Caers, Huvermann and Pezetti Win in Full-Power Freestyle Conditons | FPT Sardinia Day 4 Recap

Three single eliminations. Morning till sundown action. Standout performances across every division. Day 4 at FPT Sardinia delivered a full dose of high-wind freestyle, with Juniors, Women, and Men’s fleets all completing full eliminations under the blasting winds.

From the first skippers’ meeting held in the early morning, it was clear we were in for a day full of action in Porto Pollo . With 25+ knot winds sweeping through the event site, conditions allowed for the completion of a full single elimination across all three divisions, making it by far the most action packed day of the event.

JUNIORS – NEW NAMES, BIG MOVES

The Juniors fleet kicked things off in style, showcasing the incredible level of both local and international talent rising through the ranks. Cosmo Pezetti and Pier Bongianni both quickly established themselves as forces to be reckoned with. The two close friends both ripped through their sides of the elimination bracket, with Pezetti stomping a No-Handed Burner in his semi-final heat against Leander Halm (Severne / Starboard) to secure the first position in the finals. Pier came out swinging in his heat against local talent Ercole Rosso-Chioso (WeOne) who came out with a barrage of Punetas and Flakas, and rounding out his performances with multiple big Ponches on the outside. However Bongianni was out for blood, going for huge Burners and Culos to establish a strong foundation in his heat, before sealing the deal with a Kabikuchi right in front of the judges tower – which the crowd absolutely loved.

The finals between Pezetti and Bongianni was a showdown of two close friends, as the two riders spend a lot of time sailing and training together. Both filled out their scoresheets with an impressive diversity of moves The final heat came down to a very close battle with Pier seemingly coming out on top – but a penatly for doing a move outside of the competition area cost him the heat win by 1.2 points – with Pezetti claiming the win in the end after an intense 15-minute wait as judges calculated scores and left both riders on edge until the last moment.

In the end, the podium shaped up as follows:

🥇 Cosmo Pezetti
🥈 Pier Bongianni
🥉 Ercole Rosso-Chioso

WOMEN’S FLEET – THE DAWN OF FUTURE SUPERSTARS

The women’s fleet also delivered tight battles and dynamic variety. Tour leader Maaike Huvermann (Sevenre) proved unstoppable once again, throwing down multiple massive Spock Konos and flawless Shove-It Spocks on her way to victory. Behind her, Ziva Batis (WeOne / GunSails) impressed with Grubbies, Flakas, and Spocks, particularly in her very strong semi-final heat, where she did not put a foot wrong and held off a strong challenge from Bijou Shahmirian (Starboard / Severne), who pushed hard, came close to sticking several moves and kept the heat alive until the final buzzer.

We also got a glimpse into the future of women’s freestyle, as Bianca Sotille and Holly Halm – the youngest competitors on tour – stepped up to compete in the Pro Women’s division. Both showed serious promise, delivering consistency with their moves, despite both only being in their early teens.

The women’s fleet podium shaped up as follows:

🥇 Maaike Huvermann
🥈 Ziva Batis
🥉 Bijou Shahmirian

MEN’S FLEET – LEGENDS VS LOCALS

The Men’s fleet was a true showcase of what the FPT Proving Grounds series is all about: local talent going head-to-head with European heavyweights.

After not participating in the Tow-In on Day 3, Steven van Broeckhoven (WeOne / GunSails) came back flying, landing a huge Shaka Flaka against Matteo Righetti (JP / NeilPryde) – who started the heat off with a massive yard sale, losing his gear on a Shaka attempt. Next up for Steven was Sardinia local and Tow-In runner-up Rossel Bertoldo – what followed was one of the most exciting heats of the day, with both sides throwing out huge moves, with Van Broeckhoven just narrowly edging out in front by 0.5 points and reaching the semifinals.

Jacopo Testa (WeOne / GunSails) comfortably won his first two heats, the second one being against fellow Sardinia local and Youth and Juniors runner-up Pier Bongianni without much trouble, bringing out some of the biggest moves of the day with Paskos, backloops and insane Shove-It Spock Spocks.

On the other side of the elimination bracket, the biggest roars from the crowd came for Stefano Lorioli. At 50 years old, the Sardinia local was on a charge, delivering some of the standout moves of the day, stomping huge Futures and double pop moves in front of the judges’ tower, taking down Youth and Juniors winner Cosmo Pezetti on his way to secure a spot in the semifinals against Yentel Caers

Caers himelf moved through the draw like a machine. He took down local Genazzani and Tow-In finalist Maarten Moolenaar (WeOne / GunSails), then moved past Lorioli without much trouble, sealing the heat with a last-minute 8.1 point Shifty, setting up a huge final between himself and Jacopo Testa.

THE FINAL – CAERS VS TESTA

The final delivered everything you’d expect from two of the sport’s top riders. Testa fed off the energy of the home crowd, opening with Double Culos, a big Air Kabikuchi, and another Shove-It Spock Spock.

But Caers didn’t blink. In classic Yentel fashion, he fired out some of the biggest moves we had seen during the entire day, answering with an Air Funnel Burner, multiple Double Culos and a 7.4 rated Air Bob Culo, putting together a near-perfect 40 point heat that proved too strong even for a fired-up Testa – seizing the win in the end.

The men’s podium looked as follows:

🥇 Yentel Caers
🥈 Jacopo Testa
🥉 Steven van Broeckhoven

WHAT’S NEXT?

Even though the event in Sardina has wrapped up, the action won’t be put on hold for long, The next FPT stop for the Men’s fleet is right around the corner, with the competition on the Greek island of Paros coming up in just 3 weeks, running from June 29th to July 2nd.

Stay tuned for more freestyle action, coming your way very soon!