Sugar the Surfing Dog, Hall of Famer and 5x World Champ, Dies at 16

The post read:

“Sugar The Surfing Dog passed away last night at 3:20am in her daddy’s arms @ryanrustan . Monday. June 14-2011 - March 30. 2026 … she absolutely loved you guys!! she lived to put smiles on faces, volunteer, to send it !! to change dog surfing forever !!! thank you for loving Sugar, Good bye my Sugar., i can’t believe in writing this .. i’m going to miss you so much.”

Prior to her passing, Sugar had undergone a public battle with cancer. In a GoFundMe account to support the canine’s medical bills, which raised nearly all of its $16,000 goal, Sugar’s owner Ryan Rustan explained:

“We’ve been fighting her cancer together — vet visits, special food, medicines, and all the little things I’ve bought to keep her comfortable and happy on the waves.

“Every donation helps cover what I’ve already spent and helps me prepare for whatever comes next.

“Sugar has brought so much joy to so many. If his story has touched your heart, any support means the world.”

If you’ve ever witnessed the niche realm of surfing dogs, chances are you’ve seen Sugar. She was, perhaps, the Kelly Slater of the dog surfing world. In fact, she even surfed Kelly Slater’s wave pool, the Surf Ranch, with her owner back August of 2025:

Additionally, Sugar became the first and only dog to ever be inducted into the Surfers’ Hall of Fame, forever marking her paw prints on the storied concrete of Huntington Beach, alongside surfing luminaries like Greg Noll, Andy Irons, Carissa Moore, and so on.

Rest in peace, Sugar.