2023 EFPT Geneva, Day 1 - Appetisers at tropical corner
by Freestyle Pro Tour 4 Oct 2023 22:02 BST
Foivos Tsoupras was not holding back, despite it only being a practice session this afternoon! - 2023 EFPT Geneva, Day 1 © Protography Official
The wind teases but does not deliver on the first day of the 2023 EFPT Geneva. The gathered crowds still got treated to some appetisers of what's to come this weekend as the riders warmed up on both fin and foil.
With a diverse fleet of both Tow-in and Foilstyle specialists, the skyline of the Swiss capital got garnished by the likes of local Balz Muller (Severne), tour leader Yentel Caers (JP/NeilPryde) and defending tow-in champion Lennart Neubauer (Starboard/Severne/Maui Ultra Fins).
An early start marked the opening of the 2023 edition of the EFPT Geneva. With a promising forecast for wind from the north, everyone was on their feet as the sun was rising, anxiously hoping to get a Foilstyle result today. After registration and the skippers meeting, all eyes were on the horizon to assess the incoming windline. As soon as it arrived athletes sprinkled onto the water and quickly discovered that the weather model predictions did not materialise. Soon enough the riders were back on hold and looking for other ways to entertain the crowds.
With a minimal amount of wind still present, the call was made to give Tow-in Foilstyle a go. Marrying together the two disciplines resulted in some spectacular action right at the beachfront. Yentel Caers decided to attempt giving a haircut to his fellow competitors by almost landing on the dock. Tim Gerdes (Severne) innovated and started regular ducking after releasing the tow row to then attempt a few Culo's. In the end he got the hang of them and was impressively landing straight back onto his board. We've seen lots of Pasko's as well, but the most impressive move must have been the perfectly executed Cana Brava by Lennart Neubauer.
When the wind dropped down, it was time to give the classic Tow-in a chance. With the infamous wakeboat at their disposal, the riders didn't waste a single second in creating some carnage. Foivos Tsoupras (Duotone/Maui Ultra Fins) almost managed to control one of the craziest No Handed Burners ever seen in Tow-in, but ended up folding over the mast in a gnarly crash. We also saw Anina Heimoz making her first ever Tow-in attempts, while Lucie Honegger (Severne) was getting back into the rhythm she found in Vesoul. Brits George Grisley (Duotone) and Jamie Howard (Severne) also made sure to get in tune with the bigger wave, with Howard landing what can only be described as a Tow-in Shifty. After mistiming the wave, the englishman got thrown backwards, but masterfully managed to recover into a Burner-like rotation and stomping the move without wetting his hair.
With the sun setting, everyone is now strategising for the first Tow-in qualification tomorrow. Make sure to tune in to the Livestream at 17:00 CET tomorrow, to be the first to know who qualifies for the final on Saturday!