The 10th annual World Dog Surfing Championships run today, Saturday Aug. 1, from 9 a.m. to about 2 p.m. at Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica. Free to watch, no tickets — but arrive early, because the lot fills fast.

If you're reading this before early afternoon, you can still make it: the World Dog Surfing Championships are on right now at Linda Mar Beach (Pacifica State Beach), off Highway 1 at Linda Mar Boulevard, about 14 miles south of San Francisco. The event runs today, Saturday, Aug. 1, from 9 a.m. to roughly 2 p.m. (awards land in the 1–2 p.m. window). Watching is free — no tickets, no RSVP.

This is the 10th annual edition, organized by TasteTV and presented this year by Lagunitas. Dogs compete in timed 10-minute heats sorted by size — small (1–20 lbs) up through extra-large (61+) — and judges score ride length, technique, and how well the dog actually reads the wave. Beyond the solo heats there's dog-dog tandem, human-dog tandem, a stand-up paddleboard division, a ball-and-fetch water contest, and a costume-heavy fashion show. SFGATE reports returning competitors including miniature pinscher Rusty, Labrador retriever Rippin Rosie, and Carson Surf Dog.

The catch is parking. Visit Pacifica expects a big crowd — recent years have drawn 6,000-plus — and the beach lot fills early and stays full. There's no BART or train out here; you're driving or biking. If the main lot is jammed, park up in the Linda Mar shopping center or the neighborhood streets east of Highway 1 and walk in.

If you've only got an hour: skip the fashion contest, get down to the sand mid-morning for the small- and medium-dog heats — the little ones wiping out and paddling back on are the whole show. Can't get there? It airs on ESPN8: The Ocho on Aug. 6 at 7:30 p.m.