EFPT 2021: First event, Jacopo Testa takes second!
With no competition for over a year and a half, the EFPT started the 2021 season at Neusiedl am See. 25 riders competed in the European Freestyle PRO TOUR, and podium again for Point-7!
We had from the POINT-7 BLACK TEAM Jacopo Testa, Taty Frans and Marco Vinante on the P-7 SLASH, where Jacopo scored and amazing 2° place and Taty Frans a great 3° on the Tow-in Session.
Below a great interview to the Champs from Russell Groves, but here first a quick quote from the EFPT:
‘ After eight full hours of competition, the single and the whole double elimination had been finished on the last day of the Surf Opening in Neusiedl am See! The north wind kicked in just like forecasted around lunch time and the first heats were up and running. Jacopo Testa (AV Boards / Point-7), is finally back on tour after several years of absence, and how good it has been to see him back on the water with the EFPT. The Italian was on a winning streak, beating in the semi-final his e- team member Yentel Caers, and could only be stopped from claiming victory by no other than Amado Vrieswijk.’
TWH:- Finally a competition. What were your feelings as you entered your first heat?
JACOPO: It has been a long time without competing and as well as travelling. I have been sailing alone for most of the time, so I was not sure if I would have been ready for top results. In the first heat I was worried to push the level at the highest as I was not sure to land or crash the more complicated moves.
TATY: Yes, finally a competition and it feels good to take part in the first EFPT competition for 2021, I didn’t have any pressure or whatsoever and what more of a matter of luck with the super gusty and shifting wind thru out the heats, and not having the right amount of wind power can be tricky for certain moves
TWH:- With such a long break from competing, was it hard to get back into competition mode?
JACOPO: As I said above the beginning was stressful and full uncertainties, but after the first heat I maned up from having the fear of failing moves, and I started to focus only on the gusts, and at the shape of the water to throw the best matching and biggest move according to that.
TATY: It wasn’t hard to get back to competition mode, my feeling was mostly the wind not in my favour during my heats and to be 90kg with just 4.8 and 101 board was also an issue. but all that is my mistake, to take the wrong sail size because my freestyle equipment is good and i can’t ask for better.
TWH:- You have all been working on the development of the P-7 SLASH, what is it like and what colour do you use and why?
JACOPO: After more than ten years that I do freestyle I’m sure the SLASH is my favourite sail of all times! I like the performance of the sail in any kind of condition, and I love it in black! The top is the best I ever used as it pulls very high in light wind, and the shape of base allows to control the sail even in the hardest conditions.
TATY: The SLASH is an amazing freestyle sail, look on how far we came to make a sail that made Yentel DOUBLE CHAMP, and then we still have the time and the space to improvement and make better for the near future, I am so excited for the adjustment we did that will be soon to be tested. The SLASH available now is easy and it’s a very safe sail for new and old school moves I even use the SLASH for cruising on the foil, it’s light in the hands and I am loving every moment I go out on the water with it, either it is for freestyle or foiling. The colour SLASH I use is the full black it first with the sea colour of the Caribbean and it just pops out the most. BLACK IS BEAUTIFULL baby. hahaha…
TWH:- In the break there has also been a lot of development on the boards, tell us about your boards.
JACOPO: Yes, some brands are doing boards around 210cm and other brands are staying around 220cm. The difference is not much and personally I like the boards that measure around 220cm. I’m using for the second year AVBoards and “the turn” is fitting my style, I love this board! It’s incredibly fast, therefore I can do the moves higher in the air, and the rotation is faster and more radical.
TATY: WEL, THE TAMADO is the name of the FREESTYLE BOARD by FUTURE FLY BOARDS made in VIETNAM, it was in 2020 in the beginning of summer we started working on it and it’s mostly a simple concept of having a freestyle board with good acceleration, fast in speed, easy and safe for any freestyle manoeuvres this is by focus on the right roundness of rails on the exact areas and yes, the balance is also important. I received the prototype in July right before going to SILVAPLANA, after that i had a week in holland drove the 4 different spots with different wind and sea conditions and all 4 places the board was working nicely, THE TAMADO FREESTYLE BOARD is an amazing board I am so happy with the result and having myself doing all the testing and the final product is a success with AMADO just winning the first EFPT in AUSTRIA on the 101 litre and Kiri took the TAMADO board out and placing 9th means that the board is working and we also have a smaller size which is the TAMADO 91. can’t wait for more events.
TWH:- Did you see any change in the level of the riders ? There were some very close heats.
JACOPO: Yes, there were lots of close heats like always. The level has increased a little bit, especially from the younger guys. I was happy to finish second behind Amado and was exciting to win the heat against Yentel for second place, who had won PWA and EFPT in last year competitions, when he was our team with Point-7.
TATY: Not much change in the level, but many new faces which is very much what this sport/discipline need, and I really hope we can get more riders in the near future to join the events, and of course Lennart is one to watch for. JACOPO style and competition level is amazing so glad to have him joining the point7 black team and big Congrats on the 2nd place BRAVOOOOOO.
TWH:- With everything still very uncertain for further competitions, the EFPT have a possible tour of 10 events. What are your thoughts on this?
JACOPO: Yes, everything is very uncertain! We know that an event will happen 30 days before the dates, it’s hard to make plans and to predict how many events will take place but I hope all of them.
TATY: I hope the world can find a way to dominate this COVID19 and what else virus which is coming so that we can at least travel with less restriction to many more country and do more EFPT events. We as sportsman need to be able to connect personal with others to grow this sport more. I am so grateful and thank full to EFPT and the whole team in AUSTRIA that they did the best they could have to make the event possible.
TWH:- How do you think Freestyle will develop ? Are we going to see new moves?
JACOPO: Higher, faster rotations, more combination of moves and more double air moves.
For new rotations I don’t know.
TATY: I don’t think we will see new moves, but I am sure we will see more young new faces in this sport which is more important now. Thank you to the whole POINT7 team.
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