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!

you could try it, but you could not take some pictures....???
Aha...

The first boards have been delivered. Honestly, the weight will absolutely throw you off. The 90L felt like you're holding a fake display board, rather than a piece of sailing equipment. Truly incredible. It'll take your brain a bit to process and recalibrate how an object that large can weigh so little.

The getting going is noticeably improved over last year's, also in due part to the more efficient shape for the 2027 model, which has caught up finally with the heavily beveled Super K2-ish hull design. In terms of stiffness, I didn't notice a huge difference over a premium construction carbon board (like a Pro Carbon KT or an armstrong). But the weight reduction makes everything easier. Shape wise, the board still has that very balanced feel while floating that the 2024 and 2025 skybrids have, where they feel slightly larger than the stated volume. This feeling is confusing as when you are pumping in the air, the reduced weight makes the board feel smaller than it is. It's quite cool.

Of course, nobody knows how these things will hold up over time. For all its merits, a "pro construction" board may not be the most durable thing in the world. But if you have the budget, a lazy or fat rider would particularly benefit. I don't know about the claims that you can go one size smaller than normal, since volume/float is what it is, when in displacement mode.