20 events on the FPT - Freestyle Tour: Surf Opening Neusiedlersee at the end of April
Shortly after the PWA and IWT, the EFPT (European Freestyle Pro Tour) has also announced an ambitious tour for this year. And while we still have to wait a week for the wave calendar, freestylers can already make a note of the dates. For the first time in its 20-year history, competitions outside of Europe are also on the agenda, with the EFPT dropping the "E" and operating as the "Freestyle Pro Tour" (FPT).
At the same time as the new calendar, CEO Adam Sims announced a star system to categorise the events. The basis is the "Proving Ground Series" with one to five stars, which primarily includes national and junior events. Above this is the "Continental Series" with six to eight stars, followed by the "Championship Series" with nine and ten stars. Points can be scored for the ranking list at all events, and women will also be able to compete in all of them. At the end of the year, there will be winners of the individual rankings and overall champions.
As part of the "Proving Ground Series", the German Freestyle Battles (GFB) will also be part of the freestyle tour, including the contest as part of the surf festivals on Fehmarn . The programme also includes competitions in Poland, Morocco, Japan, Bonaire, South Africa, Denmark, Italy and France.
Currently in April 2023:
Surf Opening: FTP at Lake Neusiedl
This year, the Freestyle Pro Tour (FPT) will once again be making a guest appearance at the legendary Surf Opening from 28 April to 7 May at Lake Neusiedl. However, the freestyle men and women will only be competing in the Tow-In discipline from 28 to 30 April and will be battling it out for 10,000 euros in prize money. In addition to the freestyle highlight, the Surf Opening is also the kick-off event for the win2day Beach Volleyball Pro Tour. There is also a daily activity programme for the whole family with lots of sports to take part in. When night falls, the legendary party programme starts at the lido in Neusiedl am See, with a total of around 50 live and DJ acts awaiting you.
All information is available at Surf World Cup Austria
The EFPT/FPT calendar 2023
- 21 - 29 January: Cape Town
- 7 - 11 April: Bonaire
- 15 - 16 April: Zushi (Japan)
- 28 - 30 April: Podersdorf
- 1 May - 30 June: Danish Open (Stand-By Contest)
- 1 May - 30 June: King of Hel (Poland, Stand-By Contest)
- 18 - 21 May: GFB Fehmarn (surf Festival)
- 27 - 28 May: Vesoul (France)
- 27 - 28 May: Lake Motusoku (Japan)
- 1 June - 29 August: GFB Meldorf (Stand-By Contest)
- 6 - 10 June: Vieste (Italy)
- 21 - 25 June: Crete (Greece)
- 19 - 23 July: Essaouira (Morocco)
- 6 August - 4 October: GFB Lemkenhafen (Stand-By Contest)
- 5 - 10 September: Soroni (Greece)
- 4 - 8 October: Geneva (Switzerland)
- 12 - 15 October: Prasionisi (Greece)
- 16 - 23 October: Danish Open
- 4 - 5 November: Tsukuihama (Japan)
- 16 - 17 December: Laka Hamanako (Japan)
The respective status, the prize money and the disciplines (freestyle, foil style, tow-in) can be seen on the EFPT graphic:
The Surf Opening at Lake Neusiedl is the only "championship" event so far, the GFB at surf-Festival are only on the calendar as a tow-in event for the time being. However, according to FPT, this has not yet been finalised and further events have not yet been confirmed. There will be an update on 14 February.
"Proving Ground Series" for the next generation of freestylers
In order to promote young talent, the FTP wants to bring together events from all over the world under its umbrella in the "Proving Ground Series". This should make it as easy as possible to enter the contest scene and network riders with each other. The higher-level events at continental level should also benefit from this. The best three results will be included in the international rankings.
"By offering newcomers and pros alike a stage with affordable, diverse and accessible events, we are giving real talent the chance to break through, regardless of their background," says CEO Adam Sims. Foilstyle and Tow-In are also designed to showcase the different facets within the discipline of freestyle - plus action on the water and countable results are almost guaranteed.
