ChiaraSochin_UnitSLSConceptBlue25_Mauritius_byMarcoManfrini

IS BLUE THE NEW GREEN?

Wir bei Duotone sind uns der Umweltauswirkungen unseres Sports und unserer Leidenschaft bewusst. Wir erkennen unsere kollektive Verantwortung an, eine nachhaltige Zukunft für den Wassersport zu schaffen, das Engagement der Jugend zu fördern und unsere Spielplätze zu schützen. Aus diesem Grund haben wir Concept Blue entwickelt, um unsere Umweltauswirkungen zu minimieren. Wir sind stolz auf die Fortschritte, die wir gemacht haben, und verpflichten uns, unsere Bemühungen fortzusetzen.

WAS IST CONCEPT BLUE?

AchererTwins_UnitSLSConceptBlue_bySamuelCardenas

Concept Blue-Produkte sind unser nächster Schritt in Richtung einer besseren Zukunft und ein weiteres Element unserer Kampagne Save Our Playgrounds. Unser Forschungs- und Entwicklungsteam widmet sich der Entwicklung von Produkten aus den neuesten und nachhaltigsten Materialien, die auf dem Markt erhältlich sind. Um zum Schutz unserer Spielplätze beizutragen, haben wir uns verpflichtet, zu prüfen, was wir bereits tun, und gleichzeitig weiter zu forschen, was in naher Zukunft und in den kommenden Jahrzehnten getan werden kann. Unser gesamtes Handeln ist von einem nachhaltigen Ethos geprägt, von der Auswahl und Beschaffung der Rohstoffe für unsere Produkte bis hin zum Herstellungsprozess und dem Lebenszyklus aller von uns hergestellten Produkte. Concept Blue ist das nächste Kapitel.

Produkte, die bereits in die Concept Blue-Kampagne aufgenommen wurden:

What exactly does Concept Blue include? Which product are we talking about exactly?

Max: "Concept Blue means that we try to produce products as sustainably as possible according to current standards. This not only includes the downstream processes at the producers – for example, using solar energy or similar measures in the production process – it is also about focusing on the product and the used materials itself, as Klaas mentioned.

For 2024 we started with the Slick Concept Blue - a standout in terms of sustainability in our Freeride & Freestyle wing range, which was sold out quickly.
The new Unit SLS Concept Blue marks the next step, where we combine the more sustainable materials of our Concept Blue with the known performance upgrades of our SLS products.

For the future we are looking at each product carefully to see where it makes sense to replace existing materials with more sustainable alternatives - with the best possible performance, without losing sight of the costs. Production may be a little more expensive here and there, but our goal is for the products to remain the same price for customers. At the same time, we want to produce as sustainably as possible."

Unit SLS Concept Blue

Surf / Downwind / Freeride

How does the Unit SLS Concept Blue differ from the other Unit models?

Max: "The 2025 Unit in the new SLS Concept Blue construction bridges the gap between the Unit D/LAB and the original Unit. For excellent power delivery and stiffness, we replaced the 240-gram Dacron in the center panels with 82-gram Aluula and used Penta TX in the rest of the frame. Like this we slightly reduced the diameter of the leading edge and lowered the weight. Both materials make for greater stiffness and more grunt at reasonable costs.

Same as already in the Slick Concept Blue, the Unit SLS Concept Blue differs from our original Unit by the materials used to reduce environmental impact. We have identified three key measures to enhance sustainability in our wings.

Firstly, we eliminate color entirely from all fabrics, including the canopy, Dacron and Penta TX. Traditional dyeing involves harmful solvents and requires thousands of liters of water for rinsing, which we have successfully eliminated.
Secondly, we use a bio-based bladder, which, though not 100 percent organic, is currently the most sustainable bladder product on the market, offering up to 57 percent bio-based material and yielding approximately 30 percent CO2 savings.
The third measure involves the use of injection-molded parts. This production process typically generates substantial standard waste, ranging from 10 to 30 percent, depending on the part. We actively recycle this waste in our production to create other plastic components. For instance, the discs that house the valves or the cap of the airport valve are crafted from this recycled plastic. Each of these recycled material pieces is clearly marked with the Save Our Playgrounds logo for easy identification. While we haven't altered the valve itself, as it is a safety-critical component, that is our next planned step. This move aims to achieve maximum utilization of recycled plastic in all components."

