Frieda Zamba is a four-time
world surfing champion
The International Surfing Association (ISA) is the world governing authority for surfing, SUP racing, SUP surfing, bodyboarding and all other wave riding activities. The ISA is recognized by the International Olympic Committee.
After the 202 ...
from the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. She won three titles in a row from 1984 to 1986, then won again in 1988. She lives in Costa Rica.
Frieda Zamba was the youngest female to win a pro tour contest and the youngest surfing world champion ever. She went on to win three titles in a row and then fought back to win a fourth. Outright dangerous in small to mid-size surf, Zamba crossed the performance chasm that separated male and female surfers in the 80's and, based solely on performance, is regarded by many as the greatest female
surfer ever.
Besides being a talented and tactical competitor Zamba was incredibly popular during her reign. She won 5 straight Surfer Poll awards from 1985 to 1989 and was profiled in a 1987 piece in Sports Illustrated titled "Queen of the Surf." In 1998 she was inducted into the Surfing Walk of Fame as that year's Woman of the Year; the Walk is in Huntington Beach, California.
She is still hailed as a bona fide hero in her home town, being the obvious namesake for the Frieda Zamba Swimming Pool at the Palm Coast Aquatics Center in
Palm Coast, Florida
Palm Coast is a city in Flagler County, Florida. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 75,180, more than twice the 32,832 counted in 2000. The population was estimated to be 89,800 in 2019. It is the most populous city in Flagler ...
.
Frieda Zamba's surfing blurred the edges between male and female wave riders, and while that may be a cliché used when describing great women surfers, she proved it by regularly out-surfing male competitors. At a time when surfing finally demanded a global audience, Frieda Zamba was the undisputed queen of professional surfing.
References
Jetty Girl interviewSurfline biography Cool chicks from history World Champions of Surfing biography
External links
Surf video of Frieda by Greg MeischeidSoul Surfer trailerTreko profile
American surfers
World Surf League surfers
American female surfers
1965 births
Living people
21st-century American women
{{US-surfing-bio-stub