Let the season begin
The 2022 freestyle season has officially started. The Freestyle Pro Tour (FTP) just finalised its first event at Lake Neuseedl in Austria, and the Severne team occupied podium positions in both the women’s and men’s fleets.
FREESTYLE SEASON KICK-OFF
With a five day holding period, the action commenced on day two in the early hours of the day. A 7 am start was followed by a full day of action, all the way until 5 pm. The competition crew managed to make it through a single and most of a double elimination.
With winds being on the light side and patchy at places, tactics and consistency made the competition even more tight than usual, while also favouring the slightly lighter riders.
On the women’s side, we saw many new faces come up against the 2021 European Freestyle champion Maaike Huvermann on the chocolate lake in Austria. The flatter water of the lake allowed for easier sliding moves for most girls making the competition even tougher for Maaike.
However, with a combination of both sliding and some power moves Maaike showed the consistency needed to make her way to the top to claim the victory in the single elimination to keep her winning strike going on the EFPT.
On the men’s side, we saw a whole new host of upcoming talents climbing up the ranks.
In the single elimination the most outstanding performance must have been from full Severne rider Jamie Howard from the UK who impressed the judges with his amazing pop despite the light wind conditions to score the highest heat total of round 2. In the process, he took down Adrien Bosson before tweaking his knee on his last move in that same heat. This made it difficult for Jamie to repeat this performance further in the event.
Gear used; Freek 4.8 , Psycho 92
The winds remained on the lighter side for the quarter finals. Being one of the heavier riders on tour, the 2021 winning streak of Amado Vrieswijk came to an end as he narrowly missed out on a spot in the semi finals. With stronger winds in his first heat of the double elimination Amado was able to perform closer to his full potential, scoring the highest heat total of the event with 32,52 points.
Making it back on the podium for the first time since 2015 was Dieter Van der Eyken who put down a solid performance to start his 2022 Freestyle campaign. After passing the quarter finals against teammate Jamie Howards, Dieter got the machine fired up for his last two heats with a brilliant performance in the loser final to grab 3rd in the single elimination and eventually 3rd for the opening event of the season.
Gear used; Freek 5.2, Psycho 102
During the double elimination, we saw an upcoming rider from Netherlands Bohdi Kempen put down some solid heats to confirm his spot in the top 16 before being stopped by local hero and comeback king of the double elimination; Michael Czech.
Michael Czech might have been the outstanding sailor of the double elimination to fight himself all the way up to shared 7th place after showing immense consistency throughout all of his heats.
Gear used;
– Bodhi Kempen – Freek 5.2, Psycho 92
– Michael Czech – Freek 4.4, Psycho 82
Local hero Michael Czeck at Lake Neusiedl
Congratulations to all the team for their excellent performance. The next stop of this year’s Freestyle Pro Tour will be Vieste in Italy from the 9 to the 12th of June. You can follow all of the latest info on this year’s tour by visiting https://efpt.net/
More Severne news
OBX-WIND 2023 – another memorable event
Located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, USA, OBX-WIND is steadily making its mark as a prominent event in the United States.
Matteo Iachino claims second World Title – the interview
The recent PWA world tour stop in Japan brought the full spectrum to the table; good action, crashes, ups, and downs, drama, you name it.
The end result brought Severne rider Matteo Iachino his second PWA World Title, but the circumstances brought controversy and doubts.
SARA WENNEKES WINS THE DEFI WIND St. Tropez
A whole new event was added to the windsurfing world this week – the Defi Wind “Les Ailes de St. Tropez” aka LAST. And Severne rider Sara Wennekes snagged herself yet another victory.
We caught up with Sara Wennekes to get her insights into the event, and to shoot a little interview.
WATER NOMADS NEW ZEALAND – LOCATION FEATURE
Don’t battle the airlines or travel with all your gear halfway around the world; Water Nomads has premium SEVERNE gear for all your needs and dreams available. Pack the car or camper and go on a windsurfing road trip like back in the good old days, If you want a bit more guidance, join one of the legendary Surfari Trips for an introduction to the best spots this country offers. Your time on the water is Water Nomads mission!
PAROS WINDSURF BY PAROS KITE – LOCATION FEATURE
Welcome to Paros Windsurf, a renowned Windsurfing and Kiteboarding World Tours destination and an exceptional training spot for kitesurfing, windsurfing, and wingfoiling all year round. The beach boasts a lengthy, shallow-watered shoreline with a sandy bottom, making it an ideal location for kitesurfers and windsurfers of all skill levels.
MAAIKE HUVERMANN AND LENNART NEUBAUER ARE THE NEW EUROPEAN FREESTYLE CHAMPIONS
MULTI-YEAR WINNING STREAK FOR TEAM SEVERNE AND THE FREEK FREESTYLE SAIL
With a promising forecast On hand and two European freestyle champions to be awarded, the Freestyle Pro Tour assembled a grand final event in Brouwersdam, Netherlands.
AN INJURY UPDATE WITH PHILIP KOSTER
In the world of windsurfing, few names are as remarkable as Philip Köster. With an impressive five Windsurfing Wave World Championships to his name, he’s not just a champion; he’s a legend of the sport.
However, even legends face challenges, and Philip Köster currently battles through one of the biggest injuries of his career.
Severne is happy to present an exclusive interview with Philip to delve deeper into the world of an incredible athlete, and his recovery journey.
TWS EL MEDANO – LOCATION FEATURE
Located in the southwestern part of Tenerife, in the windsurfing paradise of El Medano, Tenerife Windsurf Solution (TWS) stands as the ultimate destination for windsurfing enthusiasts. As a windsurf-focused rental center, they bring you a premier experience like no other.
A WINDSURF UNIVERSITY CLINIC IN KARPATHOS, GREECE WITH ODA JOHANNE
Two legends of the women’s windsurf scenery, SEVERNE rider Oda Johanne, and multiple world champion Sarah-Quita have teamed up to host an exhilarating windsurf clinic in Karpathos, Greece. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a curious beginner, this post will give you an exclusive peek into the world of windsurfing clinics.