Flashback Friday | Break the Surface: Vieste 2023

It’s Friday again – you know what that means! Each week, Flashback Friday dives into the Freestyle Pro Tour archives, releasing exclusive episodes of Break the Surface to give fans a behind-the-scenes look at the evolution of freestyle windsurfing. From epic battles to game-changing innovations, these episodes show the moments that defined the tour and shaped the sport.

Midway through the 2023 season, the tour returned to Vieste on Italy’s stunning Gargano peninsula for the biggest event of the year. With Lennart Neubauer wearing the Yellow Tour Leader Lycra, riders arrived excited to return to a town that had delivered unforgettable conditions in 2022.

This edition was historic: FoilStyle was now an official competition on the tour, following a trial in 2022. In this episode, riders explain what FoilStyle is, where it came from, and how quickly it’s growing — opening opportunities for competition in lighter wind conditions.

Many arrived early for warm-up sessions, but when the wind picked up, they jumped straight back onto traditional fins, ready to show off their freestyle skills.

The action kicked off with the FoilStyle single elimination. Tim Gerdes impressed early, but the finals quickly became a showdown between Yentel Caers and Lennart Neubauer. Moves were traded back and forth, with Yentel ultimately landing a perfect Pasko to take the win in the single elimination

A light breeze forced a layday for the double elimination, but the show didn’t stop — riders took to the water for a Tow-In session in front of Vieste’s scenic coastline, delivering big sends, high-flying moves, and thrilling crashes. When the wind returned the next day, the double elimination went ahead, and confidence levels were higher than ever. Caers and Neubauer met once more in the finals, with Yentel taking the victory by once again stomping another perfect Pasko, cementing his name in the history books as the first ever FPT Foilstyle event winner.

The women’s freestyle single elimination was also completed during light wind conditions on the last day. Maaike Huvermann took out Lisa Kloster in a dramatic final that had to be restarted after gear changes, claiming the win in front of an enthusiastic crowd.

Vieste 2023 showcased the potential of FoilStyle to transform even the lightest of conditions into a competitive playground — an early glimpse of the discipline’s exciting future on the tour.

Next week on Flashback Friday: FoilStyle returns alongside a massive Tow-In showdown in Geneva — don’t miss it!