JeromeCloetens_UnitSLSConceptBlue_bySamuelCardenas
MaxPanjak_byTobyBromwich

»The new Unit SLS Concept Blue provides the perfect combination of performance, innovation, and sustainability.«

— Max Pajank

UNDYED FABRICS

Zu den wichtigsten Bestandteilen von Concept Blue bei den Kites gehören die ungefärbte Canopy und Dacron, die im gesamten Kite eingesetzt sind, um die natürliche Färbung der Materialien zu unterstreichen. Bitte beachtet, dass ungefärbte Kites nicht einfach weiße Kites sind. Da das Material nicht gefärbt wird, kann während des Prozesses eine beachtliche Menge an Wasser gespart werden!

Bereiche mit ungefärbten Materialien:

  • Anströmkante / Dacron

  • Canopy

  • Abströmkante

Unsere Einsparungen in Zahlen:

  • Bis zu 46% weniger Wasserverbrauch

  • Bis zu 35% Energieeinsparung

  • Bis zu 12% weniger CO2-Fußabdruck

DuotoneConceptBlue_UndyedFabrics
Duotone-Kiteboarding-Concept-blue-bio-based-bladder

BIOBASIERTE BLADDER

Beide Kites verkörpern die Kernprinzipien von Concept Blue und sind mit einer biobasierten Bladder ausgestattet. Die biobasierte Bladder reduziert nicht nur den CO2-Fußabdruck um bis zu 29 %, sondern weist auch einen bemerkenswerten Anteil von 57 % biobasiertem Kohlenstoff auf, der mit nachhaltigen Methoden und Messungen übereinstimmt.

Unsere Einsparungen in Zahlen:

  • Bis zu 29% weniger CO2-Fußabdruck

  • Bis zu 57 % biobasierter CO2 Gehalt

  • Biobasierter Kohlenstoff kann nach einem weltweiten Standard (ASTM d6866) gemessen werden.

RECYCELTE KUNSTSTOFFTEILE

Darüber hinaus setzt Concept Blue bei der Herstellung der meisten Kunststoffteile vorrangig auf die Verwendung von recyceltem Kunststoff, wobei mindestens 50 % postindustrielles Recyclingmaterial verwendet wird. Diese Initiative trägt nicht nur zur Reduzierung von Kunststoffabfällen bei, sondern unterstützt auch eine Kreislaufwirtschaft durch die Wiederverwendung vorhandener Materialien.

Concept Blue von Duotone Kiteboarding ist ein Beweis für unser Engagement für Nachhaltigkeit und Innovation und geht jetzt den nächsten Schritt im Kitedesign. Durch die Integration von umweltfreundlichen Materialien und Herstellungsprozessen gewährleistet Concept Blue die gleiche Performance, fördert aber auch eine nachhaltigere Zukunft für den Kitesport. Mit Concept Blue beschreiten wir als Duotone Kiteboarding den Weg zu einem grüneren, umweltbewussteren Ansatz im Kitedesign und in der Herstellung.

Duotone-Kiteboarding-concept-blue-recycled-plastic-parts-2500

ITS NOT WHITE
IT´S UNDYED

AchererTwins_UnitSLSConceptBlue_byRichardHallmann

Using undyed fabrics for the wings clearly reduces design options, how can you describe the visual approach?

Max: "What started out as a limitation has quickly developed into a popular concept. We highlight our use of "undyed fabrics", a crucial distinction from white cloth employed by other manufacturers for further processing or printing. Unlike white cloth, undyed material is not subjected to a regular dyeing process to achieve a pure white tone; therefore, color particles are not applied in the typical dyeing process. We extensively discussed this matter with manufacturers and firmly concluded that undyed material is, in fact, a more sustainable choice than white cloth. Our undyed material maintains a relatively white appearance, albeit not entirely white. Emphasizing this aspect is essential to convey that our Concept Blue wings prioritize undyed over white, aiming to eliminate the traditional dyeing process entirely."

Klaas: "So if you know the background behind this plain undyed look of the Concept Blue wings, it’s kind of a statement to ride them and we are sure there will be customers willing to ride more sustainable products. Besides that, the design was very well received as it actually looks pretty cool and premium. Features like tape stripes to highlight the design language of the main panels create a distinctive long-distance effect. The Concept Blue wings are designed to maintain a certain appeal, even with a reduction in prints, ensuring its visual allure remains captivating."

