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TEAM NEWS: BASTIEN ESCOFET’S JOURNEY IN LEUCATE

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Wing

30 april 2025 0

Our team rider, who competed in two disciplines, shares how he climbed onto the podium in Freefly-Slalom.

Bastien Escofet truly put on a show in Leucate, bringing the full intensity we know from him in Surf-Freestyle. The height and amplitude of his jumps are his trademark—a spectacular style that once again helped him shine at the opening World Cup stop of the Surf-Freestyle tour during the Mondial du Vent in Leucate. He reached the semi-finals in a competition made epic by ideal conditions. Right after that performance, he immediately jumped into Freefly-Slalom. He tells us:

“The competition in Leucate was intense with Surf-Freestyle and Freefly-Slalom running back-to-back. I only had one hour between my last freestyle heat and my first slalom heat! Given that, I had a hard time getting into rhythm in the first round (though I still finished 5th). But once I got going, I quickly felt comfortable on my gear. I was riding the Racer FSP Pro 5’3 with a Ypra Race 112 setup and Droid SP Aramid CZ.”

Wingfoilers: Francesco and Bastien, GONG Team Riders, with the Racer FSP Pro, Ypra Race setup, and Droid SP Aramid CZ. Photo: GWA.

A Real Test in Ever-Changing Conditions

“We had a wide range of conditions and were on the water every day of the comp. For the first two eliminations, we had strong Tramontane winds, using wings between 3.5 and 4.0.

The next day, an onshore sea breeze came in with growing swell throughout the day—I used wings from 4.5 to 5.0. The sea state made the course very technical, especially with a pumping section where we’d catch the swell and often end up riding on the back of a wave. So, staying sharp was essential.

On day three, conditions were a bit of a surprise, with a thermal onshore wind showing up late in the afternoon. I used wings from 5.5 to 6.0. The course remained technical, with seaweed adding to the challenge.”

Defending the Top Two Spots

“I was already qualified for the four-man grand final, sitting second overall just behind my team mate Francesco. It’s great to be guaranteed a spot in the final, but also tricky, as the others had just run more heats on that same course. We entered the final a bit ‘cold’ compared to the challengers—and it all came down to a single race.

I played it safe at the start, worried about a false start. I was in second behind Francesco, but lost a spot during a foot switch at the start of the pumping section. Still, I’m really happy with this 3rd place to kick off the season! Especially with how we managed the qualifying heats in those tough conditions.

It’s a big confidence boost to have been out front in such a mix of scenarios. I can’t wait to build on this performance at the next stops of the tour!”

Wingfoiler: Bastien, GONG team rider, with a Racer FSP Pro, an Ypra Race setup and a Droid SP Aramid CZ.