October 17, 2024
Lennart Neubauer (Starboard/Severne/Maui Ultra Fins) emerges victorious after the single elimination was completed on day 2 at the 2024 FPT Naxos. Steven Van Broeckhoven (Starboard/Gunsails) was runner up on the podium, with Yentel Caers (JP/NeilPryde) in third. With howling winds, this day saw many insane freestyle moves being thrown down in front of Flisvos Watersports. Check out the full video highlights below:
The first major upset of the day came when Meiky Wieczorek (Starboard/Severne) took down Niclas Nebelung (Duotone/Maui Ultra Fins), the current third-ranked rider on tour. Wieczorek showed his true potential and finally arrived on the freestyle scene with a bang.
Meanwhile, George Grisley (Duotone) had an incredible run, making it into a shared 5th place. His last heat was against Lennart Neubauer, where the brit had nothing too loose and launched himself into Double Forwards, Shifties and Paskos.
But the big story of the day has to have been Takumi Moriya (Severne). The 17-year-old Japanese stunned the crowd by taking down Jacopo Testa, one of the event’s favorites. Moriya didn’t stop there, he also surprised Jamie Howard (Severne), pushing all the way through to claim 4th place in the single elimination.
Finishing in 3rd place, Yentel Caers proved once again why he’s one of the most consistent riders on the tour. The Belgian was relentless and is the only rider in the history of the sport to land a Double Air Culo in every single one of his heats. Adding some nearly landed Double Air Burners to the mix, he will be hungry for tomorrow’s double elimination.
Yentel’s compatriot, Steven Van Broeckhoven, had an excellent day as well. He stormed through the competition, climbing all the way to the final, where he faced Lennart Neubauer.
Neubauer, riding the support of a home crowd that cheered his every move, was unstoppable. He delivered insane scores heat after heat, with only Dieter Van der Eyken (Severne) coming anywhere near to mounting a succesful defense in what was a thrillingly tight match-up.
But in the final, Neubauer collected an astonishing 45 points to take the win against Van Broeckhoven, claiming victory in the men’s single elimination.
With equally strong winds in the forecast for tomorrow, the double elimination is sure to bring even more excitement and surprise. Stay tuned for another thrilling day of freestyle action here in Naxos!
