Daniela Moroz — Going, Going, Going Fast!

In June’s Latitude 38 magazine, Mark Reid chats with Daniela Moroz, world champion kite foiler and SailGP TeamUSA crewmember.

Radiant and confident with more than an occasional penchant to go fast describes Daniela Moroz from Lafayette, California. She just happens to be one of the fastest on foils in the world; be it against men or women, it really makes no difference.

As she prepares for kite foiling’s entry into the Summer Olympic Games in Paris in 2024, and for her new challenge as “one of the boys” for Team USA on the SailGP Formula 50 catamaran grand prix circuit, Moroz is quite candid, emphatically stating, “I think I am faster than my competition because I have always trained with and against men, and I’ve always held myself to the men’s standard.

“Even from the very beginning, I was rarely training with any other women. And although it was difficult sometimes, I loved the sport and was motivated and determined to get better and beat the boys,” said Moroz.

For starters, Moroz is a four-time Formula Kite World Champion and three-time Open European Champion with two US Sailing Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year watches on her wrist. Add to that Rolex World Sailor of the Year finalist in 2018. This ultra-competitive 20-year-old likes to go fast and have fun.

When she was growing up, Daniela’s parents were both longtime windsurfers who raced in everything from the local Friday night races at the St. Francis Yacht Club to the US Nationals, and could easily be found out on the Berkeley Circle off the marina there.

“When I first started kiting, both Erica and Johnny Heineken from San Francisco were the best in the world, and I am super-competitive. I am fortunate that I have very supportive parents and friends,” said Moroz. “Foiling is exciting because it is super-fun to go that fast over water. I got super-stoked on kiting and stuck with it.

“I love it when it is really gusty and the waves are really gnarly. There is nothing like kiting off Crissy Field and flying under the Golden Gate Bridge — though flat waters are great so that I can work on building speed.”

Her favorites and fetishes are well known: She loves to flush out her system with kombucha when she gets home, and she craves chai tea and avocado toast. She is currently a business and marketing major at the University of Hawaii. Given her globe-trotting and the challenges of the pandemic, online classes fit in perfectly with her travel schedule.

Please continue reading at Latitude 38.com.