We’re stoked to welcome Andrea Zust to the Harlem Family! A Hydrofoil World and Swiss Champion, Andrea brings not only fierce dedication and skill to the water but also the vibrant energy that matches Harlem’s DNA. With her Thrive kite setup and unstoppable focus, she’s pushing the limits of what’s possible in Hydrofoil Big Air – and we can’t wait to see where she takes it.
Dive into the interview with Andrea below to learn more about her journey, passions, and what fuels her ride.
Name: Andrea Zust
Discipline: Hydrofoil Big Air
Date of Birth: 08.06.1996
Where are you from originally? Switzerland
Where are you currently based? Switzerland
How did you first get into kiting and then into foiling? I have an amazing relationship with my mom who was a semi-professional windsurfer when she was younger. This meant I basically grew up in the water and around water sports. We were looking for a sports holiday activity together, however I didn’t want to learn windsurfing (too much hard work and heavy gear for my taste). So, we booked a beginner kite course in the Caribbean in 2017 and were both hooked ever since, only traveling to kite destinations from then on. My mom was my first partner on the water.
I only started foiling when I met Peer. Through him I started kiting in Switzerland. I never thought about foiling before that, I always saw it as boring light-wind cruising, mostly for older people with messed up knees. However, when I saw how much fun Peer was having on the foil in light wind while I was sitting at the beach and how he could learn new tricks in under 10 knots, I had to give it a go too. I fell in love with it instantly, I always loved technical sports! Now I know it’s not just for older people!
Photo: Robert Hajduk
What would you say are your biggest achievements so far? Getting sponsors and becoming World Champion and Swiss Champion twice in my discipline, while mainly training in Switzerland (no matter the weather or conditions) and studying full time medicine in my final years.
Why Harlem? What made you want to join the Harlem Family? I really liked all of Ralf’s previous kites and was therefore curious about the new Brainchild Production kites. When I heard they were even lighter than other market-leading kites and saw the fun, colourful designs (finally a kite with purple in it !!!), I knew I had to try one. In my mind it had to be the ultimate kite for hydrofoil big air: light, fast, less bar pressure. When I flew the Thrive for the first time, I immediately felt I had been right. I felt at home with it instantly, landing new tricks I had been working on for longer with other kites. Harlem is a young, innovative brand with driven, creative people behind it which at its core holds the values that are important to me too. I’m very excited to see what’s possible with my new kites.
What’s your current Harlem gear setup – and what do you love about it? The Thrive is it for me. I have a 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 12 (yes, I do need all those sizes and yes I’m very spoiled) to cover all possible conditions in Switzerland and abroad. I love how it performs equally well in 6 knots as it does in 30+ knots.
What are your goals or dreams for the future in the sport? I want to keep competing for sure and once you get a taste of how it feels standing on top of a podium, it’s hard not to want more. There are still so many tricks I want to learn and preparing for a competition is the perfect motivation to keep focused. My biggest dream is to keep kiting until I’m old and retired.
All-time favourite kite spot: Theologos, Rhodos… at the moment. I love the warm water, good food and kind people. This is however before having been to Cape Town, so we’ll see if my answer is still the same next year.
Who or what inspires you most – in and out of kiting? Peer inspires me most when it comes to pushing myself on the water while my mom inspires me when it comes to staying true to myself and keep going off the water.
You and Peer make quite the duo. How is it riding, training and travelling together? It’s unbelievable to get to share this passion with someone who means so much to me. Training takes up a lot of time. I can’t imagine how it would work if he wasn’t this dedicated also. I guess having a partner in crime is what everybody dreams about and I’m lucky I found mine already. We help each other out with everything, from driving around in our van (Peer’s mostly driving while I get to be passenger-princess), to coaching, to filming to organizing to screwing together foils (also Peer’s job). Of course it’s not always just perfect, we are both very competitive so we do get on each other’s nerves from time to time when things aren’t going our way but that’s part of the deal.
Do you push each other or balance each other out on the water? Both. When I see Peer train and see his drive, it motivates me a lot. However, he also tells me when I’m pushing it too much or get frustrated because I’m not landing a new trick right away.
Best memory you've shared on the water together? All-time favourite was our first ever planned kite session in Switzerland together. We had only recently started dating. That day a whole new world opened for me as I never dreamed it was possible to kite in Switzerland too (I was a strict holiday-abroad kiter until then). The water was (warm is rare in Switzerland) with perfect, strong, linear wind (which is also rare). We were kiting the whole day, both smiling every time we passed each other on the water, hoping we may have found someone to share our passion with.
Describe yourself in 3 words: hard working, social, focused
Describe Peer in 3 words: driven, supportive and just the right amount of crazy
Tell us one fun or surprising fact about you: Before kiting, I was your typical horse girlie through and through. Also, I get food-jealous a lot (meaning I always want the food others ordered and never what I got).
Follow Andrea on Instagram here.
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