Those who have tried surfing know that one of the most difficult aspects of the sport is being able to stand on the board. A Californian surfer has found out, however, that for one of his pets — a cute white goat — it is not so difficult.
According to Reuters, surfer Dana McGregor had always loved riding the waves of the Pacific Ocean but it wasn’t until McGregor and his friend, Ryan Valliere, took the pet goat surfing with him one day that he had a revelation.
“The goat had really good balance,” Valliere told the Los Angeles Daily News. “We were like, ‘Let’s push her into the waves.'”
It happened to be McGregor’s birthday almost ten years ago, and on that date, his life changed completely. “From then on, I just ended up surfing goats,” he said. McGregor later revealed that he trained the goat by taking it to a small swimming pool and teaching it to hold its breath underwater.
There’s a freedom in surfing that you can’t find just anywhere.
Surfer Dana McGregor
McGregor since then has created Surfing Goats, an academy where he teaches children how to surf from Pismo Beach, north of Santa Barbara. He uses his pet goats Pismo and Grover to help children overcome their fear of the water
According to Travel + Leisure, the Surf Goat Day is a one-and-a-half to two-hour experience, which includes a surf lesson, board rental, tandem surf ride, and spin on the Rapture Party Wave Board; it is open to all ages and experience levels. There’s also a one-and-a-half-hour Surf Goat Hike in Pismo Preserve, where participants explore the intricate trails that only Pismo knows.
He has also written children’s books on the goats, including “The Surfing Goat Goatee” and “Pismo’s Party Wave.”
