Surfer Dude: The Pony, the Myth, the Legend

For well over a hundred years, people have argued over the true origins of the Chincoteague ponies, so it's appropriate that the origins of the most famous wild pony are not completely known. The wild Chincoteague pony stallion Surfer Dude captured the hearts of thousands with his distinctive looks: his deep chocolate-brown coloring, his blonde mane, his partial blue eye, and the spot of gray below his '92 hip brand.

Surfer Dude in 2010. Photo by Sarah Boudreau.

Surfer Dude was born in 1992. The CVFC started freezebranding with the year of the pony's birth in 1991, which allowed for easier recognition and record-keeping. Two years after Surfer Dude was born, the Chincoteague Pony Association was formed. The CPA was organized by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department, and it was the primary pony registry for many years, keeping track of which foals were born to which parents. It is difficult to verify information on many of the ponies born before the CPA, because there were far fewer formal records kept. There remains a lot of uncertainty surrounding individual wild ponies from the 1990's and back, as the majority of the information has been passed down through word of mouth, like a myth.

The popular story of Surfer Dude begins almost ten years before he was born, when the CVFC released mustangs on the island in the early 80's. The introduction of Bureau of Land Management mustangs in the 70's did not go well, but this attempt seems more successful. They brought in young horses, ones who were only a year or two old, including one with an appaloosa coat. This group fared better than the previous mustangs, and some of them survived into the early 2000's. The introduction of new blood was not the subject of media reports, and less about it is known than the mustang introduction of '77.

A BLM-branded mare on Assateague Island in 2000. Photo by chincoteague.com.

Surfer Dude's supposed sire, Pirate, has been said to be one of the mustangs introduced in the 80's, or perhaps he was one of their progeny. Pirate was a tall bay stallion who had suffered a serious injury at a young age. The exact injury is unknown, but his jaw healed crookedly, giving him the nickname Broken-Jaw. Pirate's perseverance and hardiness, combined with the mystique of the wild mustangs of the west, made him appealing to fans of the breed.

In coloration and build, Surfer Dude seemed to take after his dam, a mare called Gremlin. Gremlin, recorded in the Chincoteague Pony Association as number 66, had a similar build and a thin white marking down her face. She also had a deep chestnut coat and sported a lighter-colored mane.

Not much is known about Surfer Dude's early years. As a mature stallion, Surfer Dude was kept mostly on the southern side of the island, visible from the overlook area on Beach Road. Remarkably, his herd also swam the channel to Chincoteague multiple times before Pony Penning, and he was known to occasionally break out of the fencing and roam around Beach Road, much to the delight of tourists.

Surfer Dude loose on Beach Road in January 2013. Photo by Sarah Boudreau, one such delighted tourist.

Many foals sired by him had similar coloration, like Gidget (2002 mare out of Virginia Belle) and Riptide (2009 stallion out of Surf Queen)--both of whom live wild on the island and are producing foals. Pony buyers at the auction still vie for his descendants.

Surfer Dude chasing Prince away from a two year old Riptide in 2011. Photo by Sarah Boudreau.

Surfer's Riptide in 2017. Photo by Sarah Boudreau.

One of Surfer Dude's take-home foals, Surfer Girl, a 2005 mare out of Virginia Belle. She has a partial blue eye, just like her sire did. Photo by Sarah Boudreau.

He died in 2015 at the age of 22, old age for a wild pony. Lovers of the breed mourned his loss, and major newspapers like USA Today and The Chicago Tribune reported on his death. Riptide took over his sire's old herd and stomping grounds in the southern compartment. Later that year, Surfer Dude's filly out of Got Milk was selected as a buyback--CLG Surfer's Blue Moon broke the record at auction, selling for $25,000. She was released back on the island and gave birth to her first foal in 2018.

Though we may not know much for certain about his background, we do know that Surfer Dude left his mark on the breed and captured the imagination of many. He inspired countless postcards, t-shirts, and artwork, and for his 20th birthday, the CVFC made a giant birthday card for his adoring fans to sign. And now, through his descendants, Surfer Dude's legacy is kept alive on Assateague Island.

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