After eight hours of competition in the EFPT Freestyle Pro Tour, one single and double elimination was finished sailed on the last day of the Surf Opening in Neusiedl am See!
We asked our team riders Julian, Lennart and Steven how it was to be back competing again! We congratulate Lennart with a win in the tow in!
Julian Wiemar
Hi Starboard! After 1000 km back to Germany I am home after a nice event!
I prepared for the event in Bonaire for a few weeks, but I decided to make sure that I sailed in cold water home in Germany before the event. I know Austria would be cold, so I wanted to get used to using boots. The event did not go really well for me, as I finished 13th place. I am not happy with that, but it was so good to get back to competition mode and meet everyone. I felt a bit rusty in the beginning after 2 years without competing. In 2019 I injured myself, that is why it’s been almost 2 years for me.
We did a corona tests every day, so it felt pretty safe to do this event.
I used my iGnite 93 with my 5.2 and 4.8. That was a really good combo for me as I have used it a lot on Bonaire before the event. If I could have done anything different in my heats I wish I had time to take my 4.8 instead of sailing with my 5.2. So I was definitely on the wrong sail size, which makes it harder. The heats were super close, but unlucky I did not win it.
My plan for the upcoming weeks is to get ready for the next events and handle my nerves better while competing. I also keep working with the Rookies camp before every EFPT event. I think this is amazing to inspire the next generation and get more young kids into freestyle.
Lennart Neubauer
Before the event I prepared a lot! I did hours of physical training to be fit for long heats. Winning the Tow In event was really cool, but getting 6th place in the regular freestyle was even cooler! It shows that I can really fight with the best guys on tour now. After such a long time, my nerves were really under control. I was so relaxed and I had nothing to loose in my heats, so I think that helped me to climb in the double elimination.
I did around 10 corona tests, definitely not my favorite part, but I would definitely do it again to be able to compete. There was no crowd, but I liked that, as I could be in my own zone, stay calm and relaxed. Not a lot of action going on, just focusing on my own sailing. I used my 5.2 and iGnite 93 liter in all my heats. I feel like the iGnite is perfect! It is very durable, so if you have to, you can go with just one board on travels. The iGnite 93 works amazing with small and big sails. For me it is the best board, as it is super fast and has amazing double pop. Even for people not on a high level freestyle, it’s just the best board to progress on. It’s a board with a lot of stability!
My plan for the next weeks is to train a lot in the gym and bike around the island in Naxos. With the price money I got I want to buy a new bike! For the next EFPT I hope to show my progress! This 6th place was great, even though I only lost the battle for 5th place with 0,02 points. In the overall EFPT I want to finish in the top 6. This event was a motivation boost! In the PWA I really want to get a top 10 result.
Steven van Broeckhoven
In the winter time I spend most weeks in Tarifa. It’s a great place to mix freestyle and foiling. I have been focusing a lot on the iQ FOiL lately, but when I had the chance I trained freestyle. I got some sessions in to tune my new sails to be ready for the event. The contest was fun, but I was scared about the wind, as it was not much before the last day. I decided to not do the tow-in because I can not risk getting injured before the iQFOiL event in Garda, Italy in May. Once the wind kicked in, the conditions were really tricky, so I am pretty happy about my 7th place. My main goal was to have fun during my heats! If I enjoy my sailing I perform better! I used my 5.2 on my iGnite 93! This board is the one I can use for all conditions, and it’s amazing for my power moves in light wind! The iGnite is a really good freestyle board, but also a cool bump and jump freeride board, since it’s really easy and goes fast!
For the next weeks I will prepare myself to compete in the iQFOiL event in Garda!
All photos by EFPT/AALVAA Media/Surfworldcupaut
