EFPT Lanzarote 2017 – Jacopo Testa wins

Jacopo Testa wins the 2017 EFPT event in Lanzarote. The Italian, who won the first double elimination but had an early drop out in the second single elimination, was winning 9 heats in a row in the 2nd double elimination and made the impossible possible winning the 2017 EFPT event in Lanzarote in an exciting sail-off against Steven van Broeckhoven.

The spot Las Cucharas once again provided great conditions and Costa Teguise in Lanzarote is definitely a great spot for all freestyle windsurfers, who like to slide and jump at one spot.

We had a quick chat with Jacopo

How was the event?  This was my biggest victory. The event was epic! The conditions were nice and the event was well organized. It was really nice to be there as always.

Did you celebrate hard? Yeah, we celebrated. It was fun in the night. I don’t remember how long it went, maybe till 4.00 o’clock in the morning.

What did you do differently compared to the other riders? I think the difference made the moves maybe. I did more sliding combinations than power moves.

You are in Pozo for the first time. What do you expect? I am really excited. My heart is going like crazy. I just want to fun.

Result EFPT Lanzarote 2017

1. Jacopo Testa
2. Steven van Broeckhoven
3. Yentel Caers

Jacopo Testa wins against Steven van Broeckhoven (Photo: Eric Bellande/EFPT)

The EFPT Lanzarote final day

With the third day of the competition and the remaining heats of the second double elimination, came new chances, yet also disappointments. With a slightly lighter forecast than yesterday, the pick of gear was between 4.8s – 5.2s and the 90lt freestyle boards.

Still having the chance of winning the event, by sailing his way back up in the double elimination, all eyes were on Jacopo Testa. Testa was sailing eight heats in a row, taking out Wiemar, Riccardo Marca, Loick Spicher, Giovanni Passani and Tonky Frans  to then face Yentel Caers, Sam Esteve and Steven van Broeckhoven in the final heats. The Italian was dispatching one by one by landing Spock Culos, Kabikuchis one-handed, Bongkas, Paskos, super high one handed Burners, Push loops, Shove-it double Spocks and regular Chachos in pretty much every heat. In the first two heats of the day Jacopo didn’t even get his hair wet.

Yentel Caers was putting an a great fight against Testa, landing a big Shaka, a perfect double Culo, a Pasko and a perfect Burner 360 – just to name a few moves – but the decision favored the Italian 5:0 in the end.

Testa also advanced over the young French sailor Sam Esteve in the battle for second position, who landed some decent moves in on starboard tack, yet had no chance on port tack, whilst Testa used the ramps for big jumping tricks.

Steven Van Broeckhoven, who won the EFPT Lanzarote in 2016 and who is the current European Freestyle Champion, was the only one to beat Testa in the final of the second double elimination. Van Broeckhoven was going through all his moves with a lot of power and threw a Burner into Burner, a Shaka Flaka with a really high second pop, a high Pasko and a radical Culo360. This victory made Van Broeckhoven the winner of the second double elimination. Since Testa won the first double elimination, the riders were sent out onto the water again for the sail-off that would decide everything!

By that time Testa already looked a bit tired, yet he could convince the judges with a Spock Culo, a Shove-it double Spock, a Bongka and a regular Chacho plus a Lazy Susan both within the last minute of the heat. Those were also the moves that finalized the decision in the end.

After sailing nine heats in a row, Jacopo Testa therefor took overall victory in the EFPT Lanzarote 2017, with Steven Van Broeckhoven on second and Yentel Caers on third place. Congrats to all winners!

The top 3 winners in Lanzarote 2017: 1. Jacopo Testa, 2. Steven van Broeckhoven, 3. Yentel Caers (Photo: Eric Bellande/EFPT)

Jacopo Testa loops to the victory (Photo: EFPT)

Jacopo Testa slides through a regular Chacho (Photo: Eric Bellande/EFPT)