Freestyle Pro Tour Sardinia - Day 3
by Freestyle Pro Tour 7 Jun 15:17 PDT
Day 3 marked the start of the tow-in action at the 2025 Freestyle Pro Tour stop in Porto Pollo, with two qualification rounds splitting the 12 riders into two groups of six, each providing the top 3 riders with a ticket to the finals at sundown. Riders gave it their all in front of a buzzing crowd at the beach in front of Rupi's Chilling Out, sending their best tricks in a bid to make it through to the much-anticipated final.
The first round saw strong performances across the board, but it was Maaike Huvermann (Severne), Jacopo Testa (WeOne / GunSails), and Rossel Bertoldo who earned the three spots in the finals. Testa set the bar high immediately after stomping a big One-Handed Burner 360 - which the crowd absolutely loved. Bertoldo laid down a clean Burner 360 which wasn't enough to top Testa, but followed it up with a massive Air Skopu in his second run, comfortably placing him at the top of the group. Despite the stacked mixed fleet, Huvermann didn't let off, snatching third with a beautifully claimed Culo on her very last run. Other standout moves included Salome Fourner's perfect Spock, which added flair and variety to the round - even though it wasn't quite enough to progress.
The second round brought fresh drama and big moves. Yentel Caers (JP Australia / NeilPryde) did what he does best - starting the round with a Double Air Burner - which he lightly brushed off as "just a warmup" - and then proceeded to completely smash the scoresheets, securing a 9.67 with a near-perfect Double Air Culo.
Tow-In newcomers Ziva Batis (GunSails) and Bijou Shahmirian (Starboard / Severne) got off to a strong start in their very first tow-in competition, both throwing down Air Funnels in their eliminations.
Maarten Molenaar claimed second after a massive Burner, with the third spot going to local junior talent Ercole Rosso-Chioso who nailed a clean One-Handed Burner that impressed the judges and secured his place in the final.
In classic tow-in fashion, the session saw crashes galore - Fernando Sottile came into a Burner, but had his sail detach mid-air in a dramatic crash. Leander Halm also had a few gnarly crashes with nose catches and massive sends.
As the sun started to set over Porto Pollo, the finals hit the water. The first round was a full-on burner party, with nearly ever rider going for one - and Jacopo Testa took the early lead after once again stomping a One-Handed Burner. Bertoldo stuck a solid Burner 360, and an uncharacteristic crash from Caers left Jacopo Testa in the lead heading into the second round.
Ercole Rosso-Chioso landed a solid burner to start off round 2, followed by an Air Funnell by Molenaar. Huvermann once again brought out a perfect Culo, and Testa upgraded with a perfect Pasko. However the tide of the elimination changed the moment Yentel Caers stepped back into the water - and a perfect 10 for a Double Air Burner followed.
Round 3 was once again quite similar - many Burner attempts, with noone able to top Caers' incredible move from the previous round - until Yentel himself, with the final run of the day, stomped an even cleaner Double Air Burner - scoring an off-the-scales 10.5.
The final tow-in rankings for FPT Sardinia finished as follows:
1. Yentel Caers
2. Rossel Bertoldo
3. Jacopo Testa
4. Maaike Huvermann
5. Ercole Rosso-Chioso
6. Maarten Molenaar
The forecast for the final day of the event finally looks suitable for a proper freestyle competition - with the wind only getting stronger as the day progresses.
The skipper’s meeting is scheduled for 8:00 with a first possible start at 9:00. Stay tuned to our social channels for updates as the competition unfolds throughout the day!