Just a few days ago, Gav Blake[/b] posted a YT video about the new 70L Duotone Skybird Hollow Board, and yesterday at a spot on Fuerteventura[/b], I actually saw the new 2027 Duotone 5'11" (90L)[/b] hollow board in the flesh.
Hollow boards are definitely starting to find a firm footing in the market. Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to take any photos of it, but I did get the chance to get some "hands-on" time to check it out.
The 90L board is 5'11" long and about 20" wide. It looks very similar to the current Skybird range and makes a great first impression. I think this will be an excellent board for parawinging, especially for riders in my weight class (90+ kg).
The board is incredibly light, weighing in at around 3.7 kg[/b]. That's an insane value for that much volume! It had some thicker straps mounted, and just the weight of those straps was enough to make the board wobble when flipping it over. This means that for a board this light, you definitely need ultra-light straps (like those from Armstrong or Skywalker) to keep the balance right.
I didn't get a chance to ride it because we were already packed up after our session, but maybe there will be another opportunity in the next few days.
There are more and more hollow boards hitting the market, and I'm curious to see how this trend evolves. Duotone is setting benchmarks again, unfortunately also when it comes to pricing
. If the 70L hollow board is already around 3000 EUR in Europe, this 90L version will surely be even more expensive. Kauper XT[/b] is the "beacon of hope" here with his hollow board (approx. 1500 EUR), which should be available soon and won't require you to sell your own mother and father to afford it.
My Skywalker AIREX[/b] board is also a hollow-style construction but with AIREX Core, which makes it lighter, but at 85L (6'0" x 20"), it still comes in at around 5 kg.
I'm excited to see where this goes. Until recently, a hollow board wasn't even an option for me, but I'm slowly starting to wonder if it wouldn't make sense to have one.
What do you guys think? Will the market embrace this? Will other manufacturers convert to hollow constructions as well?
Cheers!
