Skyler and Homer, doing what they love. Photo: Dave Nelson
Skyler Henard is one of the most talented surfers in the world. She might have four paws and not know how to paddle, but when she drops into a wave, it’s obvious that this dog was born to surf.
Homer Henard has been surfing his entire life. He surfed at the pro level for a couple of decades before retiring to life as a free surfer. Thirteen years ago, he received a gift that would forever change the course of his life.
“My dad got Skyler for me as a present as a puppy and I didn’t even know if I wanted a dog,” recalls Homer. “But then she ended up being the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Like most dogs, Skyler wanted to do whatever Homer was doing and naturally, that led her to the water. One day, Homer was going standup paddling near his home in Santa Cruz, California and Skyler wanted to go. When she hopped on the board, Homer noted her incredible balance and thought she might be good at riding waves.
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“She was a natural,” recalls Homer. “She liked being right up at the nose, hanging paws over the nose, and leaning into turns. It seemed pretty instinctual.”
At first, they started on small days and slowly worked their way up to bigger, better days. Homer found he preferred longboarding with Skyler on small days rather than struggling to catch something on his own on his shortboard. As Skyler continued to improve, they decided to enter their first dog-surfing competition.
“There’s a full on dog-surfing scene,” says Homer. “It’s cool to be around the other dogs because we usually surf alone. People don’t realize that these dogs really love surfing.”
Typically, Homer and Skyler surf tandem. But in the competitions, Skyler surfs solo. She has a custom board shaped by Bob Pearson that’s super thin, which allows her to turn into waves. She also has a custom Xcel life jacket to keep her safe, but she seldom needs it.
While there are a lot of talented surfing dogs out there, there are few like Skyler. She’s won most of the contests she’s entered and has taken home the win at the World Dog Surfing Championships. She’s gotten barreled at Kelly Slater’s wave pool. She’s been featured on Pet Stars on Netflix. And she has an impressive following on social media.
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“I think she likes competing,” says Homer. “She knows when she’s up on the podium and wins, she has a different swagger. She’s won a lot, so she’s used to going up on the podium and posing.”
Although Skyler and Homer love competing, Homer believes that her true calling is serving as a surf therapy dog. Skyler and Homer regularly volunteer at events through Operation Surf, Waves of Impact, and the Mauli Ola Foundation.
“After the first event I realized that this is what we’re supposed to be doing,” says Homer. “I’ve seen crazy stuff happen where people’s disabilities almost go away in the moment when they’re riding waves, throwing shakas, and smiling. It’s special to see the joy that she brings to other people when we’re in the water.”
At 13, Skyler is beginning to slow down. She’s had an impressive run and Homer is thinking of retiring her from competitions soon so they can just focus on surfing for fun. Skyler’s made quite the mark on the surf world and her legacy is sure to inspire people for years to come.
“There are a lot of good dogs out there, but I think Skyler is the best surfing dog in the world,” says Homer. “She’s like the Gerry Lopez of surfing dogs.”
