Surfin' USA

The new watersports craze of hydrofoil surfing will have you riding perfect waves like a pro-no ocean required.

- Jen Murphy

FROM MY PERCH on the front of the powerboat, I gazed out at an expanse of turquoise water. Neon-hued kites were sprinkled throughout the sky, and sails dotted the horizon. The scene could almost pass for the Caribbean-if it weren't for the John Deere tractors parked along the powdery shore.

I was on a surf mission in the most unlikely of places: Nebraska. I grew up by the ocean and have surfed since I was a teen. But now, living in landlocked Colorado, I have to get my water fix by surfing in the wake of boats on lakes. Friends were raving about a fast-growing activity called hydrofoil surfing, which involves a surfboard attached to a winglike structure called a hydrofoil. The foil dips below the water to create lift, and your board floats one to two feet above the surface, moving with the waves.