It started with skateboarding. Hawaiʻi Kai-based Dale, the French Bulldog, would glide along with his owner Greg Dutcher. Then, they substituted a skateboard for a stand-up paddle board and swapped pavement for ocean. Later, came surfing.
On Friday, May 23, Dale, the dog, had his Hollywood premiere in Disney’s live action “Lilo & Stitch" movie, which grossed $361 million worldwide in six days, according to boxofficemojo.com.
“We try to do stuff with him all the time,” Dutcher told Aloha State Daily. “And that's how he became such a cool little dude. I just wanted to include my dog in everything I can, so instead of leaving him home and going to the beach, we bring him. Little guy wants to be in the water with us, so we put him on a boogie board and float it around.”
Dale is already getting recognition from the movie.
“It’s funny,” Dutcher said. “People approach us on the beach and they're like: ʻI have to ask, is that Dale from the movie?’ ”
Dale was about five months old when he first learned to glide on a skateboard. Now six years old, he filmed the scene for the movie almost two years ago in June of 2023 at Mākaha Beach.
Usually though the duo surfs at Queen’s Surf Break in Waikīkī. They now live in Hawaiʻi Kai, where Dale enjoys leaping into the water at Hālona Blowhole, which is also known as “Cockroach Cove.”
Generally, catching waves is pretty easy. Although, there was a surprise encounter with a monk seal that dove under their surfboard about two years ago, Dutcher said. The dog and nearby surfers saw it, but Dutcher didn’t, he said.
For the movie, Tyler Landon of SUPDog Hawaiʻi, rather than Dutcher, handled the surfing scene.
How does one describe Dale?
“He's got a passion for being a little wild man,” Dutcher said. “We take him to the beach, and you could have a plate of meat, and he'll run right by it to get to the water. He doesn’t care about anything but getting into the water.”
Follow Dale on Instagram.
Katie Helland can be reached at katie@alohastatedaily.com.
