A golden retriever puppy named Ricochet was being trained as a service dog, but she was never quite suited for the work. After a period of transition, she became known as a SURF-ice dog. She loves to go surfing and has a special connection with special-needs people.
ESPN reporter Tom Rinaldi captures the story well in an eight-minute video that I bring to you this week, even though the video is a little longer than most that I post on Amusing Monday.
Another video about Ricochet, written by her owner Judy Fridono, explains why it is important for people to find their true destiny. It’s titled, Riding a Wave of Hope with Ricochet, who got her name, by the way, because she was bouncing off the walls with energy when she was a puppy.
Ricochet’s early life is described in more detail in a story by Jenny McCarthy in Woman’s Day magazine. And a question-and-answer session with Judy Fridono was transcribed on the website Animal Fair.
I first learned about and featured dog-surfing competitions in Amusing Monday two years ago. See 1) June 13, 2011 and 2) Oct. 3, 2011.
Updating the competitions, I found a few more amusing videos about dog-surfing:
- The 2012 Surf City Surf Dog Contest at Dog Beach in Huntington Beach California in a video production by SoCal Beaches Magazine.
- A new Dog Surfing Competition this year at Juno Beach, Fla., with video from WPTV, West Palm Beach.
- The long-running Leows Surf-Dog Competition, now in its eighth year, reported by Rachel Smith, Los Angeles correspondent for ABC News.
Last, and perhaps least, Randall was on the scene at the Leows competition this year, offering commentary and conducting interviews with folks on the beach. See the video player below. Randall, who loves to talk about animals, is best known for his off-color commentary regarding the “badass” honey badger.
