Price giving makes everybody smile, or the Steven van Broeckhoven story

We still owe you the result of the 2nd supersession during the Rip Curl Prince of the Wind hosted by Flisvos Sportclub. French rider Nicolas Akgazciyan (Starboard/Gun) could climb up the podium with a no handed Flaka, followed by Steven van Broeckhoven (F2) with an Air Flaka on place 2 and a Switch Stance one handed Cachoo brought Dieter van der Eyken (Starboard/Severne) the third place. 

Andre Paskowski (Fanatic/North Sails) brought some copies of his new movie „Four Dimensions“ to the Flisvos Beachcafe and arranged together with the Flisvos Sportclub crew a little cinema under the stars. The spectators arranged beach loungers, chairs or sat down in the sand and the Flisvos Beach Cafe crew served Cocktails and greek fingerfood. The movie is amazing and the EFPT does recommend every windsurfer to have a copy of it. Great Job Andre! 

At the fourth and last day on Naxos once more the organisation brought the action on the water right in front of the Beach Cafe. Behind a Jet Ski and 2 boats the EFPT riders and also the spectators could try themselves in wakeboarding, which turned out to be great fun. Israeli Yarden Meir (Fanatic/Simmer) went on an old directional kiteboard and it looked like it was so much fun he might be thinking of a second carrier as a wake boarder.

Day 4 on Naxos was not only the last day of the Rip Curl Prince of the Wind it was also the last day of the EFPT 2009, which means the Price Giving for the total season ranking had to be done. At about 4 o´clock riders, EFPT crew, and a big grape of spectators could first watch the Price giving ceremony for the Prince the wind. The major of Naxos in corporation with Red Bull girls gave the trophy for third place to Belgium rider Dieter van der Eyken (Starboard/Severne), the one for second place went to Andre Paskowski (Fanatic/North Sails) and Steven van Broeckhoven was announced as the Prince of the Wind 2009. The image with Steven wearing the orange cape and the reed crown holding the big check in his hands will remain forever in the heads of the audience, hehehe. 

A special honour went to Stam Promponas (Fanatic/North Sails) who finished as the best Greek rider on the total season rank 9.

At about 16.30h the time has come to do the price giving for the total season ranking. The glas trophies were polished, the champagne was cooled and everybody on the beach was ready to see the top 3 of the European Freestyle Pro Tour 2009 on the stage on St. George Beach on Naxos, Greece. Nicolas Akgazciyan (Starboard/Gun) on place 3 and Andre Paskowski (Fanatic/North Sails) on place 2 had both a good season - maybe because of Nicos injury during the season and Andres hard work on „Four Dimension“ didn`t let them focus 100% on the tour - but in the end it was a Belgium sailor who has been unbeatable through the whole season. Steven van Broeckhoven won the EFPT events on Sardegna, Lefkada, Crete, Alacati and Naxos, which brought him 600 points out of 3 events counting for the total season ranking. It will take some time for him and everybody else who followed the European Freestyle Pro Tour 09 to realise what Steven achieved through this season, but in the end everybody has to admit that Steven van Broeckhoven (F2) set a new mark in freestyle windsurfing. 

Congratulations to Steven, we can`t wait to see you sailing on the European Freestyle Pro Tour 2010.