The Dogmasters 2021 have been crowned…

You probably know how much we love SUP here at Red but what you may not know is how much we love animals, especially dogs. The office is regularly filled with our canine counterparts, so when we were asked to support the UK’s only dog surfing and paddleboard championships, we of course jumped at the chance!

Like many other big events, the Dogmasters championships were rescheduled from July 2020, but thankfully the one-of-a-kind event finally came to fruition, and dog and ocean lovers across Britain joined us on the shores of Branksome Dene Chine Beach for a fun-packed day of paddle-boarding, racing and a lot of laughter.

From sausage dogs on surfboards to pups who love SUPS the competition was open to all thrill-seeking canines across the country and their board masters.

As the event sponsor, all competitors were racing on our Red Paddle Co 10’6" Ride boards. These are designed for maximum stability and movement through the water and are super durable making them perfect for those sharp-clawed doggy competitors. All the dogs were also kept safe and stylish wearing our specially designed Red Original dog buoyancy aids.

There was also an appearance from the world’s first-ever paddleboard ice cream parlour, created by urban ice cream brand, Northern Bloc. Crowds paddled and swam out to the Paddle up Parlour on the giant Red Paddle Co paddleboard and enjoyed free Northern Bloc’s vegan ice cream.

The heats ran throughout the day with Labradors, Jack Russells and speedy spaniels giving previous winner Bear the Beagle, some stiff competition on the water. However, they were no match for the reigning champion Bear, who bagged the Dogmasters trophy for the third time running.

Poole resident and paddleboarding enthusiast Mike Sunderland said…
“It was fantastic to see so many people gathering together to enjoy paddleboarding. This is our local beach, and I went down for a fun family day out and to support the local surf school. I’m often out on the water and I own a Red Paddle Co board, so it was great to see so many Red boards being used for such a fun community-led event.“

One of the judges for the event was Coast and One Show presenter, Miranda Krestovnikoff who brought her canine friend Nanuk for support...

“It was a wonderful day; I had no expectations of what the day would be like and it was great to see so many people and dogs having fun. A few years ago, it was quite odd to see a dog on a paddleboard but now it’s quite acceptable and we now have these great life jackets for the dogs too, it’s become a thing now. We’re seeing kids on boards and dogs on boards as well, everywhere, it’s just great to see. I'll have to get my son and Nanuk in some serious training to hopefully give Bear the Beagle a run for his money next year!”

James, owner of Bear the Beagle said…
“I’ve been taking part since the competition started three years ago. I just love being outdoors and being with the dog. I go paddleboarding a lot and I don’t like to leave him at home, so if he can come out with us then it makes it even more fun. We’ve won run two years in a row – double champs – it’s been stiff competition this year. I came second in the last round, but I’m so chuffed to win overall”

James and Bear went head-to-head in the final against CJ and his dog Chuck Norris the Jack Russell who put up a great performance on the water. However, seasoned paddlers James and Bear hit the beach and stormed the finish line to take the title of Dogmasters 2021.

Mark Reeves, event organiser from Shaka Surf, who runs a SUP and surf school in Bournemouth was over the moon to finally see the dogs out on the water. “It’s been a very long wait and we’re stoked it could finally happen. After such a tough year for everyone, it was brilliant to put on a really fun day where dog owners and dog lovers could just come together race, have a laugh, and just have some fun in the water!”

Paddleboarding with a dog is an increasingly popular way of sharing a love of the water, exercise, and adventure. And with over 1,000 spectators watching the action this year we'll likely see even more sure-footed pups on SUPs in 2022.

If you’d like to take part in next year’s event keep an eye on Shaka Surf’s website.