Sugar the Surfing Dog has won multiple World Dog Surfing Championships, Surf City Surf Dog and Purina Pro Plan Incredible Dog Challenge titles.
But her most impressive accomplishment still just might be that she helped save a life.
Her owner, Ryan Rustan of Huntington Beach, battled with mental health and drug issues. He got sober in his late 20s as Sugar, rescued at 7 months old from the streets of Oakland, came into his life.
Now Sugar will forever be remembered.
The 14-year-old dog was inducted into the Surfers’ Hall of Fame on Thursday morning, in a special ceremony in front of Huntington Surf & Sport on Main Street in Huntington Beach.
After putting her paws in the wet concrete, Sugar became the first animal inducted into the Surfers’ Hall of Fame.
“I never would have imagined in my wildest dreams that [Sugar] is exactly why I’d turn my life around, right here,” Rustan said. “This is just so special.”
All seven Huntington Beach City Council members attended the ceremony, along with other local officials.
Newly appointed Mayor Pat Burns and Mayor Pro Tem Casey McKeon each gave remarks. McKeon said he was introduced to Sugar after Rustan brought her to a City Council meeting earlier this year.
Rustan and Sugar rode in this year’s Huntington Beach Independence Day Parade, and Burns reached out to Surfers’ Hall of Fame founder Aaron Pai.
“We were working hard to try to find something to immortalize Sugar,” McKeon said. “We’re really grateful that the Pai family made this happen today. Sugar will be forever immortalized in the Surfers’ Hall of Fame, that’s pretty amazing.”
The Surfers’ Hall of Fame seeks to pay tribute to those who have made an indelible mark on the sport, industry and culture of surfing. Jeff Deffenbaugh, Jamie O’Brien and Ilima Kalama were this year’s human selections.
Now, a canine is in the mix.
Lisa Scolman, who put on the Surf City Surf Dog event, said it as a special day for her.
“I always dreamed that we’d have a dog in the Surfers’ Hall of Fame, and there is no dog more deserving, no duo more deserving, than Ryan and Sugar,” Scolman said. “We are so blessed to celebrate her today.
“Because of her, we started a shredder division. Because of her, we had dogs from all over the world come surf. Everyone wanted to surf against Sugar and Ryan.”
Rustan, who now has two other surfing dogs, said he still wants to take Sugar to surf in Waikiki.
Don Ramsey used to surf with Rustan’s late father, Robin, at Bolsa Chica State Beach when Ryan was just a kid.
“I just know right now your dad is smiling up above and totally stoked about this recognition for Sugar,” Ramsey said at Thursday’s event. “If any of you watch any of the videos on YouTube or some of the social media, it blows my mind how intuitive the dog is on a surfboard, especially in the reform.”
Sugar has won 19 titles overall in her decorated career. Rustan knows, though, that winning titles hasn’t been Sugar’s sole objective.
“She does a lot of surf therapy for lots of kids,” he said. “It’s not just [about] surfing against people but also putting smiles on the little kids’ faces and the athletes that are disabled. She gets to ride with them.”
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Matt Szabo is a sports reporter for the Daily Pilot. A Southern California native and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo graduate, he has been covering sports for L.A. Times Community News since 2006, most extensively water polo and tennis. (714) 966-4614
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