February 15, 2025
The Freestyle Pro Tour (FPT) Cape Town event launched into action with an exhilarating first day of competition at Milnerton Aquatic Club, Rietvlei. Now in its third edition, the event has steadily gained traction as a key stop on the international FPT circuit, offering a perfect blend of professionalism and relaxed competition—a proving ground for emerging talent looking to make their mark on the global stage.
The unique format of this event sets it apart from the rest of the tour. The single elimination takes place on flat water, allowing competitors to showcase their pure freestyle skills, while the double elimination shifts to the open ocean, introducing natural ramps and waves that push the limits of aerial and power moves. This fusion attracts a diverse mix of competitors, from traditional freestylers to those who thrive on jumping and wave sailing.
Freestylers Dominate on Day One
With flat water setting the stage for the first round, the more traditional freestylers came out firing. The young Italian contingent made a strong impression, showcasing their skills and determination, with nearly all of them securing a joint 5th place finish. Among them, Cosmo Pezzetti stood out with a flawlessly executed no-handed burner—drawing comparisons to former Italian windsurfing legend Francesco Cappuzzo.
Another rising star making waves was Greece’s Manolis Chrysopoulos, who displayed an impressive repertoire of technical moves, landing complex combos with precision. His consistency and diversity secured him an impressive 4th place heading into the double elimination.
Top Three Take Shape
The battle for the podium spots was intense, with Britain’s Jamie Howard, Italy’s Jacopo Testa, and Greece’s Lennart Neubauer emerging as the standout performers. Howard’s signature air skopus and powerful riding earned him third place, while Testa and Neubauer engaged in a high-stakes showdown in the final.
Neubauer executed perfectly timed spock konos on both tacks, demonstrating strategic prowess against Testa, who is known for his explosive spock combinations. Though Testa fought back with impressive moves, a few costly mistakes in the final moments allowed Neubauer to capitalize, delivering a clean and diverse heat to claim the top spot.
A New Scoring System Encourages Progression
For the 2025 season, the FPT has introduced a revised scoring format aimed at reducing pressure and encouraging further progression. The new system allows the head judge to select any number of moves to count throughout the heat, with a minimum requirement on each tack. For this event, six moves were counted, with at least two required on one side. The result? A more relaxed and dynamic approach to competition, enabling riders to push their limits while maintaining consistency.
Double Elimination Moves to the Ocean
As the competition moves into its second day, riders will take to the powerful ocean conditions at Bloubergstrand’s iconic Doodles beach. This location has delivered some of the highest levels of freestyle-wavesailing crossovers in the past, with pushloop-forwards, double forwards, and more. With a strong freestyle fleet in the mix, expectations are soaring for a spectacle of high-flying, adrenaline-fueled action.
Results After Single Elimination
- Lennart Neubauer (GRE)
- Jacopo Testa (ITA)
- Jamie Howard (GBR)
- Manolis Chrysopoulos (GRE)
- Fernando Sotille (ITA)
- Cosmo Pezzetti (ITA)
- Alex Sorokin (RUS)
- Ercole Rosso-Chioso (ITA)
- Gregory Stathopoulos (GRE)
- Niklas Dost (GER)
- Arnoud Bouchard (CAN)
- Sammy Ferraro (ESP)
- Antonio Silvestri (ITA)
- Victor Landau (GER)
Stay tuned as the Freestyle Pro Tour Cape Town continues with the highly anticipated double elimination round, where riders will battle it out in the waves, taking the competition to the next level.
For further updates, follow the Freestyle Pro Tour on social media and visit freestyleprotour.com.
