego community through about 14 educational and therapeutic programs for people, and by providing adoption and humane care for homeless animals.
Fortunately, with fears about the COVID-19 pandemic waning, the 17th edition is expected to be well attended on September 18, 2022. (The 2020 edition was virtual due to pandemic contagion concerns.)
On average each HWAC surfing fun-fest nets $30,000 to $40,000 from entry fees, booth sponsorships, general donations, etc. While not all similar events do this, the Center's Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon gives 100 percent of proceeds to programs benefitting animal causes.VIDEO: Highlights from the 16th annual Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon, September 13, 2021, by Blue Buffalo at Del Mar Dog Beach, San Diego, CA. (Credit: Helen Woodward Animal Center)Surf-A-Thon Basics
While rules for globally held surfing dog contests can vary, many follow the HWAC model.
Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon begins with the water-focused dog surfing contest at 8:30 a.m. Meanwhile, back on the beach, the non-surfing component also starts early with dogs and humans enjoying agility events, costume contests, sandcastle-building contests, interactive dog-focused booths, and plenty of music.
K "SOMETIMES IT JUST TAKES ONE GOOD RIDE TO MAKE A WINNER" K
In recent years up to 80 dogs have competed as surfers. They all wear life vests, and surf on what’s called a “soft” surfboard that allows their paws to grip the surface easier.
Since dogs have four legs “they really know how to balance themselves,” says Gercke. “Most stay on their boards and ride them right into the sand before jumping off.”
Every time a dog surfs, it has two humans on its team as helpers. The first person helps launch the canine into the ocean and ensures a safe beach landing after the ride. The second person located in the deeper water “catches” the surfer, then turns its around to ride a wave back to the shore.
G"DOG SURFERS MAY GET EXTRA POINTS IF THEY'RE EXTRA ADORABLE!"G
Canines compete against others in the same weight class: extra-small dog heats, 1-20 pounds; small dog heats, 21-40 pounds; medium dog heats, 41-60 pounds; large dog heats, 61-85 pounds; and XL dog heats, 86 pounds or more.
They all are judged on criteria such as the size of the wave ridden, surfing form, duration of the ride, and obvious enjoyment of the sport.
Other criteria specific to a heat may include the confidence shown by a dog while riding a wave, the complexity of tricks and maneuvers, etc.SURF DOG MANIA (scroll L to R): Some of the many heart-warming photos from the website of So Cal Surf Dogs club for surfing canines and their surfing pet parents.Specifically, scoring is computed on a 1 to 10 scale (six-wave maximum), with the top two waves counted for the final score.
All heats in a weight class are considered as one (e.g., all small dogs compete against each other, regardless of which small dog heat they're in). First place winners from each weight class move on to the "Best in Surf' finals.
For some reason, “bulldogs seem to like to lie down on their boards, while retrievers like to put their butts up in the air,” laughs Gercke.
And yes, there may be extra points given if surfers are extra adorable. “You can tell if they’re having fun out there. Some contestants do really cute things, like turn around without falling and doing all kinds of surprising tricks."
A“YOU SEE DOG CUTENESS EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK" A
The big day winds down with an award ceremony. First-place, second-place and third-place winners in each weight class receive medals. The top three finalists in "Best in Surf" each get a handcrafted wooden surfboard trophy.
The ceremony includes the induction of a legendary surf dog into the “Surf Dog Hall of Fame" (if one is found worthy that year).
Despite not every contestant receiving an award, lots of encouragement and support is showered upon all four-legged participants.
By mid-afternoon Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon is offically over, but no one seems to care if people and dogs stick around a bit longer. That's because this family-friendly activity with a wholesome party vibe is always guaranteed to be loads of non-stop fun for everyone.SURFING BUDDIES (scroll L to R): Prince Dudeman and Flofy (front) ride a wave together as they compete at the 14th annual (2019) Surf-A-Thon, Del Mar, CA (credit: Reuters).Dog Safety a Priority
People always ask the Center's staff if the dogs enjoy surfing. “Absolutely! It’s not uncommon to see them drag their boards to the water’s edge and bark until their humans take them out again,” says Gercke.
