Okay, so picture this: Me. Zazi. Age 12, and from Indonesia. Used to live in sunny Barcelona. Think beaches. Think ice cream. Think surfing …
Yes I did see snow when I was a tiny human. Up in Andorra in the Pyrenees mountains. Think… boring skis? Yep, that was me. Skiing since I was four years old! It was okay, I guess. Like sliding on two sticks. Meh.
Then BAM! Age seven happened. And I saw THEM. Snowboarders. Flying through the air. Sliding on metal bars like they were superheroes. It was WAY cooler than my boring skis. I told my parents right then and there. “Forget the sticks! I want the board!”
So, I ditched the skis. Best. Decision. Ever. Snowboarding is like surfing, but on snow! Way more awesome. I learned to jump. Sometimes I landed it. Sometimes I ate snow. Snow tastes like… cold. Surprise!
Then I got into Big Air. Jumping super high! My tummy did flip-flops every time. But landing a jump? Best feeling EVER. Slopestyle was cool too. Going over bumps and doing tricks. I felt like a snow ninja!
But you know what? I wanted to be a SUPER snow ninja. The bestest! And everyone said Laax was the place to be. The mecca of freestyle! Like the coolest snowboarding town on the planet. So, guess what my amazing (and slightly crazy) parents did? We MOVED! From sunshine and playa to snow and… more snow!
Laax is INSANE. The snow park is HUGE. It’s like a giant playground made of snow. With jumps that could send you to the moon! And rails that look super slippery (because they are!).
And get this! My coach is Iouri Podladtchikov! Yes, IPOD!! The Olympic champion from Sochi! He’s teaching me how to ride the half-pipe. It’s like a giant toilet bowl made of snow. But way more fun to go up and down on. He’s super cool, even if he makes me do a million runs. My legs feel like noodles sometimes.
Here’s a pic of us together:
We are part of Pepe Regazzi’s team. He used to coach the Swiss Olympic team! So, like, a super team. Pretty cool. Everyone snowboards. We talk about tricks and stuff. It’s way better than talking about… well, whatever other kids talk about in the school yard. Probably sunshine. We have enough of that in my memories!
So, yeah. Barcelona was fun and all. But my dream is here. In the snow. On my board. With the best coach ever. Riding the SuperPipe, the biggest halfpipe on the planet.
This little Indonesian girl is gonna try her hardest to become a freestyle legend! And make it to the Winter Olympics as the first ever snowboarder from Indonesia 🏂.
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