Welcome to part one of our two part interview series from The Swiss Kite Foil Couple! Today we’re starting off with Andrea Zust. Andrea won the women’s Swiss Kite Association (SKA) last year and seeks to defend her title later this month with some new goals on the horizon.
These two are kite foil maniacs hail from Switzerland and have been featured in The Kite Magazine and sponsored by Armstrong Foils. If you’d like to keep up with Andrea, check out her Instagram and other channels for more content.
Kiters push hydrofoil boards to their maximum limit. Kites can be scary to ride for most intermediate surfboard riders but with plenty of practice, patience, and control it can look like a work of art.
Without further adieu, let’s get to the interview!
Do you surf? If so when did you start
I did a beginner’s surfboard course in Bali in 2015. It was fun but once I got into kite foiling I forgot all about surfing and never really tried it again in the ocean. We have an indoor wave close to home that we can surf, so I went on that a couple of times.
Not the same as the ocean but alright as a fun winter sports activity.
How did you get into foiling?
Through my boyfriend, Peer Schnyder. Before I met him I only kited during holidays abroad (about 5 weeks per year). I learned how to hydrofoil together with my badass mom in Tobago in 2017. We went to hydrofoil on holidays with her regularly after that (Tobago, Sri Lanka, Dakhla, Egypt).
When I met Peer and the Swiss kiting crew, a new door opened: kiting on the surface of Swiss lakes. It had never occurred to me to kite in Switzerland as it’s a little tricky here.
Small spots, gusty winds, light winds, rules (so many rules!), the cold, no rescue boats and making a wind forecast for a spot is not always easy (we use about 5 different apps).
So long story short, about 2.5 years ago I got into kite foiling because Peer and many of our kite friends foiled already and I spent many sessions watching them from the beach or on the edge of the water fighting to stay upwind because the wind just wasn’t strong enough for a twin tip*.
Editors Note: A twin tip foil, is a type of foil board that has a foil on both front and the back. It’s designed more intended for someone just beginning kite foiling.
What are some of your favorite foils?
I learned on Armstrong Foils gear. I tried F-One only once and liked it too but soon got an offer by Armstrong Foils to be one of their team riders.
I haven’t tried to ride any of the other brands so far because of that. My favorite kite foil setup by Armstrong Foils for freestyle is the HS625 front wing combined with the HS232 stabilizer.
We only just received the new MA625 front wing and Speed180 stabilizer so I’m very excited to try those and see how that setup performs in comparison.
What do you look for in a new foil board?
The lighter the board better but it has to be sturdy and strong too. A good balance between the two is what makes a foil board great for kiting in my opinion.
In kite foil freestyle when learning new tricks the landings can be a little harder sometimes, the foil board needs to be tough and stable enough to absorb the hard impact on the surface of water without breaking (Peer managed to break 2 non-Armstrong Foil boards last year).
Handling the board in water and riding in the air is way easier when the board is lightweight.
Do you prefer kite foiling or hydrofoiling?
I prefer kite foiling. I love that it combines the power of both elements, water, and wind! I do admire riders jumping into big waves just using the hydrofoil though.
Reading any good books/watching anything good?
Reading only my anatomy and physiology books at the moment, unfortunately. I’m in my 4th year of university studying medicine. Between studying and kite foiling I don’t have a lot of free time to read anything else, I do however watch movies or series on Netflix from time to time. But as I said kite foiling takes up most of my time.
I started watching Game of Thrones recently to see what the whole hype was about when the show came out many years ago but find it quite brutal, I can’t decide if I’ll continue watching it.
Who got you into foiling?
My boyfriend Peer Schnyder. He encouraged and supported me in all possible ways! Before him I saw foiling as something only older people do, just for light wind cruising.
Then as I watched him getting better and met other younger Swiss guys too who kite foil freestyle and huck big airs. I saw how thrilling this exciting new water sport really is. I wanted to be able to do what they can do it with a foil too and start practicing.
Do you prefer a larger wing or smaller wing?
I prefer small wings for their speed, control, and reactiveness. I only use large wings for light wind days!
What would your advice be to someone learning to foil for the first time?
Take the time you need, be patient, and wear proper protective gear (i.e. helmet, long wetsuit, maybe an impact vest)! Learning something new is always very exciting but can be quite frustrating too. Foiling is not dangerous but it’s better to be safe than sorry in the beginning when you don’t know the way you have to fall.
For kite foiling make sure to always pull on the bar before a crash so that the weight of the kite pulls you as far away from the edge of the foil as possible.
Do you have any sponsors besides Armstrong?
We are supported by one of the biggest kite shops in Switzerland, Andy’s Kiteshop. He helps us out with all other kiting gear besides the foils we get from Armstrong.
From time to time, we get smaller brands who support us with towels, bikinis, etc. but those are not as frequent.
Ever tried riding an eFoil?
I haven’t, actually. eFoil technology is forbidden on Swiss lakes (don’t ask me why, we have many regulations for the lakes). Maybe I’ll get the chance to try it in the future abroad somewhere.
Coolest place you ever foiled?
The coolest place I foiled was in a little bay on the Island of Boavista (Capverden), the spot is called Ponto Antonia. The spot can only be reached by a foot or a 4×4. That day we were all alone, just Peer, a friend, and I.
It was magical. Perfect weather, crystal clear water, great wind, turtles, nice waves further out, just us and nature.
Any competitions coming up that you’re excited for?
The SKA (Swiss Kite sailing Association) Freestyle Swiss Series (Swiss Championships) will be in June 2023.
I won the last year in the women’s hydrofoil freestyle division and am hoping to defend my title again this year. A bigger project for Peer and I is to participate in the GKA hydrofoil freestyle event in the future, I am mainly training for those projects at the moment.
Last question: What are you working on/most excited to share with your audience?
I successfully landed my first kite loops with the foil last weekend. I will begin making a proof-video as soon as the conditions allow it, we haven’t had such great weather so far here.
Wrapping it up
Huge shout out to Andrea for taking the time out of her busy schedule to interview with us at Epic Foils. Especially since English is not her native tongue!
Kiters are without a doubt some of the most badass riders we’ve ever covered in this newsletter. Pushing foil technology to its limits with almost a sixth sense about the wind and exhilarating amounts of speed.
We’ll be cheering for her across the pond in the States as she defends her title in the upcoming SKA and enters GKA. We think she certainly has the advantage as the footage shows she is one of the most advanced riders in Switzerland.
And we’ll be sure to keep an eye out when she shares her first kite loop!
2 thoughts on “Epic Foils Kite Foil Profile: Andrea Zust”
Comments are closed.