A Jacksonville college student and her eight-year-old toy schnauzer Max rode their board into a third-place finish last weekend at the semi-annual Surf Dog Experience in Carolina Beach, Max winning over the crowd with his skills and his style.
Mallory McDonald is a Jacksonville native, a graduate of Southwest High School, and now a sophomore at the University of Mount Olive where she’s also on the wrestling team. She’s been surfing since she was ten years old.
“I’ve been surfing since my parents taught me when I was a little girl,” she said. “So, I try to get out there any time, but it’s not really competitive. It’s more like an enjoyable hobby for me. It’s a way to relax out there.”
She’s not the only one who thinks so, either.
Mallory’s mom, Jacqueline McDonald, said Max has loved being on a board since he was a puppy. He would even often go paddleboarding with the family. However, he injured his back earlier this year after jumping from a high height.
They didn’t think Max would ever walk again. But Max is a stubborn little fighter. He recovered just fine, and the McDonald’s began bringing Max everywhere they went.
“He loved the water, so we started bringing him to the beach, and my mom had told me about the Surf Dog Experience back in June,” Jacqueline McDonald said.
The Surf Dog Experience is put on by Ocean Events USA, according to surfdogexperience.com, and occurs twice a year — before Memorial Day and before Labor Day — at Carolina Beach.
The cost to register a dog is $40, and all proceeds go to the nonprofit organization Freedom Bridge Animal Rescue.
The McDonald’s were sold and decided to register Max for his first-ever competition.
“It was the day before I had to go back and check in for college, and I was like, well, we might as well get out there and do something fun,” Mallory McDonald laughed.
Typically, Ocean Rescue surfers in the water take the pups out to surf. But that didn’t work for Mallory and Max.
Mallory brought her own board and asked if she could take Max out herself. She was the only one to do so.
“I thought it was awesome because I can surf, but I’m better at paddleboarding. I’m 40 now. Mallory’s phenomenal,” Jacqueline McDonald said, adding, “I was so stoked to see her go out there in front of all those people. I could not believe it because she was the only girl out there surfing.”
Max had a blast.
In fact, Jacqueline said he never wants to get out of the water, and any time he falls, he gets right back up again.
Max was also a big hit with the crowd, and his style was part of the reason. Jacqueline McDonald explained that Max had lost some hair around his eyes because of his age, and sand more easily gets caked on them. So, she ordered him some goggles.
He wore them all day.
“The experience was amazing,” Mallory McDonald said. “After walking down the beach, everyone was like, oh my gosh, that’s so dope, about Max with his goggles and little margarita shirt. There were just so many people, and everybody was cheering on the beach whenever you caught a wave. I could hear it from out in the water.”
That was what was so special, Jacqueline added, was the atmosphere.
She said people who weren’t competing brought their dogs to watch, and everyone was so happy to be at the beach. Even when some dogs took their sweet time getting out into the water due to nerves, no one minded waiting.
“There were no complications at all,” Mallory added. “No dog fights, no scuffling, nothing. Every dog was at the beach, and they found things to do.”
Ultimately, Max was awarded the third-place trophy behind two goldendoodles. Mallory said there were many competitors, but Max was the smallest. Funny enough, the largest dog on the beach, a mastiff, was also named Max.
The McDonald’s can’t wait to enter Max in the contest again, especially Mallory, who said she struggles with anxiety, but not when she’s in the ocean.
“When you’re out in the ocean, you don’t think about anything but having a good time,” she said, adding that she also loves to teach people to surf, and taught her best friend how over the summer.
For now, it’s back to school for Mallory McDonald, who’s majoring in business and planning to minor in Christian studies. As for Max, he’s already training for May.
