Sugar the Surfing Dog, the first canine inducted into the Surfer’s Hall of Fame, has died at the age of 16 after battling cancer. The rescue dog from Huntington Beach, California, passed away on Monday “in her daddy’s arms,” according to a post on her Instagram account.
Sugar was a five-time dog surfing world champion and spent her days outside the water comforting veterans as a therapy dog. “She lived to put smiles on faces, volunteer, to send it !! to change dog surfing forever !!! thank you for loving Sugar,” the Instagram post read.
Found as a stray, Sugar’s love of the waves and natural talent elevated dog surfing to new heights. Spectators would watch the white canine in amazement as she balanced on her surfboard, riding wave after wave back to the shore, often with her owner Ryan Rustan by her side.
In 2024, Sugar’s paw prints were immortalised in concrete in Huntington Beach alongside the hand and footprints of other renowned surfers when she was inducted into the hall of fame. “This is just incredible. Dreams do come true even for a surfing dog and guys like me,” Rustan said at the ceremony.
A post on Huntington Beach’s Facebook page described her as a local legend. “From inspiring the surfing world to advocating for rescue dogs and bringing comfort to veterans as a therapy dog, her impact reached far beyond the shoreline,” the post said.
