NO RISK, NO FUN

Nestea European Championship Tour 2005

Interview with Sascha Heyer and Paul Laciga, Vice World Champions 2005

Q: You played very successful with your former partners Martin Laciga and Markus Egger. How did you become a team?

Laciga: With a bit of communication and the quick realisation of our plans at the end of 2004. Our motto is: no risk, no fun!
Heyer: New visions motivate and can move mountains…

Q: Was it difficult to get used to each other?

Laciga: I thought it would be more difficult than it actually was. Off the field everything worked straightaway. On the court it will probably take a few more tournaments, maybe up until the next season, until we can trust each other blindly.

Heyer: No, the whole thing was really easy. Sure we have been bitter rivals for years and had many battles on court, but both of us are open-minded, flexible team players. With the tight schedule of tournaments in our calendar we will get the fine-tuning done in no time.

Q: At the World Championships in Berlin you proved that you are on the right path. Are you surprised about this rapid development?

Heyer: The dress rehearsal was a fifth place at the international tournament in Gstaad. Until then we had been overshadowed by Martin Laciga and Markus Egger, who had achieved better results. But we were always close and we knew we were on the right path.

Q: The World Championship semi-final against the German duo Brink/Schneider was an especially emotional match.

Laciga: I need that. I need to let go of my emotions. It makes me play better. But the entire atmosphere was fantastic. The 500 Swiss fans gave us a big lift.
Heyer: The fans felt that we play this sport with 100 per cent and with all of our heart. Authentic emotions are a main part of our performances. I must admit that I cannot remember the last two points of the match at 13-13. I just had a total blackout.

Q: Paul, you were runner-up at the 1999 World Championship with your brother Martin. Is one of the silver medals more precious to you than the other?

Laciga: I would not rate the two medals. We were early medal favourites in 1999. Now, we are a new team and were underdogs to win a medal in Berlin. Both achievements are unique in their own way.

Q: How was the day after your return home?

Heyer: I really enjoyed the extensive broadcasts in the Swiss media. We were on almost all the front pages. After that I had to take care of my move from Zurich to Frauenfeld together with my girlfriend. We had planned it a long time in advance.

Q: How was it playing against your ex-partners to open the season at the start of the NESTEA European Championship Tour at the Turkish Open in Alanya?

Laciga: The more we win the better it is. Especially against certain teams…
Heyer: I hate losing! Accordingly I do everything to avoid those situations. It does not matter who is on the other side of the net. If they are direct rivals from my own country or teams you do not like very much, it’s of course easier to build up the necessary aggressiveness…
Q: Was the victory against your former partners especially sweet?

Laciga: I played with 110 per cent so I completely forgot we also had to win the next match.
Heyer: Sure, every victory against a top team feels good and gives you a boost of self-confidence.

Q: You said in Alanya that you still have to work on the fine-tuning. How is that going?

Laciga: I think we are on the right path. We just need a lot of match experience together. We cannot play more than one tournament a week, so I am sure we will improve in the coming tournaments.
Heyer: The fine-tuning is at an advanced stage. Playing on a high individual level consistently over the course of a tournament is much tougher though. Up to now we have had strong individual achievements and showed our playing potential, but to get a medal in a major European or international tournament you have to play five or six very good matches. We will have to work individually as well as a team in the future.
 

Q: What Swiss team are you more afraid of: Kobel/Heuscher or Egger/Laciga?

Laciga: The word fear is not in my vocabulary. I respect every team, not only the Swiss teams. Both duos have different strengths and weaknesses. We have to capitalise on those weaknesses.
Heyer: Respect is the right word. Respecting athletic achievements. But you are always only as good as your last match… I am glad and proud that there are three Swiss teams among the world’s elite and we can challenge other big Beach Volleyball nations like Brazil, USA and Germany. It is a privilege we want to defend together! 


Q: The subject of the brothers not talking to each other has been much discussed. Was it a part of your decision to change partners to achieve a kind of normality?

Laciga: I have learnt to cope with difficult situations and to learn from them. In contrast to a lot of people around us I did not mind our nonverbal communication. I do not think we will ever have normality. Now we both have new challenges with new team members. We will also try to see difficulties as early as possible, solve them or use them to our advantage in our new constellations.

Q: What makes the Heyer/Laciga-NESTEA partnership so appealing?

Laciga: It is simple: good teams need good partners.
Heyer: We are proud to be the first NESTEA-ambassadors. The brand has a high visibility, the image is great and the product is authentic and very popular. Those are all attributes that go well with us as a team. So it is a win-win situation.

Q: Do you have strong ties to NESTEA or is it more like a loose partnership?

Laciga: We have known the people at Beverage Partners Worldwide and Global Sports Marketing as exceptional partners for several years now. 2005 is the first year for us with NESTEA. I personally have never had loose partnerships with sponsors during my ten-year Beach Volleyball career. When I decide on a partnership I am 100 percent committed to it. That means that I will always try to support my partners in any way I can, aside of the usual conventional sponsoring.
Heyer: I cannot add anything to that.

Q: What in your opinion links the sport of Beach Volleyball to the soft-drink NESTEA?

Laciga: Beach Volleyball is a sport, where the loss of fluids can be very substantial. To compensate that loss you have to drink a lot of water. Why not enjoy that with the great taste of NESTEA?
Heyer: Beach Volleyball is young, attractive, dynamic, refreshing, trendy, authentic, and sexy and is played in the summer in hot weather and beautiful locations. There is no better asset for the NESTEA product which should utilise these attributes.

Q: You constantly travel the natural and artificial beaches in Europe and around the world. What is your favourite place?

Laciga: Wherever I win.
Heyer: Playing on a white sandy beach with palm trees and the emerald green ocean is still my personal favourite. The tournament on Tenerife was such a highlight. Unfortunately the tournament has been cancelled after eight years. Other extra-special events are Klagenfurt (Wörthersee), Berlin (Schlossplatz), Gstaad and Timmendorfer Strand (European Championship Final 2004).

Q: Where would you like to play sometime?

Laciga: A big tournament in front in my home town Kerzers would be great, maybe also in Murten.
Heyer: London and Sydney (Darling Harbour) would be my dream destinations…

Q: Trendy and sexy are terms often associated with Beach Volleyball. Do you have a dream job?

Laciga: Yes, but behind the scenes it is not all about fun; a lot of it is real hard work. I think Beach Volleyball is more than trendy; it is a really established sport that happens to be cool. Of course it is sexy and I hope it stays that way. I do not mind that one bit.
Heyer: Like any other job it has its downsides. Aside from the tough four-month preparation period it means spending a lot of time away from home and losing lots of time between tournament venues all over the world. But I definitely see it as a privilege to have made my hobby my (dream) profession.