European Pro Windsurfing Tour: EPWT kicks off the new season with foil races in Hanstholm
SURF
· 10.03.2025
Following its successful debut last year, the European Pro Windsurfing Tour (EPWT) 2025 is entering its first full season. It will kick off with an event in Hanstholm, Denmark, from 13 to 18 May. You read that right: Hanstholm, one of Northern Europe's most radical wave spots, will be the venue for foil racing - at the same time, the location in the heart of Cold Hawaii and home to organiser Finn Noer is obvious. "Powerful waves and the unpredictable nature of the North Sea promise an exciting start to the season, where only the best competitors will come out on top," reads the announcement.
The programme in Hanstholm includes two warm-up days on 13 and 14 May, where participants can test the conditions and familiarise themselves with the spot. The official competition days will then follow from 15 to 18 May. The EPWT races in Hanstholm will therefore mark the start of the 2025 foil season and could be a good barometer of form for many top riders.
More from Hanstholm:
EPWT wants the best setup for the athletes
The EPWT would like to build on the successful inaugural event in Ebeltoft. The focus is on fair conditions for all participants and an attractive presentation of the sport for spectators and sponsors.
"Right from the start, we tried to think about the event from the participants' point of view," explained Finn Noer in a surf interview after the debut. "There is a wide wind window for the races and no material restrictions as long as it is standard material. Weight waistcoats are also permitted, which means that lighter riders also have a chance to compete at the front."
Another advantage of the EPWT concept is that the races are easy to understand, even for outsiders. "Whoever finishes first is the winner. That also makes it interesting outside the surfing scene," says Noer. To make it possible to experience the action away from the water, there will also be a live stream with commentators in Hanstholm, as in Ebeltoft, as well as a video wall on the beach - the announcement also features Ben Proffitt, cameraman Alfie Hart and PWA photographer John Carter. The set-up will therefore once again be first-class.
Will there be a proper foil tour in 2025?
The event in Hanstholm could be the start of a larger tour. Last year, there was talk of at least four events taking place between April and October 2025. In addition to Denmark, stops in Germany, Italy and the Netherlands were also planned at the time.
"We want to ride at good spots that can be reached with relatively little travelling," says Noer, explaining the philosophy behind the tour planning. "There's a surprisingly good setup at Lake Wittensee near Kiel, and Lake Garda or the Brouwersdam would also be ideal. We hope to be able to organise events there over the course of the year."
To ensure planning security for participants and sponsors, all venues must pay a deposit in advance. If an event cannot take place as planned, a large part of this sum is paid out to the participants who have already registered.
The EPWT does not see itself as a competitor to established series such as the PWA World Tour. "We take great care to ensure that we don't have any scheduling conflicts with other professional events," emphasises Noer. "Our aim is rather to get the budget from outside the windsurfing industry and to be able to make independent decisions."
It is also eagerly awaited whether a women's field can be integrated for the first time in 2025. "As soon as we have eight female starters, we would definitely do that," says Noer.
More info at epwtour.com
