The final Foilstyle and Tow-In showdown of the year is on! The FPT Geneva 2024 started at the Tropical Corner in Switzerland, with plenty of excitement on the menu. This weekend the Freestyle Pro Tour will crown it’s Foilstyle and Tow-In champions for 2024, while undoubtedly witnessing sure-fire progression in both disciplines as well. The first day brought about a feeling of Dejavu to last years edition of the event, where the winds teased a start to the Foilstyle discipline, but never actually filled in. There was still plenty of action on the water, the cityscape of Geneva being filled with Tow-In (Foilstyle) moves. Read more about what the rest of the week has on offer, as well as a full account of day 1, below.
With the promise of one of the better days of wind, the athletes mustered up bright and early for registration and skippers meeting. A first possible start of 11:00 was called for the Foilstyle fleet, and soon Lac Leman was getting colorful with freestyle sails.
Who’s in it for the Foilstyle discipline? The first to mention is surely Balz Muller (Severne). The godfather of the discipline is looking to finally make his mark on the competitive Foilstyle scene. The Swiss waterman, who still hasnt completed a Foilstyle heat on the FPT, is bringing a host of new tricks to Geneva. Just recently he published videos of a Kono Diablo style rotation, as well as Double Culo’s and Burners, performed with utmost relaxation. It is no secret that Balz is in a league of his own in this discipline, but with no competition experience, will he be able to deliver?
Having been at every Foilstyle event so far, Yentel Caers (JP/NeilPryde) has experience abound. The Belgian became the 2023 (and first ever) Foilstyle Champion in Geneva last year, and will be looking to replicate this success. Having made a good start in Vieste, claiming second position, he will now be anxious to see where Muller ends up in the draw. In Vieste he had to give way to Lennart Neubauer (Starboard/Severne/Maui Ultra Fins). The Greek is on impeccable form, regardless of the freestyle discipline, and comes into the event as Tour Leader in the Foilstyle. Will he pull some new tricks out of the bag, like he did with the Shifty in Vieste, to solidify his position in the rankings?
Bodhi Kempen (Severne) has been solid on the foil in Vieste as well, and although he admits he hasn’t had the chance to train a lot of Foilstyle recently, he is nonetheless eager to match up against the rest. One of his close competitors on the water is Tim Gerdes (Severne). A fellow Brouwersdam local, Tim also made the trek down to Switzerland and will be one to watch closely.
Looking to upset the order will be riders like Tigo Kort (JP/NeilPryde) and Jamie Howard (Severne). Both have good positions in the rankings and will be looking to climb the ladder at the Tropical Corner. Kort showed great promise during his comeback in the double elimination in Vieste, making him a potential podium contender. His case his helped by the absence of Sam Esteve (JP/NeilPryde) in Vieste, however the frenchman has made it to Geneva and will surely be stirring things up. Howard, who is also looking good in the Tow-In rankings, has been rumoured to be practicing his Foilstyle fervently. With no hard evidence online, it is still the case that one can never count out the Brit when it comes to competition.
Another British sailor entering is George Grisley (Duotone). After his debut on the foil in Vieste, he has done the opposite of his compatriot and frequently shared his foil training progress online. Unsurprisingly, dedicating time on the water has paid off in terms of repertoire, and the next challenge will now be to materialise that improvement into a solid heat here in Geneva.
Maaike Huvermann (Severne/Maui Ultra Fins) will be joining the Foilstyle again as well, having made an impression at the first event of the year as well. The dutch freestyle legend was not an easy opponent there, and surely has improved since. Another woman joining the mixed fleet is Anina Heimoz. The local Swiss rider was already present in Geneva last year, but did not have the chance to prove her abilities on the competitive stage just yet. We can’t wait to see her out on the water.
The wind did not match the fleet’s eagerness though. Being on the edge of contestable, it kept the riders on their toes for most of the afternoon. To pass the time, the hybrid discipline of Tow-In Foilstyle was once again on showcase. Keeping themselves warmed up, Balz Muller and Lennart Neubauer put on an incredible show.
Afterwards a Tow-In training took place, giving the crowds at the beachbar a taste of what’s to come. The Tow-In discipline in Geneva has undoubtedly gained a status of its own in the freestyle community. The combination of the lightning fast winch with the towering wakeboat wave has proven to be a hit over and over again with the athletes and crowds. You never know what to expect here, which was proven at last years edition of the event. George Grisley became the 2023 European Champion here, after an exciting shootout with Foivos Tsoupras (Duotone/Maui Ultra Fins) in the finals. Both Duotone riders will be looking to replicate their success this year, with Tsoupras in the better position after a solid Tow-In result in Vieste and Vesoul.
This year the qualification rounds will be on Friday and Saturday, giving Yentel Caers more practice with the conditions than last year. The Belgian, despite being on another level at all other events, struggled at the 2023 GVA Wind Festival and unfortunately didnt make the finals. If his warm up runs today are anything to go by, we will surely be seeing him on the water on Sunday. Another rider looking to make amends will be Jamie Howard. Missing the final in similar fashion, he is now in an excellent position in the 2024 rankings after an incredible performance in Vieste.
Winning in Vieste though, Lennart Neubauer. Having been spotted online recently practicing his jaw dropping Tow-In combinations, the Greek is a favorite for this event and the overall title. His training today was exceptional, committing himself to landing moves that would guarantee podium places in any Tow-In final.
Also getting his fair share of practice runs in was Leander Halm (Starboard/Severne/Maui Ultra Fins). The young gun is focusing on Tow-In at this event, after already having been impressive in both Vieste and Vesoul. Landing Air Funnels today, he is one to watch in the upcoming qualifications.
On the women’s side, Lisa Kloster (MB-Boards/Sailloft) gained ground significantly on Maaike Huvermann last year. The German Vice-European Champion will be looking to continue her creative approach to the discipline, hoping to uproot Huvermann’s dominance. Both riders sat out the practice session today, but we are keen to see them hit the water!
With both Foilstyle and Tow-In planned for the upcoming days, the schedule will be flexible around the wind. The Tow-In Qualifications, of which there are two rounds, are planned for Friday and Saturday evening, with the grand final on Sunday. All of the competition action will be live-streamed on our website and our youtube channel, so make sure to make a note in your calendars! Check out the full schedule for the event below.
Thursday, September 19th
9:00 Skippers meeting 9:30 First Possible Start 15:00-16:00 – No wave – Tow-In training 16:30-17:30 – Small wave and slow speed – Tow-In training 18:00-19:30 – Big wave – Tow-In training
Friday, September 20th
9:00 Skippers meeting 9:30 First Possible Start 15:00-16:00 – No wave – Tow-In training 16:30-17:30 – Small wave and slow speed – Tow-In training 18:00-19:30 – Tow-In Qualification 1 (Livestream)
Saturday, September 21st
9:00 Skippers meeting 9:30 First Possible Start 15:00-16:00 – No wave – Tow-In training 16:30-17:30 – Small wave and slow speed – Tow-In training 18:00-19:30 – Tow-In Qualification 2 (Livestream)
Sunday, September 22nd
9:00 Skippers meeting 9:30 First Possible Start 15:00-16:00 – No wave – Tow-In training 16:30-17:30 – Small wave and slow speed – Tow-In training 18:00-19:30 – Tow-In Finals (Livestream)