Surfing dogs show lots of enthusiasm, and those who tend to win contests are extremely passionate about the activity.
“The one thing we love about this sport is that so many of the dogs who surf got into it because their people do it," she notes. "That demonstrates the strong human-pet bond.”
C“DOG SURFING DEMONSTRATES THE STRONG HUMAN-PET BOND"C
No matter if pooches take formal surfing lessons from pros or are taught by their owners, the most important thing is that they like the activity.
While some dogs love to surf, others won’t even try it…and that’s certainly should be their choice. The best surf dogs, says Gercke, are those who are both bonded to their owners and find obvious joy in surfing.WATCHING SURFING DOGS IS THERAPY! Charlie the Labrador has his own YouTube channel "Charlie Surfs Up." In this video, watch the pup enjoy some of his 2020 surfing adventures; a drone captures multiple cool moves.The Center's "Paddle Paw" surfing lessons are taught by members of So Cal Surf Dogs, the San Diego-based club for surfing canines and their surfing pet parents.
During each class, the priority is to ensure the dogs "feel safe and loved by their humans," notes Gercke. That means canines are always in water never deeper than waist-deep on a human, never leashed to a board, never far from the shore, and never left alone.
Generally any athletic-breed dog that enjoys running and playing (Pointer, Labrador Retriever, etc.) tends to do better at surfing. But it’s not unusual for mutts or non-athletic breed dogs to do well on the waves, too.
For example, recent top winners have been a Chihuahua, a Pug, and a Long-Haired Aussie. “One of our top surf dogs is a Labradoodle known as Derby the Goldendoodle, who is amazing,” says Gercke.
Surprisingly, a lot of surf awards have gone to bulldogs. Even though they’re big and heavy, they use their sturdy, short legs to their advantage to really lay low and hug the boards. (Read article "Top 8 Breeds for Surfing.")Derby the Goldendoodle, a champion surfer dog, is easy to spot in a crowd thanks to his cool blue mohawk and ever-present sunglasses. (Credit: Howard Lipin, San Diego Union-Tribune)VIDEO: Dozens of dogs and more than 1,000 people showed up for the second annual World Dog Surfing Championships (2017) in Pacifica, CA. (Credit: KQED)Surf dog legends
Dogs have been surfing for at least seven decades before the first dog surfing competitions appeared in the early 21st century, according to the History of Dog Surfing published on the So Cal Surf Dogs website.
This resource features numerous cool images, including vintage videos at Waikiki Beach, Hawaii, spotlighting the world's first dog surfer ~ a terrier named Night Hawk ~having fun on a surfboard alone and with owner Philip K. Auna.
In the late 1920's and 1930's, Auna and his pup were considered a legendary surfing duo and popular among the media of the day.
Moving on to the 1970's and 1980's, the article celebrates California surfers D.C. Chalmers and Max (a Terrier mix), recognized worldwide as beloved early surfing ambassadors.
B"BUDDY IS STILL CONSIDERED THE BEST SURF DOG IN THE WORLD" B
According to a surfer publication obituary about Chalmers, Max was a "scruff mutt with a bad overbite" who "surfed every major point and reef break from Long Beach to Cabo San Lucas" with D.C. They were frequently featured in major publications, TV shows and films.Portrait of Buddy, "The Ambassador of Dog Surfing," recognized as the best all-around surfing dog who has ever lived...so far! (Credit: So Cal Surf Dogs)The History of Dog Surfing article also highlights Bruce Hooker and his surfer pooch Buddy (a Jack Russell Terrier) of California.
Decades after this litte guy burst upon the scene, most surfing experts still consider little Buddy to be the best surf dog in the world, even years after his death.
In 2011, Buddy was the first dog to be inducted into the Surf Dog Hall of Fame.
At that time he already had been surfing at least 10 years, won countless tournaments, and made appearances on "Animal Planet," "Pet Star," ESPN, CNN, NBC, the "CBS Morning Show," etc.
Learn more about other history-making pups from this article highlighting 15 famous surfing dogs published in 2016. Profiles of a few dozen canine club members of So Cal Surf Dogs can be viewed here. Check out a few notable dogs surfing outside the USA here.
