Jacopo Testa is 2022 PWA Freestyle Vice World Champion!
After an incredible display in gnarly Sylt conditions, our freestyle wizard Jacopo Testa made another of his magic, winning a couple of heats and then the final of the PWA Freestyle Double Elimination in Sylt! At the end of the Super Final, only a few tenth of a point separated our Jacopo from winning the World Title. By far Jacopo well deserved his title of PWA Freestyle Vice World Champion, a great reward at the end of this fantastic season! Thanks Jacopo!
“When the going gets tough, the tough gets going!” That’s what Jacopo Testa probably thought in the early morning of Sunday 1st October when the PWA Freestyle Double Elimination was called in action. The sea conditions were what you never want to face when you are going to approach the last heats in your chase to the World Title. The typical gnarly Sylt conditions: strong gusty on-shore wind from 18 to 28 knots, super messy waves with solid chops coming from everywhere, strong current and the classic Sylt shore break always ready to destroy your gear and spit you naked on the beach!
Anyway Jacopo never gave up and started to test the racing field right from the early morning, to be perfectly trimmed and warmed out for the afternoon, when he was supposed to be called in action to defend the challenge for his 3rd place.
And when Yeantel Caers came around 3 PM, knocking on Jacopo’s door, asking for his 3rd place, the Italian was just ready to rock, serving him some of his trademark moves such as Shaka, Burner, Kono, Shoveit Spock, Bongka and a Culo right before the end, allowing Jacopo to win by 4,2 points and start his contention for the second place against Steven Van Broeckhoven.
In the heat for the second place, Steven Van Broeckhoven had a better start, but then Jacopo found the right mood throwing out Burner, Kono and Bongka in a close sequence, and then closing the heat landing an Air Kabikuchi allowing him to advance to the final of the double elimination against Adrien Bosson.
In the Final Bosson started big, but Jacopo followed the path with a one-handed culo and a stylish one-handed burner. Then it comes the time for Jacopo to step it up with an Air Kabikuchi again!
Bosson kept his fight, landing a Kabikuchi followed by a Big Shuvit Spock from Jacopo. Bosson came back to the lead after a Burner 3, but Jacopo came back again into the lead after landing a regular Kono. Bosson fought back with an Air Funnel – Funnel, but then Jacopo landed a sick Spock Culo pretty much planing out of it, and then a good Bongka that allowed Jacopo to head to the Super Final. Jacopo beats Bosson to force the Super Final!
In the men’s Freestyle Super Final sea conditions became even trickier, with more current and an even shorter and messy chop! So Bosson went down attempting his firsts tricks, while Jacopo had a good start landing One Hand Culo, a Burner and one of his trademark radical Shove-it Spock.
But then Jacopo struggled to find the right place to throw and land his tricks and in the meantime Bosson closed a sequence of tricks like Burner 360, Air Funnel 360 and a Pasko!
When Jacopo went down on a Switch Flaka attempt, he was just a few points above Bosson, with a few seconds of the Super Final left. Then Bosson landed a Ponch to finish the heat. End of the Heat. Bosson won the Double, the Event and the World Title, but Jacopo showed to have the skill to beat the new World Champion, and because of a few tenth of a point he well deserved his title of 2022 PWA Freestyle Vice World Champion!
CONGRATULATIONS JAPO,VERY WELL DONE!
