Utah just about the furthest place from a surfing destination.
The landlocked state sits hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean, surrounded by mountains, deserts, and ski resorts rather than reefs, points, and beachbreaks. Yet that hasn’t stopped one determined surfer from carving out a unique niche on some of Utah’s largest lakes.
Known on social media as Utah’s lone surfer (@landlockedsurfer_utah), he spends his time chasing rare wind swell events on bodies of water like Utah Lake and Bear Lake. When strong winds align with enough fetch, small but rideable waves can form along the shoreline, creating brief windows of surf in one of the most unlikely places imaginable.
His latest Instagram post showcases exactly that.
The video captures waves breaking surprisingly close to shore, with enough shape and power to offer (semi) legitimate rides. While nobody is confusing Utah Lake for Pipeline, the footage is enough to make even seasoned surfers do a double-take—if only for the novelty factor.
As expected, not everyone in the comments section was impressed.
But the surfer has become known for embracing the skepticism almost as much as the waves themselves. Responding to critics on a recent post, he wrote, “Surfing in a tiny lake might actually be the coolest thing ever, you’re in the wrong comment section lol.”
That attitude has become part of the appeal.
While many surfers spend their lives chasing perfection, Utah’s surf scene—if you can call it that—operates under a completely different philosophy. The waves are inconsistent, often windblown, and sometimes barely recognizable by traditional standards. But that’s precisely what makes scoring them rewarding.
Related: Mutant Novelty Wave Surfed for the First Time in Japan (Video)
And despite the novelty factor, this isn’t the first time surfing has happened in Utah.
A few years ago, novelty-wave specialist and YouTube surf vlogger Ben Gravy made his own pilgrimage to the Beehive State, documenting the experience of riding waves on Utah Lake. The mission became another memorable entry in Gravy’s long-running quest to surf every wave imaginable, no matter how unconventional.
The latest footage proves that the dream is still alive.
There may not be an ocean anywhere near Utah, but for one surfer chasing wind swell across inland lakes, that detail seems largely irrelevant. If there’s a wave breaking, he’ll probably find it.
And if the internet has a problem with that, he’s already got a response ready.
Related: ’30ft Tidal Wave’: Surfers Ride Rare Phenomenon in Alaska (Video)
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