Duotone NOW Magazine No.03 2022

S C I E N C E O F F A B R I C S TO MARIAN HUND – JUICE D / LAB DEVELOPMENT Since he met Duotone Kite Designer Ralf Grösel 2017 in Capetown, former German Duotone TeamRider Marian Hund progressively got more and more involved into R&D at Duotone. After finishing his M.Sc. in economical engineering in 2020, Marian started working for Duotone as an upcoming kite designer, working with Ralf on the Juice, Evo, Dice and Vegas. MARIAN, INWHICHWAYWERE YOU INVOLVED IN THE D/LAB DEVELOPMENT? The Juice D/ LAB was the first kite I held in my hands from the D/ LAB series. It was obvious to me that such a significant reduction of weight would bring many new advantages and possibilities to the sport. Ralf designed the Juice D/ LAB but for testing and trimming I joined the project from the beginning. When it comes to new materials, we also have to ensure that our construction is reliable and durable. So in spring 2021 I spent countless hours on the Juice D/ LAB always checking for possible defects and changes over time. For me personally, who grew up in an area with lots of light wind days and knowing the infamous 2 missing knots of wind, this kite is also a revolution. 5 QUESTIONS JUICE D / LAB Photo  Lukas K. Stiller Photo  Craig Kolesky HOWWAS YOUR FIRST TIME ON A DUOTONE JUICE D/LAB? It was really an amazing experience. Nobody thought that the conditions were suitable since there was actually no wind. But the Juice D/ LAB 13m somehow managed to stay in the air. With a little bit of technique, it produces enough power during a loop to get you on your foil in only about 4 knots. Once the board is in the air you are unstoppable with the Juice D/ LAB. If you want to see for yourself: I filmed it and published it on my YouTube channel. RALF’SMANTRA IS: THERE ARE NO ‚NOWIND DAYS‘ ANYMORE! IS THAT TRUE? I grew up in the south of Germany and days with wind speeds above 15 knots were always rare and hard to find. Back then I was riding the Vegas and it was always a gamble to find suitable kite conditions. Now, when I’m in the south of Germany, I don’t even check the forecast because you always have that breeze of 3-4 knots you need to ride the Juice D/LAB. Even if you are in the middle of Lake Starnberg and the wind is not suitable for a moment, I just enjoy being in the water and wait a couple of minutes for the wind to come back. Four knots of wind is enough for me to relaunch the Juice D/LAB. So yes, for me it means that there are no ‚no-wind days‘ anymore. CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE SPECIAL FEELING FLYING A D/LAB KITE? For me it’s mainly the silence which makes the difference. Since you are able to kite in ultra light wind conditions and the foil cuts silently through the water, the noise level is completely different compared to a normal kite session. You are able to listen to your surroundings and it’s like some kind of meditation to me, especially since most of the time you’re the only one on the water. The Juice D/ LAB also doesn’t feel like a big kite and is easy to handle, which makes for a great light wind experience. WHAT CAN YOU IMAGINE IS GONNA HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE WITH D/LAB PRODUCTS? For sure we will keep fighting for even lighter materials which are even stiffer. There are tons of possibilities out there and at Duotone we have the power to make the imaginable possible. And of course, there are also some very promising features in the pipeline which hopefully can be implemented into the D/ LAB products within the next years. 101 D R I V I N G F U T U R E I N N O V A T I O N S 100 D R I V I N G F U T U R E I N N O V A T I O N S