by Matthew Brown
There is a surfing contest in California like no other.
Surfing is
becoming universally popular with men and women
regardless of their age or financial
standing.
As a matter of fact, some surfers aren't even humans _(1)_ since they stand on four legs. Welcome to the
peculiar world of dog surfing.
In the fifth annual Loews Coronado Bay
Resort Surf Dog
Competition last May, more than 65 dogs _(2)_. Over the past few years, the
remarkable event has
turned into a phenomenon. People come _(3)_ to see the crazy
canines hang ten or
ride tubes. It seems that the dogs enjoy riding the waves as much as their owners. Bruce Hooker said his dog, Buddy, is _(4)_ about surfing and sees it as a game. "I'm sure he's ridden more waves than any other dogs," said Hooker. Buddy has been riding the waves for 10 years now and has _(5)_ into an
expert surf dog. Last year, Buddy
came in first in its weight class to the _(6) _ of its owner.
Each dog has 10 minutes to catch the best waves
attainable. Judges
base their
scores on three
factorsthe dog's
confidence level, the length of the ride, and the dog's _(7)_ surfing ability. The owners also play a _(8)_ in the
contest by making sure the dogs are
thrust into the
crucial part of the wave. Because of the increasing popularity, more and more dog surfing competitions are _(9)_ up worldwide.
Add that
to surf dog clubs, dog surfing lessons, and businesses that sell dog
surfboards,
wet suits, and
life jackets, and you have the beginnings of a big
trend forming. As an old _(10)_ puts it, "
Two heads are better than one." Most of the time this is true, but
when it comes to surfing, four legs may be better than two.
(A) overall (B) delight (C) role (D) at all (E) passionate (F) participated (G) developed (H) saying (I) springing
(J) from far and wide