Luna, Hawaii’s famous surfing dog, has passed away. She was 18 years old. There are many surfing dogs around, but a few stand out. Luna was certainly one of them. Luna was a Jack Russell, full of energy. She got her start surfing early, after her owner, Alika Vaquer, adopted her when he was living in France.
Vaquer realized that Luna loved the water a little more than most dogs when she was just a puppy. She swam endlessly in a river, so he decided he’d take her to the ocean and see how she fared. “At some point she realized this was fun. And she loved the water,” Vaquer told Hawaii News Now. “Then I went back to the ocean. I said, ‘She loves the river so much, she must love the ocean.”
As it turned out, she loved the ocean, too. She went everywhere with Vaquer, who is an avid outdoorsman. They swam together, snorkeled together, skateboarded together, and surfed together. She was a staple in lineups in Hawaii, and loved by all. “That was Luna,” Vaquer continued. “But she also was really kind and cuddly and sweet. She wasn’t hyperactive to the point where you couldn’t control her.”
Luna’s life wasn’t all treats and fun, though — she had her fair share of bad experiences. During a trip to Central America, she was mauled by a pack of dogs and came close to dying. She also got some kind of virus that nearly ended her life, and she fought cancer numerous times. But, like most dogs, she never lost her boundless spirit.
She was active until the very end, surfing in a contest at Duke’s OceanFest just this year. She was the oldest dog to ever surf in the event, and although her body was slowly giving out, she managed to catch a few waves with Vaquer.
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“We did this year, just as an exhibition,” Vaquer said. “She was able to take one more wave which was like the biggest story of my life. It was so good.”
There’s an old saying that goes like this: “everyone thinks they have the best dog in the world, and none of them are wrong.” Luna will be missed by everyone who knew her, even if it was just through a screen. She touched many lives in her 18 years, and with any luck, she’s surfing over the rainbow bridge right now. RIP, Luna. You were a good girl.
