22 Jan Wakeboard profil | Anna Zaki
When thinking about sports that are popular in St. Petersburg, Russia you’d never expect that wakeboarding would be one of them. Anna Zhakova is one of the most fashionable and stylish girl riders and she comes directly from that side of the world. She got her start in wakeboarding from “liking” a Facebook post featuring a guy doing air tricks. The guy messaged her and asked if she was interested in learning to wakeboard and of course she said “YES”! Off she headed to a nearby 2:0 and the rest is history!
Anna…what are your strengths in wakeboarding? What are you BEST at?
I love kickers! And as the recent contest on Philippines showed – my best tricks are on the kicker. It’s not a surprise for anyone that we are strong in what we like. My perseverance is the best asset in achieving the goal – no rest for me until I master a new trick.
How do you feel about competing?
I started competing not so long ago but I like it a lot. There is nothing I enjoy better than taking part in competition. At the beginning I was involved in absolutely every event in my country and I gained a lot of experience. Now I’m interested in international competitions. I already took part in FISE and several WWA contests this year. FISE is something unbelievable – all summer extreme sports are in one place. I certainly will go there one more time. But regardless of the competition, I always like taking part in it.
Is Wakeboarding your main job?
Yes, I believe that wakeboarding is my main job, since I spend all my time on it. The slight problem is that such a job absolutely doesn’t bring income, but I’m ready to give everything for my favorite hobby. People are always asking me: “Where do I make my money?” I can answer that easily. I’m a hat designer and before I knew about wakeboarding I worked hard and developed my own brand ZHAKI. Now all my savings I spend on wakeboarding. So I’m really grateful to all my clients – they give me the opportunity to do what I really love.
Who are your favorite riders?
I’ve never reflected on who my favorite riders are. I am very impressed by the Cohen brothers – a combination of powerful, stylish riding, madness and fun. These guys have really good sense of humor and they are very creative in wakeboarding. Among the girls I can mark Julia Rick. She’s a real athlete. The strict regime of training and discipline are not things that everyone can sustain. That is the case when the end justifies the means.
Do you practice a speci c health & exercise plan?
Wakeboarding allows me to stay healthy. I don’t eat special meals, I don’t go to the gym and I do what I like without any restrictions.
What is your process for learning a new trick?
Any new trick should be well thought out. You need to do all the elements, that make up the trick. When I’m preparing to do a new trick, I always have good support. That gives me strength and confidence. When people encourage me telling: “Anna, you can do it”, I calm down and start trying new trick. One of the reasons why I love wakeboarding is that you have to struggle with yourself and your fears.
If you weren’t a wakeboarder what would you be?
If I was not a wakeboarder… I would be a housewife and I would have many children. Just kidding;) I would be an athlete, practicing another extreme sport.
What are 3 words that describe you?
Diligent, brave and sexy!
What’s your go-to fashion while you ride?
Now I like to ride completely in black, but I think it’s kind of a general trend in wakeboarding today. I prefer short sexy pants, long sleeve shirt and Adidas socks.
Where do you like to ride most?
All new places are interesting to me. I like to ride in warm countries. I would like to visit more places, so I can figure out which of them I like most.
What’s something that most people don’t know about you?
I have different colored eyes: one blue, the other brown. Blue I got from my mother, brown from my father.
What are some of your favorite edits?
BREDDAS – We Love Wakeboarding
Tank girls, Apashe
What is your favorite instagram account?
@wakezeach
Favorite Event:
Red Bull (TWP)
Regular toeside or switch heel?
Switch heel
Favorite trick:
HSFS 900
Favorite Airline to travel on:
The airline, which allows me to transport my wakeboard for free.
INTERVIEW BY VICKI DILL
