February 17, 2025
Day 2 of the Freestyle Pro Tour Cape Town event delivered a spectacular showdown as competitors took to the ocean for the highly anticipated Double Elimination round. With gusts reaching near 50 knots, the stage was set for an intense battle where wave sailors sought redemption against the freestylers who had dominated the flat-water competition on Day 1.
The unique format of this event continued to set it apart, not only by featuring two contrasting locations—flat water on Day 1 and waves on Day 2—but also through its innovative scoring system. Traditionally, freestyle windsurfing contests have required an equal number of scoring moves on each tack, with a set number of attempts. This year, however, the FPT introduced a progressive format that allowed riders to focus more on their strengths. For the ocean-based heats, competitors needed five counting moves, with a minimum of one move on one tack—providing greater flexibility and emphasizing high-quality execution over forced diversity.
Early Standouts & Rising Talents
The young Italian contingent continued to impress, showing notable progression in the challenging conditions. Alex Sorokin advanced through multiple heats, demonstrating consistency in freestyle moves on the inside and well-executed jumps on the way out. However, it was Cosmo Pezzetti and Gregory Stathopoulos who stole the spotlight early in the day. Pezzetti’s smooth integration of freestyle tricks with wave moves earned him praise, but it was Stathopoulos—the reigning Under 21 Wave World Champion—who truly raised the bar with stall-forward loops, push loops, backloops, and even double forwards, securing an impressive 5th-place finish.
Meanwhile, Manolis Chrysopolous, fresh from an impressive fourth-place result in the Single Elimination, managed to halt Stathopoulos’ run, holding onto his Top 4 position. As the rounds progressed, it was time for Jamie Howard to defend his podium position. The Brit successfully fended off his challengers before running into Jacopo Testa, the Italian powerhouse determined to earn a rematch against Lennart Neubauer in the final.
The Grand Final – A Battle of Determination
With Testa overcoming Howard, the final was set: Testa vs. Neubauer—one more chance for Testa to force a Super Final and potentially steal the event victory.
However, the heat took a dramatic turn when, on his second move, Neubauer landed hard on a backloop in the fierce 50-knot gusts, snapping his mast on impact. In a testament to resilience, Neubauer immediately abandoned his rig, caught a wave to surf back to shore, grabbed his backup gear, and sailed back out—launching straight into a massive push loop as if nothing had happened.
Meanwhile, in a show of true sportsmanship, Testa remained by the floating rig until the jet ski rescue team safely retrieved it, ensuring no interference with the competition. With minimal time lost, the battle resumed with full force, and what followed was one of the most explosive exchanges of high-performance freestyle and wave sailing in FPT history.
The final minutes saw both riders unleashing their biggest moves—wild shifty’s, enormous backloops, perfect 10 air-kabikuchis, double power moves, and an almost landed double air shaka by Testa. But Neubauer’s flawless execution, variety, and determination ultimately sealed the deal, allowing him to secure the Double Elimination victory and claim the overall event title.
An Event to Remember
The FPT Cape Town event once again proved its status as a must-watch competition, combining flat-water freestyle precision with full-power wave action in one of the world’s most iconic windsurfing locations.
A huge thank you to our dedicated crew, volunteers, and partners—AALVAA Media, The Brand Stable, and Milnerton Aquatic Club—for making this event a phenomenal success.
Final Event Results
1. Lennart Neubauer
2. Jacopo Testa
3. Jamie Howard
4. Manolis Chrysopoulos
5. Gregory Stathopoulos
6. Cosmo Pezzetti
7. Alex Sorokin
7. Antonio Silvestri
9. Ercole Rosso-Chioso
9. Arnaud Bouchard
9. Sammy Ferraro
9. Fernando Sottille
13. Niklas Dost
13. Victor Landau
Stay tuned for more action from the Freestyle Pro Tour as we continue our global circuit in 2025!
