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While the old proverb every dog will have its day was not directly referring to surfing canines, we are going to ride that metaphor like a wave anyway. The 2025 World Dog Surfing Championships Best Waves is an adorable television competition airing tonight (Friday, August 1) at 12:00 a.m. ET / 9:00 p.m. PT on ESPN2. It’s part of the network’s larger “ESPN8 The Ocho” programming, which celebrates obscure sports. Lets dive into all the details. A brief history of surfing The sport of surfing is said to date back to ancient Polynesian culture. The Polynesian people were masterful wayfinders who made their way to Hawaii. On these islands, the sport took root and was incorporated into religious ceremonies. When did dogs start surfing? While we will probably never know who first decided to put a dog on a surfboard, it is not a new phenomenon. Film footage from the 1930s caught a terrier named Night Hawk who loved to ride the waves. The following decade, a good boy named Rusty from California graced the pages of National Geographic. The organization behind the World Championships for Dog Surfing claims that the concept of the sport originated on the California coast. The act of seeing a furry friend hang ten is so adorable, it’s hard to resist watching it. What is ESPN8: The Ocho? Popular sports cable channel ESPN agrees and will air the 2025 World Dog Surfing Championships Best Waves as part of its ESPN8: The Ocho programming on ESPN2. Every August, ESPN2 turns into ESPN8 The Ocho to celebrate obscure sports such as dog surfing. The genesis of the idea to feature unconventional sports came from the 2004 film Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. ESPN executives took the parody channel featured in the movie and ran with it. The tradition started in 2017 and is still going strong today. What is the ‘best waves’ special about? The 2025 World Dog Surfing Championships Best Waves is a video competition hosted by Kylie Speer and A.K. Crump. Judges get to critique the pups finest momentsthere are no wipeouts here. Canines are divided into four categories. The first three are based on size and the last one focuses on human/dog duos. How can I stream the surfing dogs TV special? To see all the canine athletics, tune into ESPN2 at midnight tonight ET (9 p.m. PT). If you’re a cord-cutter, several live-TV streaming services offer the cable channel. Those include: Sling TVs Orange plan Hulu + Live TV Fubo YouTube TV If you find yourself in Pacifica, California, on Saturday, August 2, you could even catch some dogs in action. The live in-person competition begins at 9 a.m., with additional programming such as a pet wellness fair and pet adoptions scheduled throughout the day. Visit the World Dog Surfing website for more information, then head out and get some sand between your toes. Cowabunga, pups!
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E-Commerce
Nvidia said on Thursday its products have no “backdoors” that would allow remote access or control after China raised concerns over potential security risks in the firm’s H20 artificial intelligence chip. The Cyberspace Administration of China, the country’s internet regulator, said it was concerned by a U.S. proposal for advanced chips sold abroad to be equipped with tracking and positioning functions. The CAC’s move cast uncertainty over the U.S. company’s sales prospects in China weeks after a U.S. export ban was reversed. The regulator said it had summoned Nvidia to a meeting on Thursday to explain whether its H20 AI chip had any backdoor security risks, as it was worried that Chinese user data and privacy rights could be affected. A backdoor risk refers to a hidden method of bypassing normal authentication or security controls. In a statement, an Nvidia spokesperson said, “Cybersecurity is critically important to us. Nvidia does not have ‘backdoors’ in our chips that would give anyone a remote way to access or control them.” The White House and both houses of U.S. Congress have proposed the idea of requiring U.S. chip firms to include location verification technology with their chips to prevent them from being diverted to countries where U.S. export laws ban sales. The separate bills and White House recommendation have not become a formal rule, and no technical requirements have been established. Nvidia has been a focus of U.S.-China relations, and China’s move comes shortly after the U.S. this month reversed an April ban on Nvidia selling the H20 chip to China. The company developed the H20 chip for the Chinese market after the U.S. imposed export restrictions on advanced AI chips in late 2023. “Nvidia chips are now dispensable for China. They can be easily put on the negotiating table,” said Tilly Zhang, an analyst with Gavekal Dragonomics. “China obviously has more courage and domestic substitution capabilities compared to previous years to not rely on overseas technology.” This month, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang embarked on a public and effusive visit to China, where he sought to demonstrate his commitment to the Chinese market, met with government officials, and praised the country’s AI advances. The CAC statement did not elaborate on what backdoor security risks there could be or say what the Chinese government was considering doing as a result. Strong demand Charlie Chai, an analyst with tech- and consumer-focused 86Research, said Beijing’s warning was likely a symbolic stance against similar objections made by U.S. authorities. “However, we do not believe Beijing will make excessively harsh demands or introduce regulatory hurdles that will effectively drive Nvidia out of China, for the lack of alternatives. China still needs Nvidia chips for domestic research and applications,” Chai said. Nvidia’s products are highly sought after not just by Chinese tech companies but also by Chinese military bodies, state-run AI research institutes, and universities. The company last week placed an order with contract manufacturer TSMC for 300,000 H20 chipsets due to strong demand, Reuters reported. Chinese authorities and industry associations have in the past accused U.S. tech companies of posing security risks, with varying consequences. In early 2023, China barred key operators of the country’s infrastructure from purchasing from Micron, saying that a review it conducted had found the U.S. memory chipmaker’s products posed serious security risks. Last year, the Cybersecurity Association of China, an industry group, called for Intel products sold in China to be subject to a security review, but Chinese regulators have not publicly responded. Nvidia is also facing an antitrust investigation in China. The State Administration for Market Regulation announced late last year it was investigating the chipmaker over suspected violations of the country’s anti-monopoly law. The regulator said Nvidia was also suspected of violating commitments it made during its acquisition of Israeli chip designer Mellanox Technologies, under terms outlined in the regulator’s 2020 conditional approval of that deal. Beijing Newsroom, Reuters
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E-Commerce
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Thursday that she secured a pause on new tariffs coming into effect and a 90-day period to work on a trade deal in a call with U.S. President Donald Trump. The agreement avoids the 30% tariffs that had been set to come into force on Friday. Speaking in a regular press conference after the announcement, Sheinbaum said the pause safeguards the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and means goods compliant with the pact will continue to be exempt from the 25% tariffs Trump imposed earlier this year due to the fentanyl crisis. Approximately 85% of Mexican exports comply with the rules of origin outlined in the USMCA, according to Mexico’s economy ministry. Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard, speaking alongside Sheinbaum, said Thursday’s agreement brought the countries closer to securing a long-term trade agreement. “All of this was achieved without a single concession on Mexico’s part,” said Ebrard. “It’s a great achievement.” Both Sheinbaum and Ebrard stressed that the pause means Mexico continues to be one of the countries in the world with most preferential access to the U.S. market. Aida Pelaez-Fernandez, Brendan O’Boyle, and Emily Green, Reuters
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E-Commerce
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