MORENO TWINS - SWOT ANALYSIS
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No one knows the Moreno twins better than ….the Moreno twins! The multiple world champions grew up together, compete together and have dominated women’s wave sailing in the modern era. So who better to identify each other’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats? – aka SWOT’s! JC sits down with the legends that are Daida and Iballa Moreno for some SWOT analysis.
Words & Photos John Carter
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STRENGTHS
Iballa: So Daida tell us what your strengths are?
Daida: My strength in windsurfing is my jumping. I have also been working on my wave riding in Pozo so I can be consistent in all my manoeuvres. But I still feel my biggest advantage over the other girls is in the air. I feel strong in the wave riding at Pozo as well, I can land moves like wave 360’s goiters, takas and shakas. I don’t think the other girls can do these moves. It is always easier for me when the wind is strong. I have not often lost a heat because of my wave riding, only to Iballa a few times.
Iballa: What about mentally?
Daida: We are different mentally. I am stronger mentally than Iballa in some areas! We both cope well with pressure at competitions after so many years on tour. When you are competing it is always exciting to be at events and you want to do your best. You are dependent on the wind and waves and it is a waiting game. You have to control all of your emotions while you are hanging around. I think I am stronger than Iballa because I am more secure about my capabilities on the water especially in windier conditions.
Daida: So Iballa how about your strengths?
Iballa: I think my strength is my sailing on starboard tack because it is my right side and I am a regular surfer. I learned windsurfing in Pozo on port tack but I feel more comfortable riding on starboard especially in wave riding. In Fuerteventura I found some spots where I can train starboard jumping and I think I am quite strong in the air also. In Pozo I prefer bigger waves on port tack so I can perform my better moves. Daida is more consistent on landing her moves but I think if I train more I can give her a run for her money. In the waves I can land 360’s and takas but shakas are a little more complicated for me.
Daida: Has SUP helped your windsurfing?
Iballa: SUP helped me in my wave riding but also just my surfing has played a major part in improving my windsurfing. We started windsurfing at 17 but I have always surfed as well. Now combining stand up paddle and windsurfing it has helped me physically and mentally to prepare for competitions. There are a lot of strategies you can do in windsurfing and stand up events and I have learned this over the last few years. We are different mentally. I get nervous even though I know I am capable on the water but Daida has more confidence than me. I try not to think about it when I am in the water and just have fun and enjoy the conditions.
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WEAKNESSES
Iballa: How about your weaknesses on the water Daida, this could be useful for me (laughs)?
Daida: I don’t have much training in lighter winds and wave riding only conditions, I get the timing and everything but I don’t think I can show my strengths off so well when the wind is not so strong. Without jumping being involved I feel a bit vulnerable in competition. Also starboard tack. I never ever train in starboard conditions. I am goofy foot so wave riding for me is much better on port tack. What other weakness do I have…?
Iballa: How about chocolate?
Daida: I like chocolate a lot! (Laughs) Since I was ill I have been trying to eat very healthy food. I don’t drink too much, just the odd glass of wine. I usually eat dark chocolate maybe once a month. I had an ice cream yesterday! (Laughs)
Iballa: Are you lazy?
Daida: I am definitely not lazy, far from it! If I am competing I don’t feel like going for a run while I am waiting for the wind but I have been training hard the whole winter, biking, surfing and doing functional exercises in the gym. I have also been working every day as a physio taking six or seven patients a day. On top of that I have my rental apartments. So I am not lazy at all! I always feel much better if I am productive. During the competitions if I have to wait around I try to work on the computer, read some books, rig my sails and keep busy.
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Iballa: How about shopping?
Daida: It is not a weakness, it is a strong point (laughs). We both hate shopping!
Daida: So Iballa your turn for weaknesses!
Iballa: Even though we are favourites for most events, when the conditions are fluky you never know what can happen. All the girls have improved a lot. In light winds it is tough to see the difference in wave riding. We always prefer it when there are jumps combined with the wave riding. It is some pressure but I try not to overthink it. A lot of people send me messages all the time asking if I am nervous and wishing me luck. I just try to go out and have fun. Windsurfing is what I like, sailing takes the pressure away and I just enjoy the conditions.
Daida: Shopping? (Laughs)
Iballa: Ugh! I really hate going to the mall when I have to buy some clothes for a wedding or whatever. I even buy clothes online or I ask my brother who works in a shop to buy me some shoes. I don’t like going to the shopping malls! That is not a weakness for sure. They are a waste of time and I might be missing some good surf. Coffee on the other hand is a bit of a weakness of mine. I probably drink decent coffee twice a day – in the morning and midday after lunch. I can also be without coffee. I get a little bit sleepy but I can survive.
Daida: What about your windsurfing weakness?
Iballa: Maybe it is harder for me to learn new moves. I need to practice new moves more compared to Daida I think. She can learn faster. That is what I feel in the last twenty years (laughs). It is good to be consistent and I am motivated every day to improve my sailing and learn new moves. In the heats I try to do my moves that are more secure, but free sailing I try 360’s and takas more often. I like to try moves and when I am consistent then I’ll bring them into my heats.
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OPPORTUNITIES
Iballa: So where do you see yourself in the future Daida?
