Sophia Sadlowski, from Huntington Beach, California, never imagined that taking her dog Rusty to the beach would change their lives forever. It was an ordinary afternoon, when the miniature pinscher was barely four months old: she put him on the board, pushed him toward a wave, and the dog simply never wanted to get off again.
What started as a photo ended in a third-place finish in their first competition. And although the road was not straightforward, you can imagine what came next: years of training, increasingly bigger waves, and in the middle of it all, a cancer diagnosis that struck them both. Sophia had to face the illness and undergo treatment, while Rusty was also diagnosed with cancer and managed to overcome it. After a long recovery, both were declared cancer-free and were able to return to the water together to do what they enjoy most: surfing.
On Saturday, August 1, 2026, at Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica, they got back on the board. This time, at the tenth edition of the World Dog Surfing Championship, in front of thousands of people and with a dangerous surf warning in the background. “Right now we are cancer-free, we are fortunate”, Sophia said. Rusty, wearing his green vest and a shark fin on his back, once again proved that life is best enjoyed on top of a wave.
