BORN TO SOAR

The kiteboard racing superstar is leaning into the sport that has defined her entire young adult life, propelled across wave tops with an all-consuming goal of a medal.

- DAVE REED

THERE'S a reason why Daniela Moroz, the six-time kiteboard world champion and four-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, is always quick to flash a radiant smile. Happiness comes easy for the 22-year-old foiling phenom from San Francisco, which most certainly has something to do with her parents, her upbringing on, in and now above the water, and the fact that she actually enjoys her training as she pushes ever closer to the Formula Kite's Olympic debut. "I love pushing myself, and I love seeing how far I can go and how well I can perform," she says. At the moment, she is performing as expected: fast and faster. In Marseille, France, on the very waters of next year's Olympic regatta, she won a bronze medal in July and locked in her US Sailing Team spot. All that remains is to qualify the US, and from there it's straight to the big stage.

Most sailors have likely never watched a kiteboard race. How does it go?

It is course racing, just like what everyone else does in sailing. It's windward-leeward courses, and it's a three-minute start sequence. Instead of having an hour- or half-hour-long race, our races are only about 12 to 15 minutes in qualifying [races]. And then eight to 10 minutes in the medal races. It's really fast. I learned recently that it's actually the fastest Summer Olympic sport, which is pretty cool. Upwind we're going 20 to 25 knots, and downwind we're pushing into the high 30s pretty comfortably. If you want to go fast, it's a great class to get into. The equipment is unique, and it's very dynamic and exciting. I always loved going fast, so that was a big thing that pulled me into it.

Describe a typical starting approach; it must be madness with all the kites hovering overhead in one confined area.