Duotone DRIVEN Magazine No.04

And as is the case with development in extreme areas, we are not immune to setbacks. For the Neo D/LAB, for example, we had to fight for a long time during development to get the stiff structure to turn properly. In principle, stiff material and a stiff structure have advantages in loops, upstroke, and drifting but are rather disadvantageous in turning initiation. The question remains: Why is D/LAB so extremely expensive? The E-TPU material of the D/LAB surfboards is much more complicated in production and, therefore, very expensive. The material is difficult to grind, you need two more sandwich layers in building, and the material price is also higher. For the kite and the wing, the D/LAB material is 6 times more expensive. On top of that, you need 50% more processing time. You can’t cut as many layers at once, the seams are more complicated because the material is high- strength, and because it’s a laminate, you have to use a different processing technique. Also, the incoming inspection is more time-consuming because you have to check such expensive material meticulously to ensure it has no defects. In the end, there are many small effects that add up to a hefty price. But as I said, D/LAB is the spearhead of our technology and is for those kiters who want to afford to buy our high-end technology concept. “In principle, stiffmaterial and a stiff structure have advantages in loops, upstroke and drifting, but are rather disadvantageous in turning initiation.” D / L A B 48 D R I V E N