Flashback Friday | Break the Surface: Season 2023 Wrap-up

It’s Friday Again — Flashback Friday is Back!

It’s that time of the week when we rewind and relive some of the most thrilling moments from the Freestyle Pro Tour. Flashback Friday is our chance to dive back into the action, revisit the stories behind the heats, and celebrate the riders who pushed the sport to new levels. This week, we’re wrapping up an unforgettable 2023 season — from Cape Town to Brouwersdam, with Freestyle, Foilstyle, Tow-In and everything in between.

The year kicked off in Cape Town with the first-ever Proving Grounds Series event — an open format where amateurs, freestyle pros, and even wave sailors went head-to-head. Riders battled it out on the flat waters of Rietvlei and the wild waves of the open ocean, with nuclear winds having many riders rigging their 4.0 and 3.6 sails. Wave specialist Marc Paré thrived in familiar conditions, taking victories in both the single and double eliminations, while Pauline Katz dominated the women’s fleet with a powerful double elimination run.

From there, the tour moved to Bonaire – one of the many spiritual homes of freestyle. It was the comeback story of the season as Lennart Neubauer returned after 18 months out due to injury, starting with no seeding and fighting through the entire fleet. He reached the final against local hero Youp Schmit, but it was Schmit who remained untouchable at his homespot, leaving Lennart hungry for more.

Next came Lake Neusiedl, Austria, where Neubauer’s momentum continued. After winning the single elimination over Jacopo Testa, the show shifted with a Syncro Tow-In contest lighting up the beach. But in the double, Yentel Caers stormed back, only to be stopped by Steven van Broeckhoven, setting up a generational final between Steven and Lennart. Neubauer held his nerve to take his first-ever event win — and the coveted yellow tour leader’s lycra.

The German freestyle community took center stage at Fehmarn, where over 50 riders joined the German Freestyle Battles. With an event celebrating the love for Freestyle and the massive community around it, it was Felix Volkhardt and Lina Erpenstein who came out on top, showcasing the depth and full power of the freestyle talent present in Germany.

In Vesoul, France, Tow-In action took over. Yentel Caers secured the men’s victory with his trademark consistency, while Maaike Huvermann made history by winning the first-ever women’s Tow-In competition. Behind Yentel, Duotone teammates George Grisley and Foivos Tsoupras delivered strong performances and took second and third respectively, hinting at what was to come, setting the stage for their title showdown later in the season.

The season then headed to Vieste, Italy, where Foilstyle took the spotlight. After its trial run the year before, it became an official discipline in 2023, and it was Yentel Caers who stamped his authority, landing his Pasko with unmatched consistency to defeat Neubauer in both the single and double. A stunning Tow-In show lit up the beaches in the center of town, and on the final day the women’s freestyle fleet hit the water, with Maaike Huvermann edging out Lisa Kloster for the win.

Geneva, Switzerland hosted the decisive showdown for the Tow-In and Foilstyle titles. Tow-In qualifying delivered the shock of the season as Caers, the ranking leader, was eliminated after two costly crashes. That left the door open for a dramatic fight between Foivos Tsoupras and George Grisley. Grisley rose to the occasion, taking the event win and the overall Tow-In title, while Huvermann stayed rock-solid to claim both the women’s event and European title. With no wind for more Foilstyle heats, the discipline’s first-ever overall crown was awarded to Caers after his dominant performance in Vieste.

The season closed in style at Brouwersdam, Netherlands, another legendary spot for freestyle. Riders had the choice of flat water inside the pool or kickers outside the breakwater, and the stage was set for one last battle. Huvermann sealed her women’s European title early, while in the men’s it was Neubauer versus van Broeckhoven once again. Youth came out on top — Lennart Neubauer claimed the victory and with it, his first-ever European Championship title, closing the season in electric fashion.

The 2023 season proved to be one of the most dynamic in Freestyle Pro Tour history — from the official birth of Foilstyle compoetition, to record-breaking Tow-In performances, comeback stories, and new champions rising to the top.

Next week, we dive headfirst into 2024 with the first two events from Cape Town and Vieste, in what will be the final unreleased episode of Break the Surface. Stay tuned!