15 December 20253:001,045 views on YouTubeWatch on YouTube
Flatwater riding and surf riding look like the same sport from the outside. They are not. A lake gives you a predictable surface and no consequence for hesitating, while an ocean swell moves under you and rewards commitment. This episode is the first day of finding that out, going straight from Minnesota flatwater into full salt surf on a Lift X.
First ocean sessions, and the crashes that come with them
The honest part of this one is the wipeouts. First rides in surf on new equipment are humbling even when you can ride perfectly well at home, because the water is doing something under the board that you have never had to react to. That gap is the whole subject of the week this episode kicks off, which is billed as Lift X surf progression rather than a highlight reel of clean rides.
Who is on the water
The crew is the other reason to watch. Jason Burton of KayakLanier.com is there, a Lift dealer and the force behind Atlanta Foil Fest. Devon from Wakethief.com rides too, as does Tom Hoffman Jr, who is filming as well as chasing waves. Nick Leason from Lift Foils skipped a ski trip to come and show how the Lift X is meant to be ridden, and Cecelia from Lift supplied the gear that would not fit into anyone’s luggage.
What the rest of the week promises
This is deliberately the opening instalment rather than a self-contained review. What follows is more waves, more progression and, by the sound of it, more falling in: technique breakdowns from the riders present, Lift X setup tweaks for surf, and the behind the scenes of a meetup put together specifically to ride in the ocean rather than on a lake.
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