Okay, so picture this: a girl who spends most of her life in goggles and five layers of thermal underwear suddenly gets put in front of actual podcast microphones. With actual lighting. And actual hosts who are very good at talking. That girl was me. 😅
I was a guest on What Is Up, Indonesia? (WIUI) with Andovi da Lopez and Abigail Limuria, and the episode is officially out! It's called "Indonesia's future first-ever winter Olympian" — which, no pressure, right? Just my entire life goal printed in the title for the internet to see. Cool cool cool.
Fun facts: I was their first-ever athlete guest (Andovi tried to count himself because of his Hyrox shoes… nice try 😂) and also the youngest guest they've ever had. I'm 14, born in May 2012, which apparently makes me the very last Gen Z. Andovi had a full existential crisis about being a millennial. Sorry, Andovi. 💀
Wait, Indonesia… and Snow?
Yep. This is the question I get the most, and honestly, fair. The hosts even pointed out that the only place in Indonesia that ever got snow is up in Papua, and sadly climate change has pretty much taken it away.
So how did I end up here? My parents took me up the mountain and I started skiing at 4 years old. I got pretty good… and then pretty bored. 🥱 Around 10 or 11, I tried snowboarding and it was instant love. It just felt freer, more me. I've literally never gone back to skiing since.
Andovi, who learned to ski on school trips in Denmark and Norway, explained the famous skier vs. snowboarder rivalry. Skiing is easier to start but hard to master; snowboarding is brutal at the beginning, then gets way easier once it clicks. He's tried snowboarding too, and his review was basically: I always fall. Welcome to the club. 😂
The first thing you learn on a snowboard? How to get back up. For a weekend rider, it can take a year or two before it really feels fun. I got the hang of it in about a week or two, and my coaches were like, "Wait… what?" 😎
From Barcelona I moved to Switzerland (I wrote all about it in Adios Barcelona, Hola Laax!), and now my second home is the halfpipe in Laax.
A Day in My (Very Busy) Life
They asked what training actually looks like, so here's the real deal:
- Morning: a bit of online school if I have time
- 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.: on the mountain, snowboarding
- Afternoon: down the mountain for skateboarding, trampoline (for flips and air awareness) and gym
I had to explain what a halfpipe is (it's literally half a pipe, made of ICE, and you ride up and down the walls doing tricks). There are three freestyle disciplines: big air, slopestyle and halfpipe. When one of the listeners asked which is my favorite: halfpipe. But right now I'm actually most confident in slopestyle, all the rails and jumps.
We also did some very questionable live math about rotations. A 540 is one and a half spins, a 720 is two full spins, and judges care a LOT about how clean you land. Then we talked about the 2160 (that's SIX full spins) a Japanese rider pulled off, and all three of us got dizzy just thinking about it. 🌀
Want more of the training side? Check out My All Round Training at the Laax Freestyle Academy and Skateboarding at Laax Freestyle Academy with Iouri.
The Road to 2030 (and Why It's Bigger Than Me)
The big dream: the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps. I'll be 17 or 18 by then. Let's GO.
Here's the thing a lot of people don't know: until recently, Indonesia wasn't even registered for snow sports. My dad explained it took a whole lot of effort and paperwork, because Indonesia had to be registered first before I could be. Now I'm the first registered Indonesian snowboarder. So when people ask "who's on the Indonesian snowboard team?"… it's me. I'm the team. I'm also the team mascot, team snack-carrier and team emotional-support teenager.
My idol? Chloe Kim, obviously. 👑
Do I feel pressure? I think about it, but not too much. It doesn't weigh me down, it just keeps me going. When I'm training, I put it to the side and focus on riding.
Next up: my next competition is January 2027, a local one in Laax. Then it's Europa Cups, Asian Cups, World Cups… and then the Olympics. Andovi promised he'll be in the crowd in France screaming for me. I'm holding you to that, Andovi! 📣
Backstory here: Indonesia's Winter Olympic Dream Nears Reality in the French Alps 2030 and my visit to the man behind Indonesia's Olympic dreams.
The Not-So-Glam Bits
Real talk: the hardest part of training isn't the cold or the early mornings. It's facing your fears. To do harder tricks, you have to accept you might get hurt. And sometimes you do.
A few years ago, I lost control in the air off a 15-meter jump and landed really badly. My knees were messed up and I was on crutches for months. Plot twist: my dad jumped on the podcast to tell that part! He and my mom are actually scared of heights and ski on the purple slopes (lol), but after that injury I said I wanted to do this for real… so we moved to Switzerland. 🇨🇭
My mom? She never comes up the mountain because she's scared I'll fall. When I had that crash, she was waiting in the car and didn't see it, only my dad running. She still cried. 🥲 But she's supportive, just from a safe distance. Fun fact: she walked into the studio right when we were talking about her. Timing!
