“After He Lost His Hearing, I Figured We’d Give…”: Surfing Gets a Potential Champion as Woman Helps Furry Friend Overcome Decade-Long Fear

It is true, dogs are man’s best friend. Having a four-legged furry friend in your corner just makes life better. This especially holds true for Jenna-Marie Rutherford, a human who finally overcame her fear of surfing, and so did her adorable dog, Ollie. Dog surfing has become popular these days, with adorable pups shredding waves just like their human counterparts. In fact, it has now become a sport in its own right. Who hasn’t enjoyed watching the World Dog Surfing Championships?

In contemporary times where a special global event is dedicated to dog surfing alone, who wouldn’t want to take their shredding? But for Jenna-Marie Rutherford and her 13-year-old dog Ollie, the reason runs much deeper than that. Rutherford and her best friend Ollie have been able to conquer a long-standing fear together. And as for her dog, he is on a mission to prove the old adage wrong: “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. While it was not always easy for Ollie, adversity became an unexpected foe that helped him become a dog surfer.

Surfing gets a new super-duo

Jenna-Marie Rutherford was brought up in San Mateo and was scared to surf even though she loved the ocean. All that changed when the 13-year-old rescue dog, Ollie, came into her life. Together, they learned to shred the waves in Half Moon Bay in California, where Rutherford moved last May. Rutherford started surfing 4 years ago, when she “bit the bullet” and just went for it. However, initially, Ollie was not the brave dog he turned out to be. As Rutherford told the Half Moon Bay Review, “He was always afraid of the ocean, never went near water.”

During the COVID-19 period, Jenna-Marie revealed that Ollie started clinging to her. This increased to the point where she could not leave the home without her beloved pet. However, a bane turned out to be a boon when Ollie lost his hearing. As a result, he was suddenly not scared of the water anymore. So Rutherford decided to take him to the waves. She said, “After he lost his hearing, I figured we’d give (surfing) a shot. Now he’s all about it.” That started his career toward becoming a professional in dog surfing. Ollie never misses a chance to ride some waves.

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According to Rutherford, “He sees the surfboard and he’s so excited to go out. Now it’s a fun thing we do together.” His sudden eagerness to go surfing has also been a consequence of the immense trust that Rutherford and her pet have established over the years. “That bond, it kind of alleviates that fear for him and he just gets to enjoy it,” she said. Currently, Ollie does not go ride the waves on his own, and Rutherford helps him balance. Whether Ollie will ever be a part of the World Dog Surfing Championships, is still to be decided.

The new champions in the sport

The World Dog Surfing Championships have become an annual event popular amongst dog owners. The motto of the organization that conducts it is, “It’s a big world, let your dog surf it.” Pet owners storm to the beaches, hoping their furry friend will become the next top dog in the sport. They dress the pups in adorable outfits, including sunglasses, costumes, and doggy-size life jackets. That does not take away from the seriousness of the competition.

The dogs are judged on professional standards that are similar to some that human surfers have to meet. The criteria to be met are tough, ranging from technique to the length of the ride. They even have specific categories for the dogs to compete in, including Small, Medium, and Large. They also have a category for humans and dogs to surf in tandem. the event is truly one of its kind, and hopefully, Ollie will be one of the hopefuls that will win this competition soon enough.

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