Career
She currently lives in Costa Rica. 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 is still hailed as a bona fide hero in her home town, being the obvious namesake for the Frieda Zamba Aquatic Complex in Flagler Beach, Florida.
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.