Charlie the 10-year-old yellow lab likes surfing so much, he will grab his surfboard and run toward the water. His humans sometimes have to hide his board if they want to chat with friends on the beach.

Charlie joined about 15 to 20 other canine wave riders in Pacifica, 14 miles (22 kilometers) south of San Francisco, on Saturday at the World Dog Surfing Championships, an annual contest that draws thousands of spectators to Pacifica State Beach.

Pooches competed against similarly sized peers for a chance to appear in the finals. Additional heats featured multiple dogs surfing tandem or riding with people.

Labs, terriers and spaniels in monogrammed life vests dog-paddled out into the Pacific. Once out on the waves, their owners helped them hop on colorful boards and hang ten as the crowd

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