FPT Cape Town: Lennart Neubauer dominates the single elimination on flat water, tomorrow the contest moves to the open sea

The unique format of this event sets it apart from the rest of the tour: the single elimination takes place on flat water (at the small lake called Rietvlei), allowing competitors to show off their pure freestyle skills, while the double elimination is moved to the open sea, where jump ramps push the boundaries of air and power moves. This mix attracts a variety of competitors, from traditional freestylers to those who are more enthusiastic about the wave discipline.

In the single elimination, pure freestyle skills were required

The first round took place on flat water and the freestylers gave it their all. The young Italian competitors made a strong impression in the early rounds and showed their skill and determination, with almost all of them finishing in joint fifth place. Among them, Cosmo Pezzetti stood out with a flawlessly executed no-handed burner. Another rising star making waves was Greece's Manolis Chrysopoulos, who showed an impressive repertoire of technical moves and landed complex combos with precision. His consistency and versatility secured him an impressive fourth place in the single elimination.

Lennart Neubauer, Jacopo Testa and Jamie Howard were all in contention for podium places

The battle for the podium places was intense, with Britain's Jamie Howard, Italy's Jacopo Testa and Greece's Lennart Neubauer proving to be the standout flatwater performers on Saturday. Howard's signature air scopus and powerful style earned him third place, while Testa and Neubauer had a thrilling showdown in the final. Neubauer executed perfectly timed spock-conos on both sides, showing strategic skill against Testa, who is known for his explosive spock combinations. Although Testa fought back with impressive moves, some costly mistakes in the final moments allowed Neubauer to capitalise by delivering a clean and varied heat to take first place in the end.

The double elimination will take place tomorrow on the open sea

On the second day of the competition, the riders will face the powerful conditions of the open sea, located directly opposite the lake, at the iconic Doodles beach in Blouberg. This spot has produced some of the best freestyle wave crossovers in the past: jumps such as double forwards will come into play against the waves and classic tricks will be performed between the waves on the way back - the combination of these will result in the overall score. With a strong freestyle fleet in the mix, expectations are rising for a spectacle of high-flying, radical action.