BEFORE America gathered to watch Noah Lyles win a historic 100m race – another champion was crowned in California.
In fact, the Paris 2024 Olympics was hilariously outdone by the World DOG Surfing Championships on Sunday.
Dozens of canines and owners flocked to Pacifica, California to take part in the unusual competition which has been running since 2006.
And Cacau, a chocolate Labrador from Brazil, took home the “top surf dog” gold medal for herself and her owner Ivan Moreira.
The pair rode a paddle board together through rough waves and were awarded for making “swift turns” which stunned a 6,000 strong crowd.
Each tail-wagging surfer headed out into the water wearing a life vest with its owner who helped propel them forward to ride the waves.
A hilarious video was shared by an NBC Bay Area TV producer with the caption: “Interrupting Olympics coverage to share my favourite video of the day. Dog surfing returned to Pacifica today.”
Judges award dogs based on the length of their ride, technique, style confidence and size or strength of wave.
Some dogs surfed solo or with another furry friend on the same board.
Twenty dogs of various breeds and sizes from as far away as Japan made a big splash.
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There are different categories of competition spread out among: ‘big, medium and small dogs’.
The extra-large category featured only Labrador Retrievers, a breed known for getting soaked.
An event volunteer told American news outlet ABC: “There’s about 6,000 or 7,000 people here to watch the dogs surf.”
Originating in 2006, the sport has grown globally, and now have plans to expand the competition internationally.
