Tow-In Funnel Fiesta Kicks Off the Action | FPT Naxos Day 1 Recap

Straight from the banks of Lake Geneva to the sunny shores of Naxos, the Freestyle action doesn’t stop!

After a lively session on Day 0 that reunited the freestyle family at Flisvos Sport Club Naxos, the 2025 Freestyle Pro Tour Naxos officially got underway. The event site was buzzing from early morning as riders gathered for registration under blue skies and blazing sun, with 44 competitors signing up to take part in the season finale.

Despite a strong 4.8 wind in the lagoon the day before, the first official day of competition brought completely calm conditions. Still, that’s never a problem on the Freestyle Pro Tour — no wind simply means it’s Tow-In time. With the forecast looking light for the coming days, the decision was made to dive straight into the men’s Tow-In qualification rounds.

The atmosphere was relaxed and full of energy. Riders mingled on the beach after registration, catching up after a long summer of events, while others passed time with table tennis matches and coffees in the sun. As the skipper’s meeting wrapped up, the lagoon began to fill with boards, sails and spectators — ready for the first show of the week.

With over 30 riders on the start list, Day 1 saw two qualifying rounds, each packed full of new faces and a handful of familiar names. For many of the riders, this was their first taste of Tow-In competition, and with the crowd cheering every attempt from the shore, the vibe was all about pushing limits and having fun. Some massive crashes drew applause while smooth Air Funnels and Burners from the more experienced competitors set the standard for the rest to follow.

In Qualifier 1, Italy’s Jacopo Testa and Japan’s Takumi Moriya delivered as expected, showing flawless consistency to comfortably advance into the next round. Eugenio Marconi brought the heat too, throwing a huge Air Cana Brava off the wave, easily one of the biggest moves of the day. Alex Halank, who made the long trip from Australia to Greece for his Freestyle Pro Tour debut, impressed right away with an Air Funnel Funnel and a clean Burner off the wave, securing his place in the semifinals.

Qualifier 2 saw some serious action from the newcomers. Polish rookie Tomek Wyrzykowski took the spotlight with the highest-scoring move of the day — a huge Double Air Funnel worth 7.33 points — proving that he’s one to watch for the future. Nicolo Ippindo, Kiril Kirilov, Jakub Felman, Pier Bongianni, and Michi Chech also secured their tickets to the semifinals after consistent performances.

Among the day’s most memorable moments was French rider Julien Join, who decided to take a page from Balz “Radiculo” Müller’s playbook by showing up with a foil for his Tow-In runs. His commitment to innovation drew massive cheers from the crowd, perfectly capturing the freestyle spirit that defines the tour.

At the end of the day, the advancing riders were as follows:

Qualifier 1:
Alex Halank
Takumi Moriya
Jacopo Testa
Eugenio Marconi
Pawel Szulc
Rafal Curylo

Qualifier 2:
Tomek Wyrzykowski
Nicolo Ippindo
Kiril Kirilov
Jakub Felman
Pier Bongianni
Michi Chech

With both qualification rounds wrapped up, the focus now shifts to Day 2, where conditions will once again dictate the plan. If the wind stays light, the Tow-In semifinals will take center stage — bringing in some of the sport’s biggest names like Yentel Caers, Foivos Tsoupras, Leander Halm, and freshly crowned Tow-In World Champion Lennart Neubauer. Should a light breeze kick in, Foilstyle could also make its long-awaited return.

Either way, the week is off to a strong start in Naxos. With over 40 riders, clear skies, and the unique energy of Flisvos Watersports behind the event, the 2025 Freestyle Pro Tour season finale has officially begun — and it’s only getting started.

Stay tuned to @freestyleprotour for all updates, info and behind-the-scenes coverage from the event site.