Meet our Members: Michael Uy and Abbie, the World Famous Surfing Dog
What’s better than a visionary entrepreneur working to improve coastal cities? A surfing dog, perhaps!
What’s better than a visionary entrepreneur working to improve coastal cities? A surfing dog, perhaps! Meet Michael Uy, the founder of Blue Tribe, and his talented dog Abbie, the company's Chief Happiness Officer. Michael once worked for Steve Jobs and is now developing a big data platform to support coastal forecasting and disaster response, thereby supporting communities and industries around the world. Abbie is the top surfer dog in the world and is a celebrity animal athlete! We are delighted to welcome Michael and Abbie to Outsite and learn about their journey.
Source: @abbiesurfs
A little bit about Michael and Abbie...
Abbie is a Guinness World Record holding Australian Kelpie with a true Cinderella story. Rescued from the streets by the Humane Society Silicon Valley, she was adopted by Michael, who rehabilitated her by giving her love and appreciation for the beach and sports. Later, she became a top celebrity athlete with fans across the globe. Abbie started surfing in 2008, when she was just two years old, and has two Guinness World Records. She has medaled in every competition and recently became the first dog in the International Surfing Hall of Fame in 2014. Abbie is also the longest competing and most awarded surfing dog, also sponsored by GoPro. When she isn’t conquering the world of sports, she loves surfing with her dad (Michael) year-round in Del Mar, California. Learn more about Abbie’s story here:The Ride
from AbbieSurfs on Vimeo. Besides nurturing an amazing relationship with a wonderful dog, Michael is working to improve coastal communities through the new science of “coastal informatics”. Blue Tribe provides predictive analytics to combat flooding, erosion, and other effects of sea level rise. Recognizing that most of the world’s population relies on coastal communities, in one way or another, Blue Tribe is upgrading coastal forecasting and disaster response systems.
How have Abbie’s immense talents influenced Michael?
Abbie and Michael share a unique bond and love having adventures together. As a result of Abbie’s popularity as a surfing dog, Michael’s entrepreneurial career has also flourished. Michael says, “Abbie’s popularity as a surfing dog has made enough money to help me pay rent while I trudge on as a startup founder. Basically, my dog has raised as much money as some of our angel investors so far!”
What’s next for this dynamic duo?
According to Michael, Abbie just finished shooting a Facebook Live event with Guinness World Records (she currently holds two records for dog surfing along). They also filmed a commercial with GoPro last month, so are waiting for its release. In addition, Michael and Abbie have several other projects on the horizon. Seems like good times and more amazing achievements are on the way!