CHANGING GLOBAL DOG PERCEPTIONS
In the last 10 to 15 years, dog surfing events have been changing how people view pets...for the better.
Gercke says they not only communicate the importance of caring for orphan dogs, but also show how these amazing and wonderful creatures fit so well nto the fabric of human lives.
a"DOGS SHOULD BE LOVED AS FAMILY MEMBERS"a
"We believe dogs should be respected and loved like family members. That’s a big reason why the Center is so passionate about Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon."
Another bonus: "It’s slowly changing, but more people are now open to going to a shelter than a backyard breeder for their new pet," she adds. "That’s good for the dogs, and good for legit breeders.”
Contests Span the Globe
Since San Diego, CA, always has been a big surfing mecca, it makes sense that the world's first two foundational surf dog competitions were born here: the Loews Coronado Bay Resort’s “Ruff Riders” Small Wave Competition in August 2006; and Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon in September 2006. (The latter was created with major support from the So Cal Surf Dogs club.)
In the ensuring years, the fan base for this unique water sport has grown exponentially. Today, such events can attract up to 5,000 people plus legions of veteran and newbie surfer dogs.
Gercke loves that other organizations have copied Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon in and outside of the Golden State. "To us, it’s the highest form of flattery.”
S"FREE VIDEOS OF SURF DOG CHAMPIONSHIPS ARE JUST A CLICK AWAY"S
As of 2022, surfer dog competitions are hosted all along the California coast and in Hawaii, Florida and Texas. They’re also found in Australia, the United Kingdom, and other coastal regions far from California.
They include: World Dog Surfing Championships (Pacifica, CA), Surf City SurfDog (Huntington Beach, CA), Imperial Beach (CA) Surf Dog, Hang 8 Dog-Surfing Contest (Flagler Beach, FL), Ohana Surf & Skate (Galveston, TX), Pups and SUPS (St. Augustine, FL) VetShopAustralia Dog Surfing Championships, and UK Dog Surfing Championships.
Relatedly, for 25 years pet food company Purina Pro Plan® has sponsored the summertime Incredible Dog Challenge. This multi-category, invite-only event for athletic dogs includes a surf dog competition held in California, as well several “Olympic-style” events (diving, pole weaving, flying disc tricks, etc.) held in various other states. The overall winner is crowned the nation’s Most Incredible Dog.
Not everyone finds its easy to fit these once-a-year contests into their travel schedules. No worries. Fortunately, free online videosuploaded by fans and media outlets alike are just a click away on the Internet.
Surfer dogs don't care how or when anyone watches them catch a wave. But if they could speak, they'd express gratitude from the bottom of their loyal little hearts of love to every person cheering them on! LFIND OUT MORE: For over 40 years Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon’s organizer, the nonprofit Helen Woodward Animal Center of Rancho Santa Fe, CA (San Diego County), has been offering educational and therapeutic programs for people, and humane care and adoption for animals. The Center receives no government funding and relies heavily on tax-deductible contributions from private donors to continue its life-saving mission.KING OF SURFING DOGS: Petey, a Westie, poses with his first-place surf board trophy won at the 2021 Surf Dog Surf-a-Thon competition. He was recognized as the best surfing dog of the day, as well as the best surfing canine in the extra-small category. Read story here."Keeping It Together" (photo/caption by Nathan Rupert Photography).SURF DOG ADVOCATES: Married couple Gigi Bagaporo and Doug Hokstad, here posing with fan favorite Derby the Goldendoodle, are members of So Cal Surf Dogs, a San Diego-based club for surfing dogs (e.g., SurFurs) and their owners. The group provides dog surfing lessons whose proceeds benefit the Helen Woodward Animal Center, organizer of Surf Dog Surf-a-Thon. Doug has served as the event's emcee for many years.SURFUR PLUSH SQUEAK TOY:Adorable plush toy celebrates the cuteness and fun of dog surfing. Your pet can play with it and dream of catching waves with the dog surfers of California. Click to buy: $16.99 (sometimes on sale for $11.80).TROPICSLLIFESTYLE
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