How do you assess the potential development of demand for Concept Blue? Will it remain one of several construction methods or will we only see Duotone Concept Blue products on the market at some point in the future?

Klaas: "The current plan involves operating on two tracks: continuing with the existing construction methods while simultaneously advancing the rollout of Concept Blue. In the end, the decision also rests with the customer. Some people only shop in organic stores, others in regular supermarkets. One can always argue about taste in terms of design, but as said, this is also an ideological question. Performance shouldn’t be negatively influenced under any circumstances. We are convinced that there will be a demand for Concept Blue products – our Concept Blue wings are the best proof of that. We wouldn’t switch everything to Concept Blue, however, we see this as a development process. We are moving on a path to become more sustainable step by step.

This not only applies to Concept Blue, but also to our company's entire sustainability strategy at Boards & More. We look at our products every year and think about where we can make changes to make production more sustainable and save on CO2, waste, etc. If we observe the establishment of certain materials and a corresponding demand, we have the flexibility to expand their usage. However, it's crucial to emphasize that these more sustainable materials come at a higher cost. The bladder, for example, is more expensive, but we consciously forego margin here and will offer the wings at the same price. That means we need a certain number of units to keep the whole thing at a reasonable price level. If we reach this critical mass, it is of course possible that we will use certain materials throughout the entire range. However, this does not automatically mean that the entire product will then run under Concept Blue. In the end, it's about a certain amount of a product having to be produced more sustainably to run as a Concept Blue product. If only a fraction of the used parts is more sustainable, it is surely not part of Concept Blue product range."

KlaasVoget_UnitSLSConceptBlue_byJohnCarter
JeromeCloetens_UnitSLSConceptBlue_bySamuelCardenas

You previously touched on the topic of recycling and said that you already use recycled materials. It's one thing to build new products from recycled materials. But do you already have an idea of what happens to your products at the end of their lifespan?

Max: "We have been dealing with this exact topic for quite some time. This doesn’t just apply to Wing Foiling, but again to the entire Boards & More Group. The original idea came years ago together with a company called Teufelberger. Basically, most of our products are hazardous waste if they are disposed of. So, we thought about what we could do to collect the products at the end of their lifespan and return them sensibly so that they can be recycled so that they don't end up rotting in some cellar or on the beach. However, this is an issue that we cannot tackle alone. For this we need the producers and a network, and we also have to keep calculating how sustainable it is. For example, to send a container ship full of used wings from A to B so that these wings can possibly be recycled. This is a discussion that unfortunately cannot be answered in two sentences.

Our vision is to create something like this in the future, and we are already discussing this with our manufacturers. Of course, it is again important to have a critical mass above which it is worthwhile to implement such processes. Long story short: We're not at that point yet, but we have this idea on our agenda. We already have a good network for this with our Pro Centers and Pro Shops, but like I said, as of right now it's just a vision, and the extent to which this can be represented needs to be seen step by step. It's not just about taking back the product itself. For a wing, comprised, for instance, of 90 percent polyester, recycling only makes sense if the polyester can be repurposed into high-quality material."

What's the difficulty in recycling wings?

Max: When dealing with fibers, generating new high-quality fibers from recycled material is inherently challenging. While we are actively working on this, it is a process that will require some time. Alternatively, one can explore the avenue of upcycling, repurposing recycled wing material for different constructions. However, achieving an ideal scenario of a circular economy, where a used wing is completely recycled, and new wings are crafted from the recycled materials, poses significant challenges. The molecular structure of the material undergoes changes with each recycling cycle, making this process not indefinitely sustainable.

For example, you could mix some recycled material with some unrecycled to ensure you always maintain the same high quality. But as I said, this is a topic that we are discussing with our producer, but it is a big challenge. Perhaps we also need to think about rolling out such a concept across the entire wing industry to achieve the necessary critical mass so that it really offers meaningful added value in terms of sustainability. I think we all have a responsibility in the industry to think in this direction. We cannot absolve ourselves of this and must take these steps little by little.

When can we expect Concept Blue Wing & Foiling boards?

Klaas: "Wait and see ;-)"

JeromeCloetens_UnitSLSConceptBlue_bySamuelCardenas

HÄUFIG GESTELLTE FRAGEN ZU CONCEPT BLUE