The best freestyle windsurfers in the world have been coming to the Austrian windsurfing Mecca since 1998. At this year's Surf Opening, the EFPT made a guest appearance at Lake Neusiedl. Many of the best freestylers in the world competed. With the same prize money and a field of the best freestyle girls in Europe, thrilling action was guaranteed!
Unfortunately, the wind didn't always play along and so some heats had to be cancelled in the middle of Lake Neusiedl when the wind was too weak. Nevertheless, the organisers managed to pull off a complete single elimination for the men and women. In the double elimination, however, the wind finally ran out of steam and the result of the single elimination was also the final result at the EFPT Neusiedler See.
In the men's competition, it was the Italian Jacopo Testa (AV-Boards), who took the first win of the season. The 2017 European Champion dominated the field with his expertise in light wind. He wowed the judges with his chachoos and put himself in a good starting position for an exciting season. Second place went to Belgian powerhouse Yentel Caers (JP/NeilPryde), who delivered a consistent performance. Third place went to his Belgian compatriot Dieter van der Eyken (Severne), who impressed with his repertoire of freestyle moves. This versatility of the former world champion certainly helped him to master the sometimes tricky conditions on Lake Neusiedl in Austria. Niclas Nebelung (Duotone/Fanatic) and Felix Volkhardt (Severne) had certainly expected more from the start of the season on Lake Neusiedl from a German perspective. A shared 17th place certainly did not reflect their performance. Foivos Tsoupras kept the German flags flying high with 13th place.
Things went much better for Germany's current best freestyler. Lisa Kloster made it into the small final and secured the coveted third place on the podium against Hanna Poschinger from Austria. As expected, Maaike Huvermann (Severne/MUF) from the Netherlands landed at the top of the podium at the EFPT Neusiedler See. With her consistent performance, her victory was never in danger. The Dutchwoman has thus made a good start in her mission to defend her current European title. The 16-year-old Slovenian Lina Eržen (Duotone) took second place and showed promising signs for future competitions, while she also cut a fine figure in the tow-in discipline.
You can find all the results from the Summer Opening at Lake Neusiedl on the EFPT Website
