The 2024 European Freestyle title is on the line this week at the FPT Naxos. With an incredible forecast and an equally stacked fleet the upcoming 5 days are shaping up to be going straight for the freestyle discipline history books. The final event of the 2024 season is taking place from the 16th to the 20th of October. With insufficient winds earlier this year in Vieste, the European Freestyle title is still wide open.
The Men
The overall FPT title is currently led by Jacopo Testa, with Lennart Neubauer in close second and Niclas Nebelung in third after a thrilling season opener in Cape Town. Neubauer will be one to watch this week as the competition is taking place on his home turf. The Greek just became World Champion 2 weeks ago, and will be eager to defend his European Championship title from 2023 as well in front of his home crowds.
The location of the event also brings a host of local Greek riders into competition. Having been spotted on the internet, training with Lennart and throwing down some big moves, these riders will surely shake up the ladder. Considering that the heat area is in a starboard tack jumping spot, a configuration not often found in competition, means that local experience will be hugely advantageous.
The usual suspects will also be contending for the top spots. Belgians Yentel Caers and Steven Van Broeckhoven both have plenty of experience on starboard tack. Will we see the Double Air Culo from Yentel in a heat?
Takumi Moriya, Bodhi Kempen, Tim Gerdes, Jamie Howard and Dieter Van der Eyken, George Grisley, Kiri Thode, Rafael de Windt, Meiky Wieczorek, or Eugenio Marconi are also present, and will be tough draws in the competition.
The are also some new riders entering the competition. Names like Leander Halm, Cosmo Pezzetti, Piero Rautnik and many more will be looking to impress and gain competition experience.
The Women
The women’s fleet is top notch in Naxos. With 8 women signed up, the usual suspects of Maaike Huvermann and Lisa Kloster will be heading up the fleet. However, joining them will be upcoming talents like Bijou Shahmirian, Ziva Batis and Yvet van der Molen. Batis will be making her debut on the tour, along with Linda Mankova. Elena Dominick and Melina Vingaard Schutt have both picked up some experience at previous events and are set to further their competitive campaign.
Elimination Ladder Men – Naxos 2024
With the 2024 FPT Naxos coming up soon, let’s take a look back to the last time the tour visited the Greek island of Naxos! Watch how Steven Van Broeckhoven took the event win there 15 years ago!
Blast from the Past – 2009 EFPT Naxos