WA
1005 posts
Hi Peeps,
We have just returned from the Boards and More, Duotone (Formerly North, ION and Fanatic dealer meetings. This was 5 days of total emersion in all the new gear.
I have heard a lot of rumours and mistruths that are being circulated by other brands and persons with their own agenda's. There are plenty of people who like the "tall poppy" thing, and some who just don't know what is going on.
We have now heard from the CEO himself (Till Eberle) who was at the dealer meeting all week. All rumours were put to rest as we were officially told the entire story and where the new brand was going and what impact it was going to have for us, the retailers, and you, the end users.
FIrstly, pretty much the entire North Kiteboarding team from CEO to shapers, designers, team riders, marketers and everyone that was involved with North kiteboarding has all signed across onto the Duotone brand. The three main designers Ralf Groesel, Ken Winner and Sky Solbach remain committed to ongoing improvement to their respective models.
Duotone are committed to supporting North customers with spare parts and repairs for years to come. ALL Duotone components will be compatible with North ie, bar parts, lines, footstraps and such will of course all be compatible.
ALL model names will remain the same ie Rebel, Neo, Dice, WAM, Nugget, Whip, etc The factories where all the gear is made, have not changed. Same materials, same factories, same quality.
There is however a change; the name. Duotone, this is the only change, oh and that there is no further royalty cheques to North Sails for use of the name. The money will be put back into R and D for further improvement of product range and performance.
I can't post any pictures online but we have some demo kites and boards from the 2019 season in store now so you don't have to take my word for it, drop in and have a look for yourselves.
Bring on the 2019 season.
DM
WA
1501 posts
Upcoming big air wednesday seems like a good day to test it out too!
NSW
984 posts
Is it true... all managers have been dropped and ROWDY is now CEO. Leo Zebra Loro is now spokesman in charge of publicity. Plummet heads up the design team... and Cauncy runs the canteen?
20 posts
Thanks for updates. Do you know if Duotone are still going to do the Evo? It seems to be missing from the reassurances so I wondered if they were dropping it or whether North were keeping it.
WA
1005 posts
Hi Relaunch,
Yes, the Evo will be back. I flew a prototype of it back in Mauritius in May. It was a nice kite. They will be released early this year just after the first shipment of kites arrives, so I would expect around mid to late October.
DM
WA
1005 posts
Hi TPP,
Sorry mate, am in Mauritius and don't have access to price list here. It's on my other computer at work. I am sure someone will be able to give you an idea, if not, contact the shop the boys and girls should be able to tell you.
DM
WA
790 posts
DuoTone is a coffee shop in east perth, can you now get a kite with your latte?
QLD
91 posts
Last "Duotone" trademark registered in Oz for sporting goods was by F2 for snowboarding gear back in the 90's. Wonder if Boards & More will bother registering their new (old) mark here?
NSW
478 posts
the kites look severaltone to me
WA
8407 posts
All joking aside, I'd say your concerns are a waste of time,
the biggest kite brand imho will go forward, it'll be like a breath of fresh air, they'll have a new challenge ahead, I'd say they'd be heavily motivated in all departments ,
WTF has a name got to do with how a kite is designed, manufacturered or prrforms
