After a great start to the season with events in Cape Town, Bonaire, Japan and last weeks’ Continental Series opener in Austria, the momentum is now on! The coming month will boast a range of Freestyle events all over Europe and we can’t wait to bring the action straight to your feeds! The first event of the German Freestyle Battles, a 5 star Tow-in event in Vesoul, the Danish, Japanese and Polish nationals and of course the EFPT in Vieste are all on the menu. Read the full calendar update below to prepare yourself for all the upcoming excitement.
Closest on the horizon will be the German Freestyle Battles (GFB) at the Surffestival in Fehmarn, Germany. This 2 star event is on from the 18th to the 21st of May and is part of one of the largest windsurfing festivals in the world. The GFB is known for their efforts to bring the thriving german freestyle scene together in a fun and open way, allowing competitors of all levels to join the community. This makes it a perfect fit for our Proving Grounds Series that is focused on helping aspiring amateurs into the competitive ranks. There is also a tow-in competition planned as a light-wind alternative and there are currently already ~40 competitors signed up! We can’t wait to celebrate our love for the sport with one of the most active freestyle scenes on the planet there.
On the next weekend, the 27th-28th of May, the first ever EFPT event in Vesoul will take place. Located in the heart of France, this 5 star Tow-In event will boast the refreshing Airstyle format, which pushes riders to the limits of their Freestyle Tow-In skills. With the addition of a proper wake, we expect some massive moves to entertain the crowds gathered on this national holiday weekend in France. Local riders Nascimo Fournier (Sailloft) and Salome Fournier (Sailloft) will be there, along with international stars like Yentel Caers (JP/NeilPryde) and Maaike Huvermann (Severne/Maui Ultra Fins) to name a few. Tow-in-showmen Foivos Tsoupras (Fanatic/Duotone/Maui Ultra Fins) and Jeremy Pluess (Tabou/GA-Sails) are also there to up the stakes and vibes on the beach!
Happening simultaneously will be the Danish Open, a Wave and Freestyle competition based around Cold Hawaii. Pulling together the vibrant Danish windsurfing community, this event attracts athletes from other Scandinavian countries as well. With a roaming location that depends on the forecast, this event kicks off the Danish Open season, with more events planned for later in the year as well.
And as if the weekend of the 27th and 28th wasn’t busy enough yet, the JWA is also holding their second Freestyle event of the year on Lake Motosuko! Having seen a bustling fleet in Zushi last month, we are excited to see the results from Japan come in. There is a couple of strong contingents in the draw there, and we also know that some of the competitors will be making their way over to Europe to compete in Vieste after their Lake Motosuko event. With no official result in the Pro Fleet due to lack of wind in Zushi, riders like Takuma Sugi (Tabou/GA-Sails), Takumi Moriya (Severne) and Kango Iketeru (Goya Windsurfing) will be on their best form to secure a good result.
Another national championship that is planned for this period is the King of Hel. The official Polish freestyle nationals have already entered their 2 month waiting period for the best possible forecast to run a 1 day freestyle event on the Hel Peninsula. Poland has an incredibly strong but slightly underground freestyle scene, which shimmers through at this Baltic Sea event as it has consistently had upwards of 25 competitors in the past. EFPT competitor and 2022 King of Hel Champion Pawel Palichleb (Fanatic/Duotone) will be there to defend his title, along with a host of freestylers that are itching to prove themselves on their national scene.
Finally, the biggest event coming up is of course the 2023 EFPT Vieste in Italy. This event exceeded all expectations in 2022 and is set to do so again in 2023. Being a joint Freestyle and Foilstyle event with a total of 25.000€ in prize money, we expect the best of the best to show up and make use of the excellent conditions at the spot. Wind and waves means only one thing – a big move frenzy all over the heat area! Last year the event was won by Italian Jacopo Testa (AV-Boards/Point-7) who went on to claim the European Title thanks to this victory. We expect to see him on a mission again this year, especially since he started the season with a 3rd in Austria, and thus has some points to catch up on. Foilstyle is also going to be the talk of town at this event. Although this is not the first Foilstyle event we ever ran, it will most likely be the first one with suitable wind to get a result. Because of this nobody really knows how the fleet stacks up, with strong contenders from the Netherlands, Switzerland and France. The only thing we can really expect is some epic moves in light winds! Vieste will also be livestreamed, allowing you to follow all of the action minutely!
Expect some massive moves in Vieste like this OH Burner by Jacopo Testa!
After Vieste the fans and riders will have a bit of time to cool down, before the second part of the season begins. We have announced the postponement of the planned events in Crete and Theologos to 2024, which means that the next Continental Series event will be in October in Geneva! Over the summer there are a couple of on forecast events planned by the GFB, so keep your eyes peeled for last minute freestyle action on our channels!
The FPT Team is also working tirelessly to bring you updates about the Proving Grounds Series event in Morocco, and the Continental event in Prasonisi, Greece. To few the full list of planned events, go to efpt.net/events/2023-events