Sailor: Daida Moreno
Wave Result: Champion
Freestyle result: Champion

When it comes to Daida the question will always be; how did she get so good? And secondly, why is no one catching her up when it comes to waves? I don’t think even Daida has an answer. She just has no mental barriers what so ever! If the guys are doing them, she’ll have a go and often succeed before them. Most recently the tweaked pushloop, the air chacho, decent shuvits and enormous forwards and backloops. Iballa is going for the latest moves but not landing them with any consistency and Karin, continually third, is a league behind.

However, when it comes to freestyle, Daida has been beaten several times by either the Arubian or the Swiss! It’s refreshing to see Daida under pressure; it either brings out the worst or the best in her on and off the water. It has put some thrill back into watching the women’s competitions and Daida will be the first to say this is better for the sport. Saying all of that, she still managed to win with flakas, cana bravas, one-footed forwards, shuvits and a whole variety of spocks. Some said that because it wasn’t flat water, it wasn’t (literally) a level playing field as Daida scored for jumps which the other two haven’t mastered concentrating on more technically difficult freestyle moves. The answer is girls: learn to jump! We are sure they will, but will it be in time to beat Daida before she retires in 10 yrs or more time? We doubt it.

Sailor: Iballa Moreno
Wave Result: 2nd
Freestyle result: 4th

Tradition states that Iballa is the better wave rider. She is a very good surfer and has competed nationally in Spain just for fun! She snuck away the Wave Title in 2006 from her sister with a stunning performance at Hookipa Beach Park last November. But when it comes to jumping, she simply doesn’t land them as consistently as Daida and in the women’s fleet in Pozo, it’s the jumping that counts.

Iballa sailed injured at the last freestyle event in Lanzarote and still came sixth out of ten. In Pozo her jumping moves counted against the flat water tricks and took her up to fourth behind the golden trio.

Sailor: Karin Jaggi
Wave Result: 3rd
Freestyle result: Did Not Enter

If no one can get near the Morenos, then similarly, it doesn’t seem that anyone can take Jaggi’s converted third away from her! Having concentrated on speed and racing over the past 12 months, Karin relies on decent wave riding (honed on her annual visits to Western Oz) and her solid loop, table top, backie and pushloop. Considering the other girls can’t land all of these with any consistency, third place is hers for the taking.

Sailor: Sarah Quita Offringa
Wave Result: Did Not Enter
Freestyle Result: 2nd

Aruba must have had a windy winter as Sarah has really improved her already amazing repertoire. The one-handed spock 540 and switch chacos being heat favourites as well as perfect flakas, almost air flakas as she throws herself into them. The lighter winds on the first day of freestyle competition definitely helped as she beat Daida in the first final. Nerves played a part for sure when she went out to Nagoshi in Round 2 with an uncharacteristic ‘bad’ heat. Now the questions is can she get win that World Title with two more events (Fuerte/Sylt) to go.

Sailor: Laure Treboux
Wave Result: Joint 9th
Freestyle Result: 3rd

Laure has been concentrating on freestyle over the winter and this showed with her puneta 540’s and one-handed, clew first spocks. She beat Daida in the single elimination of Round 2 but then narrowly lost to the Spaniard in the double, so she definitely has the ability and nerve to challenge for that overall title. The golden trio of Daida, Sarah & Laure has really sparked off the Women's Tour and everyone will be watching the Fuerte event, with it's smoother waters, with renewed interest.