Raising Cane's Going to the Dogs SurFUR ComPETition at Duke Kahanamoku OceanFest

WHAT: Hawai’i’s only Pet Surfing Competition, 10th anniversary celebration

WHEN: August 21, 2025 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

WHERE: Duke Kahanamoku OceanFest, Duke Statue and Kuhio Beach Park, surfing at Baby Queens

The Raising Cane’s Going to the Dogs SurFur ComPETition (GTDSC) at The Duke Kahanamoku OceanFest (DKOF) is a one-of-a-kind pet and family friendly event in Hawai’i. This exciting event is a crowd favorite and features some of the best photo and video opportunities in Waikiki. GDTDSC has been a part of DKOF since 2015. The first SurFur ComPETition in 2015 started with 3 dogs and a pig, and has grown in recent years to over 27 surfing animals joining the competition. Past participants have included pig, cat and duck surfurs, as well as dogs of all sizes, from yorkies to Mastiffs!

Sponsored by Raising Cane’s Restaurants since 2022, this fun competition is open to all ages; human participants are required to be intermediate surfers or paddlers (or better), and all animals must be accustomed to being in the water and on the boards, and ENJOY being in the water with their humans. For this reason, no beginners, please; this is for the safety and well-being of humans AND especially the animals. GTDSC has 2 divisions: the PAWS ON THE NOSE Tandem Surf Classic, animals riding tandem with their owners on either surfboards or SUP, and the SOLO SURFUR Invitational, which is open to a limited number of high-caliber solo surf dog athletes. This division is invite only. Registration will begin in July 2025.

For more information on the divisions and any entry requirements, or to become a volunteer or sponsor, please contact the organizer: Kelli Hergert [email protected] For photos and fun info, check out www.DukesOceanFest.com & www.surfdogshawaii.com, and follow on Instagram: @surfdogshawaii and @dukes-oceanfest 

The Duke Kahanamoku Ocean Fest August 16-24, 2025

This year the Duke Kahanamoku OceanFest is celebrating over 24 years of premiere water and beach sporting events at sites throughout Waikiki. This annual water sports festival, held on the shores of Waikiki every August, celebrates Duke Kahanamoku’s life, athletic contributions and Aloha spirit with a variety of lifestyle sports disciplines that represent Duke’s legacy: Surfing, Swimming, Paddleboard Racing, Menehune Surfing, Surfboard Water Polo, Foil Surfing, Beach Volleyball, and Hawaii’s only Dog Surfing Competition! (Did you know the Kahanamoku family surfed with their dogs?) Festivities throughout the week celebrate the culture of Hawai’i including hula, film and music presentations.

The Duke Kahanamoku OceanFest is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission, in conjunction with the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation, is to provide resources and scholarships to help enrich the lives of Hawaii’s Scholar Athletes. For more information, please visit www.dukefoundation.org.