Thousands of dog lovers and corgi owners crowded the sands of Huntington Beach, California, April 1 to celebrate the 11th annual Corgi Beach Day.
Festivities center around the competitions at the game arena, where corgis compete for best fetcher, best costume, and musical chairs, among others. Each winner takes home a special trophy.
“Kilo” the corgi, in his red Hawaiian shirt and matching lei, won first place in the corgi limbo competition, wherein canine contestants walk to festive music and must “sit” in time when the music stops.
“Kilo” the corgi poses with his trophy for musical chairs at the 11th annual Corgi Beach Day in Huntington Beach, Calif., April 1, 2023. (Carol Cassis/The Epoch Times)“It’s amazing to finally win. We’re so happy,” Kilo’s owner Josephine Zosa told The Epoch Times. She said Kilo narrowly missed first place last year.
The remaining competitions commenced mostly without a hitch except when “Hailey” had to drop from the fetch contest during her turn due to an unexpected scuffle with some of the other corgis awaiting their chance on the sidelines.
Laughter abounded during the fetch contest, during which the 30-pound “Oliver the class clown” was repeatedly distracted by friendly crowd members, costing him the trophy.
“I love this guy!” event host Dan McLemore said during Oliver’s turn.
The best fetch went to “Bubbles” the corgi, to the delight of the crowd.
Jeff Wu and his corgi “Bubbles” win first place for the Corgi Beach Day fetch challenge in Huntington Beach, Calif., April 1, 2023. (Carol Cassis/The Epoch Times)“We knew this would be a perfect challenge for [Bubbles],” owner Jeff Wu told The Epoch Times after the competition. “She loves [to] fetch. She can play this all day.”
“Fluffiest Corgi” was awarded to “Kirby,” who won by receiving the most cheers from the audience.
The best “anything goes” corgi costume competition was fierce, with some contestants parading as a giant bowl of spaghetti and meatballs, an R2-D2, a shark, and a cowboy.
In the end, “Mazi” took first place as a giant blue loofah with hand-glued plastic bubbles. Her owner Traci Blue wore a full-length bathrobe and shower cap to match the running loofah.
Traci Blue (R) and her corgi “Mazi” win best costume at the Corgi Beach Day in Huntington Beach, Calif., April 1, 2023. (Carol Cassis/The Epoch Times)Spectators along the sidelines also enjoyed their freshly grilled carne asada fries smothered in nacho cheese while their furry friends snacked on food-truck doggie biscuits.
Corgi Beach Day has grown in popularity since its inception in 2012. According to McLemore, this year’s event was more crowded due to sand erosion—which he said limited standing space along the Huntington Beach coast—and the long-awaited clear blue skies and warmer temperatures following months of rain and gloom.
Dan McLemore, host of the 11th annual Corgi Beach Day, poses with corgi attendees in Huntington Beach, Calif., April 1, 2023. (Carol Cassis/The Epoch Times)