The countdown towards the 2023 FPT Surf Opening in Austria has started. In less than a month, from the 28th of April to the 1st of May, the world’s best freestylers will return to Neusiedl am See to compete for a total of €11.000 in prize money. Men’s Freestyle and a Tow-in competition will be ran in front of the roaring crowds at the Summer Opening festival. The event will traditionally be the official kick-off of the FPT Continental Series, with the first significant chunk of ranking points up for grabs. Check out last years event recap below to get an idea of what’s coming!

The traditional season opener has provided the goods in previous years. In 2022, Jacopo Testa (AV-Boards/Point-7) set the foundation to his European Title, and in 2021 the competition was one of the first sporting events in the post-covid era. The mecca of Austrian water sports has always provided conditions against all odds, with a full Freestyle and Tow-in result every time we visited the chocolate lake. Local Max Matissek (Fanatic/Duotone) explains the charm of the Neusiedlersee in this spot guide here.

The event will be a 6 star event with €10.000 prize money in Men’s freestyle, and €1000 in Tow-in. In case of no wind, prize money will shift towards the Tow-in, upping the stakes for the official Tow-in rankings. Riders can register for the event HERE.