Summer is officially over - the Freestyle Pro Tour is back in competition! The first day of the FPT event in Geneva began under blue skies and calm wind conditions - the perfect backdrop for a relaxed morning of registration, sticker sticking, photos and the usual pre-event logistics. The riders gradually arrived at the venue over the course of the day and prepared their equipment for an action-packed weekend on Lake Geneva.
Foilstyle fleet ready for the start
The afternoon skippers meeting gave an outlook for the coming days, the Foilstyle fleet was briefed and prepared for Thursday's promising forecast. All eyes are on the weather window that is due to open in the late morning, with expected conditions of light winds around 12-15 knots - ideal for Foilstyle. The action is due to start at 11:00, with a livestream broadcast throughout the day.
Towards the evening, the sundowner tow-in session started, which has now become a tradition at this event. With mirror-smooth water and warm light pouring over the lake, the riders started their tow-in training and attracted an enthusiastic crowd along the shore. The evening training session quickly became a crowd-puller as the athletes showed off their moves.
Yentel Caers in a class of its own
At the helm was none other than Yentel Caers, the new world champion and winner of last year's event, who had no problem picking up where he left off. Within minutes he was back, performing massive triple air rotations - the same move that won him the victory last year in the very first training session of the event. Nobody puts on a show in the tow-in as impressively as Caers, who set the bar high for the competition in the training session.
Another eye-catcher was Tigo Kort, who looked highly focussed and confident. Kort landed almost everything he attempted - from clean double funnels on flat water to a bold attempt at a double air culo. His consistency and versatility made him one of the most impressive riders of the session. Bodhi Kempen also impressed with a perfect pasko, having already announced this move earlier on the beach. He made it look so effortless that it earned applause from the riders watching on the dock. Kempen remained consistent throughout the session and delivered big moves, landing almost all of them - with the pasko being the absolute highlight.
Neubauer struggles with teething problems
Not everyone got the start they had hoped for. Lennart Neubauer, Newly crowned Sylt winner and one of the most technically skilled riders in the Tour, admitted that he felt "pretty rusty" after a long break from the discipline. Nevertheless, he did not hesitate to recognise Yentel's impressive performance: "He looks like the man to beat." Despite his self-critical assessment, Neubauer remains one of the favourites for the competition as the defending champion and will certainly do everything he can to get back into top form before the actual competition.
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