My parents were basically my first sponsors. Their advice I carry everywhere: push yourself, don't be afraid, it's all in your mindset.
(Earlier this year I had another setback with my back. Here's what recovery really looks like. Spoiler: lots of boring exercises and zero glamour.)
Haters Gonna Hate (I'm Busy Training)
We talked about online haters a bit as well. Honestly? I just don't pay attention to it. On the mountain, I've never had haters. When I tell people I'm from Indonesia, they're like "Oh my god, that's crazy!" in the best way. The negative stuff mostly comes from social media: "she's not really Indonesian, she grew up in Europe, she doesn't even speak the language."
Okay, sometimes it got to me a little. But I'm learning Indonesian at school and I practice whenever I'm home, like ordering at cafés. And Abigail started WIUI exactly to show that you can be fully Indonesian even if you grew up abroad or don't speak the language perfectly. So yeah, I felt very at home. 🏡
The comment I get the MOST is some version of "lol there's not even snow in Indonesia." Thank you, Captain Obvious, I'm aware. 😂 So lately I've started replying with a famous quote:
"If the mountain won't come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain."
Or in Indonesian: "Jika gunung tidak datang kepada Muhammad, maka Muhammad yang pergi kepada gunung."
Basically: Indonesia doesn't have snow, so I went and found it. In Switzerland. In Finland. In New Zealand. Wherever the snow is, that's where you'll find me, flying the Merah Putih. 🇮🇩 No snow at home was never a reason to give up. It was just a reason to pack a bigger suitcase.
My advice to any Indonesian who feels intimidated competing internationally: don't overthink what others think. Be proud that you're representing this amazing country. The people who really care about you won't look at you weird.
Languages, Food and the Most Important Question of All
My first language is actually Spanish (thanks, Barcelona!), then English. I went to a French school for years, but most of my French vanished the moment I switched to an English school. 🫠 I tested Andovi with a question in Spanish about his favorite food… and he guessed it right! Pure luck, but we'll allow it. 👏
When I'm a little mad, I go Spanish. When I'm REALLY mad, it's English. And yes, my mom scolds in Indonesian. Universal Indonesian mom rule.
Comfort food confession: sometimes just plain rice with kecap. Simple, sweet, perfect. The hosts said it's the most Indonesian answer ever, and honestly? Correct. 🍚 And of course Indomie: my favorites are Soto Ayam and the original Mi Goreng. Andovi says Indomie should sponsor me when I qualify. Indomie, are you reading this? 👀
My favorite things about Indonesia: the food, the islands, and surfing. Surfing is my chill side sport. I started 3–4 years ago and just do it for fun (see Surfing in Bali at Kuta Beach).
And the final, most important question: Spanish paella or Indonesian nasi goreng? There was only one right answer. Indonesian. Obviously. 🍛🇮🇩
Off the Board
Outside of snowboarding, I've done ballet since I was 3, plus guitar, ukulele, piano, sailing, singing, skateboarding… My mom signed me up for EVERYTHING when I was little. My friends would ask to hang out and I'd be like, "Sorry, I have ballet." (Speaking of dance, here's my story winning first prize at an international dance competition.)
Movie-wise, I'm a big Spider-Man fan, and I love Disney. Moana is still my all-time favorite (I literally had a Moana birthday party), plus Frozen and Tangled. Pascal the chameleon is the real star, don't @ me. 🦎 Abigail even said I kind of look like Moana. The snow version. ❄️
Why This One Felt Special
WIUI is all about Indonesians everywhere, including those of us who grew up far from home. Telling my story to people back in Indonesia, in a way that was funny and real and not just "athlete speaks seriously into microphone", meant so much to me.
If one kid watches this episode and thinks "wait, I could try something nobody in Indonesia has done before", then my job here is done. Well, after the Olympics. Then my job is done. 😉
Watch the Full Episode
Go watch it, leave a comment and tell me which part made you laugh the most. And a huge terima kasih to Andovi and Abigail for having me, and to the WIUI Boos for the awesome questions. You made me feel like a total pro, even when I was secretly panicking.
See you on the mountain (or in the comments)! ❄️🇮🇩
— Zazi
Read next: Chasing Winter Olympic Dreams: My Milano-Cortina 2026 Journey · Meeting Erick Thohir: A Huge Step for Indonesia's Snowboard Dream
PS. Follow the adventures of Zazi, Snowboard Girl & Indonesian Model, on Instagram: Click Here!