Daida: I am going to open my own physiotherapy centre in Pozo. I will be also sailing as much as I can in my home spot. I can never give up windsurfing. Other women retire and forget about windsurfing but if I retire in a few years from now I will never leave windsurfing aside. It is part of my blood and integral to my life. It is going to continue that way. As long as we continue organizing the Pozo event then we will compete in our event at our home spot. Our windsurfing depends on sponsors. If we continue getting support from inside and outside of the industry then we can stay in the game and do the tour. If we don’t get the support then we will have to stop and move forward. After so many years obviously you can tire of this life. Following my illness I didn’t know if it was healthy to be competing all the time. Cancer is a strong word and a big thing that happened to me and it has not been easy. I don’t want this to happen again. I need to keep calm and try not to stress. Stress is the worst thing you can put in your body. Windsurfing helps me to take the stress away but competition is part of this and it is hard mentally.
Daida: How about you Iballa?
Iballa: In the last few years I have been more motivated than ever, training a lot and having a lot of fun doing the SUP and windsurfing competitions. For the near future I am just thinking about continuing with this lifestyle. This is what I love and I hope to do it for a while longer. Daida is nearly 40 and I am nearly 30 (laughs) so let’s see how long it will last.
Daida: We are both 39! (Laughs)
Iballa: I am not even thinking about age or anything. I think about motivation and what drives me. I think this life is what I love. I want to travel, search for good waves and have fun while I can. Competition is only a few weeks a year but the rest of the time we can train and do what we want. Ten years down the line I will continue searching for waves that is for sure. Either with or without wind. We have some rentals and I have a little marketing business making promotional material like T-shirts and Lycra’s. I have some clients and it’s a small business I can run from home.
Apart from the windsurfing I have a little income there! Basically with the rentals and this I can continue with my dream life. The most important thing is the motivation and that is what I have. I am very motivated and I am happy enjoying this lifestyle. Life is too short and I am happy to be living this way.
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THREATS
Iballa: So what are the threats to you Daida?
Daida: Sarah Quita and Lena Erpenstein are both sailing different to last year. They have both been training hard over the winter in Australia and Cape Town. Meanwhile we had a really bad winter with the wind here in Gran Canaria. Their training has made quite a big difference. They have closed the gap. Justyna is also sailing better after her injury. All the girls are sailing well; it is getting like the boys. Obviously if the girls close the gap a little bit more it gets more exciting for everybody watching. The public are excited to see new faces on top. We just continue working and having fun. That is the most important thing. We train all the time we can but personally I have more priorities at this time of my life. I have to work, make a living and pay my bills. I have my sponsors which I have to do promotional stuff for and still spend as much time as possible in the water. The difference is that I cannot travel like the other girls do. I have commitments back home. If you don’t travel and go to Maui, Australia and Cape Town then the gap is always closer! In Pozo it is different but the other spots we will see. As long as it is windy I will try to go for it. It is just a matter of time for everybody. For them to spend more time in the water and for us to continue working on our moves and be more consistent.
If you train and train then consistency is the key, then you can risk some harder moves to make the difference. There is no single girl that I feel super nervous about sailing against. I don’t like 5.0 m super floaty conditions without a jump! I don’t think we should even compete in onshore conditions with just wave riding. It is really bad for the image of windsurfing. I think jumping should always be involved, especially in the Canary Islands.
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Daida: How about you Iballa, what are your threats?
Iballa: My threat is myself! (Laughs) Like Daida said there are lots of girls improving who are really motivated which is good to see. They are learning and improving every year. For me it is an extra motivation. I have been focussing the last six years a lot on SUP. I trained a lot and my goal is to also do well in the SUP world tour in the competitions. I am going to the SUP world championships in Denmark with the Spanish Team. I have being training really hard for the European and Spanish SUP championships also and in windsurfing I have been training whenever there is wind. I try to learn new moves, surf and also do physical training. Like I said my main threat is myself depending on the day. I can swing from very good to average just depending if I get in the right flow. I try not to think about threats. I just try to enjoy myself. I feel like in the last few years the younger girls have a little bit of a group against us. It has been a strange feeling for me on tour. I don’t care. I talk to them, I think I am friends with them but we just don’t hang out so much. I have my life and my friends and just come to competition a few weeks a year so it is not like I am super close to the other girls. It is all good. There is a respect and also a competitive element there now. That is normal. We don’t keep separate, they just do their own thing and I do my own thing.
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Daida: There is a difference of age as well. I mean we are turning forty this year! We have been on tour for twenty years. We have been friends with so many girls on tour and we always had a kind of family together. Everywhere we went we were in a group of girls hanging around. Now we are not part of that group because they are younger and they want to beat us. So there is a competitive side there. We don’t feel part of that because there is a difference of age and they are a different group. We have done our best to encourage women on tour over the years. We organised training camps for girls and were always pushing the level but now it is different. The girls we used to hang out with like Karin Jaggi, Anne Marie and all these girls, they are gone! They are mums or retired from windsurfing. This new group have come from freestyle. They know each other better. I think it is normal that they are happy when some of them beat Iballa or I. They are really happy and excited. It is not nice for us, but it is normal. That is what they have to do, continue their training and try to beat us. The sport is fun and this makes it more interesting!
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