Episode #104 - Zara Rozeboom

This episode is brought to you by Villa Carina Apartments in beautiful Bonaire. 

On this episode, we chat with Zara Rozeboom, a driven young IQ Foiler from Curaçao now based in the Netherlands, chasing her Olympic dreams alongside her brother. From barefoot beach days in the Caribbean to mastering extreme winds in Europe, Zara opens up about her wind sports journey, the technical world of IQ Foiling, high-adrenaline races, and the family-fueled grind of elite training. She shares hilarious culture shocks, boundary-pushing sessions in 45-knot gales, and the mental edge needed for Olympic qualification. Whether you're into windsurfing, foiling, or stories of resilience and global adventure, this conversation captures the passion, strategy, and supportive vibe of the sport's rising stars.

• Island Upbringing to Global Racing: Growing up in Curaçao with school-to-beach routines, starting wind sports at age 8 with her brother, and adapting to Dutch winters, public transport, and wetsuits after moving at 16.
• IQ Foiling Essentials: A deep dive into the Olympic one-design class, including 7.3m sails for women, foils on 95cm masts, racing formats like upwind courses, downwind slaloms, and new upwind slaloms in winds from 6 to 45 knots—hitting speeds up to 50 km/h.
• Extreme Race Experiences: Thrilling recaps of events like Kiel with massive winds, waves, rain, and crashes; strategic racing at 80% effort to avoid time-sucking falls; and the chaos of 45-knot blasts where everyone swims but laughs about it later.
• Olympic Aspirations and Prep: Path to 2028 via upcoming Panam Junior Games in Paraguay (light winds on a current-filled lake); visualizing medals; recent wins for confidence; and competing in fleets of 25–79 girls against top Olympians.
• Training Grind and Family Bond: Daily routines of gym sessions, biking, rowing, and on-water practice; balancing university studies; traveling and pushing limits with her brother (who just scored a race win at Worlds); and the supportive, fun women's fleet that bonds off-water but competes fiercely on it.
• Life Lessons and Thrills: Reflections on pushing fear boundaries for growth, the excitement of high-stakes racing, how sport builds bonds and changes perspectives, and embracing the "easy" surf life amid hard work.
  
  

Follow Zara on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/zara_surf/ for more of her foiling adventures, training updates, and Olympic journey.

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Creators and Guests

Host

Luc Moore

I started windsurfing in 2012, a year after my brother and I visited Kauai, Hawaii. In 2009 I was involved in a fatal motorcycle accident that required two intensive surgeries to stabilize my pelvis. Three years later, I was still heavily engaged in rehab, but I had been cleared to walk by my orthopedic surgeon, so we finally decided to visit the islands. My brother had just started windsurfing, so we started looking online for gear for him, and we came across a woman selling late her husband's equipment. She recounted to us that his life had been spent on the ocean. As a pro windsurfer, his love and passion for the sport were undeniable. At that point, I thought I could try this sport and carry on his legacy of love for the water and wind if I worked hard enough. Initially, I couldn't ride with my harness on without experiencing terrible low back pain. I was terrified of the water, knew nothing about wind, and if I got moving at any speed, scenes of my accidents would replay in my mind, which lasted for years. It took a lot of work to differentiate fact from fiction. To add to this mess of emotions, numerous specialists and acquaintances had repeatedly told me that I was now broken. I could never jog pain-free again, let alone enjoy pain-free sports. They told me to accept that as my truth and to move on. My mom and brother helped me keep going as our shared passions, and family support helped me overcome obstacles. The pure joy I felt with my continued progress on the water helped those wounds begin to heal. In time, windsurfing felt so good physically and psychologically that it would bring me to tears on the water. I would spend hours practicing the basics and quickly improve. This sport was one of the catalysts that helped accelerate my healing process. When my skills had reached the great lake level, I started sailing with my neighbour Danny. He is one of the best windsurfers in eastern Ontario and travels worldwide, pursuing his passion in his spare time. In 2018 when Wing Foiling first came out, I quickly felt like this sport would take my love for wind and water to the next level. Our Co-Host Tom helped me find gear and gave me my first intro lesson! I quickly picked up the sport and learnt the basics. I then contacted some kite schools on Vancouver Island (Elevation Kiteboarding & Windrider Kiteboarding) and started teaching for them! Shortly after, Tom and I created the Wing Life podcast to help share our stoke and knowledge of wind sports with others.

What is Foil Life Podcast by SFT?

Welcome to the Foil Life Podcast by SFT, the official podcast of the Surf Foil World Tour! Join us as we dive into the exhilarating world of foiling, covering five core disciplines—pump foiling, surf foiling, e-foiling, wake foiling, and downwind SUP foiling—plus the dynamic art of wing foiling. From expert tips, exclusive updates from the Surf Foil World Tour, and inspiring stories of athletes, innovators, and passionate riders to gear release and review episodes where we talk with top brands about the latest innovations hitting the market, we’re your ultimate source for all things foil. Whether you’re honing your skills, planning epic foil adventures, or geeking out on cutting-edge gear, tune in for unmatched stoke and insights.