It‘s possible that a sport is almost dominated by one athlete alone for a longer period of time. In some cases even by two sportsmen, whose performances clearly set them apart from the broad mass. If those two sportsmen additionally are brothers and sisters or even twins, then a perfect sensation is reached. In tennis, the Williams sisters, Serena and Venus, have managed to become top of the world and to sustain their position.  

It’s amazing that parallel to this development a similar story of success has evolved in another sport – in windsurfing. The Spanish twins Daida and Iballa Ruano Moreno – the Moreno Twins – not only have dominated windsurfing among women for ten years, they also have caused a revolution.

Looking back

After the big boom oft he 80s, enthusiasm for windsurfing calmed down a bit in the 90s. The sport almost fell into a „100-year-sleep“. Unnoticed by the broad public media, it nevertheless developed tremendously, especially with the men. The improvement of the former unhandy, heavy material in particular opened up new worlds of movement. The standard of surfing increased year after year and new disciplines like Freestyle or Supercross gave the sport a new image and offered new perspectives for the future.

However, the windsurfing female elite rather stayed behind. A certain resignation spread, which became obvious by the decreasing number of female competitors. Nevertheless, windsurfing, „the mother of all fun sports“ would not be the same without female participation. 

At the right moment of time

At that critical moment for the sport, the twins Daida and Iballa Ruano Moreno from Gran Canaria entered the windsurfing stage. „They have come from nowhere to save windsurfing for women“, was heard as a comment among experts. 

The then young sisters not only proved themselves in the male world of windsurfing because of their neat outward appearance. They gained great admiration especially by the way they surfed. Nothing had stayed the same. By means of their courage, their strength and their ambition, Daida and Iballa elevated the female standard in windsurfing to another level.  

Fascination for the sport has remained unbroken with the twins, even after their 10 years of success in windsurfing. Iballa: „It cannot be described what you feel out there on the water. It’s a continuous challenge. And every day, every hour, every minute you are confronted with a new situation, with new emotions. It’s never boring.“

The Moreno twins are exceptional!

Daida and Iballa Moreno together have gained more than 17 world championship titles until today. Born on the 1st of December 1977 in Gran Canaria, they started windsurfing rather late. At the age of 17 they got on a board for the first time at Pozo Izquierdo on Gran Canaria, where they spent their holidays together with their parents and sisters. 

It was for their advantage that Pozo Izquierdo is one of the most windy places in the world and also the stomping ground of world champion Björn Dunkerbeck. However, what helped them most was their unbroken will. They had their first tries on an old, heavy board, which they had lent from friends. In the beginning, they got drifted away constantly for the strong winds and currents.

Where others capitulate, they carried back their material along the beach to the starting point and tried again. This procedure continued all day and all summer long. Until one day one of them managed to do a jibe and to surf back straight to where she had come from. Later at the same day, her sister managed to do the same and from then on they continually improved their skills until today.

10 years in a leading position

Not comparable to the men’s level at first, two sisters suddenly got ready to close the gap between male and female standards. This catch-up game reached its peak when the twins competed with the men in one or two competitions. Without difficulties, they positioned themselves among the 15 best participants. Experts remained speechless and very excited.

The twins have dominated windsurfing among women for one century now. It is the positive rivalry between the two and their competitors that constantly increases the standard. Their rivals have grown with them and female windsurfing has made a great leap forward: 10 years ago only 10 to 12 women started in a competition, today there are up to 40 who ride the waves on a World Cup level. And none of them has to hide behind the men.