Flashback Friday - Break the Surface: Cape Town & Vieste 2024

Flashback Friday - Break the Surface: Cape Town & Vieste 2024 © Freestyle Pro Tour

Every Friday this summer, we're rewinding the tape to revisit the defining moments of last season. Flashback Friday isn't just about results. It's about reliving the drama, the rivalries, and the evolution of freestyle windsurfing through the eyes of the Freestyle Pro Tour.

This week, we look back at two very different but equally unforgettable stops: the howling winds of Cape Town and the groundbreaking triple-discipline showdown in Vieste.

When the wind roars across the Rietvlei Lake, there's no hiding - every rider needs to bring their biggest moves to the table. Coming into 2024, Lennart Neubauer carried the weight of expectation after his breakout season the year before. But it wasn't going to be a coronation. The fleet was stacked, and the young German Niclas Nebelung wasn't interested in playing supporting role.

The single elimination gave us one of the most intense runs in recent memory. Jamie Howard's rise through the bracket made headlines, only to be stopped by Nebelung, who then went on to take down Neubauer himself — a result that sent shockwaves through the event. On the opposite side, Italian style icon Jacopo Testa was in his element, flowing through heat after heat with his trademark precision. His semi-final against Sam Esteve was a masterclass in style versus style, with Testa ultimately prevailing. The stage was set for a Nebelung-Testa final, where the Italian's experience carried him through to claim the opening win of the season.

Yet the single elimination wasn't the whole story. Neubauer, knocked down but never out, pieced together what he called "one of the best heats of my life" to reclaim third place in the Loser's Final against Sam Esteve, sending a message that he was far from finished.

Then Cape Town did what it always does: threw a curveball. As is tradition in Cape Town, the double elimination shifted from the flatwater conditions of the lake, to the open ocean for a freestyle-wave showdown.. The conditions were light, tricky, and demanded creativity. Riders had to generate speed off the waves, blending freestyle with wave-riding in a hybrid showcase rarely seen in competition. Jamie Howard was one of the first to adapt, drawing cheers as he carved into the swell and found new ways to launch his tricks.

Lisa Kloster, already marked as the women's favorite, proved untouchable. She adjusted seamlessly to the conditions and took the win in commanding fashion.

As the sun dropped, the men's double built towards a showdown between Neubauer and Testa. Lennart clawed his way back through the bracket, looking sharper with every heat, while Testa held his ground at the top. The final was set — Neubauer versus Testa at golden hour. But just as the heat hit the water, the wind fizzled out, leaving the crowd with a cliffhanger ending. The single elimination results stood, and Jacopo Testa walked away with the first trophy of 2024.

From the chaos of Cape Town to the Adriatic calm of Vieste, the tour rolled into Italy with another groundbreaking moment on the horizon. For the first time in history, fin freestyle, foilstyle, and tow-in were all staged at the same event. Three disciplines, one venue, endless possibilities. If Cape Town showed freestyle's raw intensity, Vieste proved its adaptability.

Tow-in kicked things off in dramatic style. In the qualifiying rounds, the world's best threw down in front of thousands of spectators. The qualification round was a barrage of Air Funnel Burners, with riders needing near-perfect execution just to make it through. Greek talent Foivos Tsoupras turned heads with a rare Air Cana Brava, booking his spot in the finals. In the showdown under the lights in Vieste's town center, Bodhi Kempen stomped a flawless Double Culo, while freestyle legend Kiri Thode and Jamie Howard both stuck technically demanding Skopus — no easy feat in tow-in conditions. But the night belonged to Lennart Neubauer, who pulled out something entirely new: a Skopu Funnel. The crowd erupted, the judges agreed, and Lennart claimed victory in true showman style.

Then came Foilstyle, a discipline still young but evolving at lightning speed. 2023 champion Yentel Caers noted how tricks that were once cutting-edge, notably like his foil Pasko from the year before had now become standard weapons in almost every rider's arsenal. The level had jumped again. Steven van Broeckhoven etched his name into history with the first-ever Kabikuchi on foil in competition, but Neubauer had another surprise ready. In the semi-final against Steven, Lennart landed the first-ever Foil Shifty in competition, then repeated the feat in the final against Caers. The move sealed not just the heat but also the event, as Lennart took his second discipline win of the week.

Vieste wasn't only about the established stars. A booming youth and junior fleet showed the sport's future is bright. Local Italians like Cosmo Pezetti, Piero Rautnik, and Fernando Sottile gave glimpses of the next wave of freestyle, making the Spiaggia Lunga beach erupt with excitement. For them, Vieste wasn't just a competition — it was a gateway to the big leagues.

And let's not forget the legends. 2013 World Champion Kiri Thode's return added an extra layer of history and nostalgia to the event. Reflecting on the sport's evolution, he noted how the rise of power moves had made freestyle "much more radical" compared to his early days competing. Yet here he was, mixing it up with the new generation, proving that great style never goes out of fashion.

Unfortunately, the wind never filled in enough to run a traditional freestyle competition, leaving us with results in only the Tow-In and Foilstyle fleets.

By the end of Vieste, one thing was clear: Lennart Neubauer had shaken off Cape Town's sting and established himself as the man to beat in 2024. With wins in tow-in and foilstyle, plus a finals appearance in the fin fleet, he had momentum firmly on his side. Two events in, the Freestyle Pro Tour had already delivered drama worthy of a full season.

Testa reaffirmed his place at the top with a Cape Town victory. Neubauer reinvented himself with new moves and new dominance. Nebelung proved he's a threat to anyone. The women's fleet looked Lisa Kloster's to lose. And the youth scene promised that freestyle's future is already in motion. Cape Town was chaos. Vieste was history. And the 2024 season? It was just getting started.

Make sure to check out previous weeks episodes as well: