Tech Talk: Inside the 2026 Duotone Twintip Range

Valentin Peiker:

I’m going to run through the changes we made to the Select, Soleil, and Shred before moving on to the Jaime, the Jaime SLS, and finally the Team Series Big Air SLS.

What’s important for us with these first three boards, the Select, Soleil, and Shred, is that the updates are always made in the same way. Whether you buy a Select SLS or Soleil SLS, a Select Concept Blue or Soleil Concept Blue, the changes follow the same direction.

The challenge behind these three models has always been to create the ultimate freeride board for ambitious riders. So what defines freeriding for us? A freeride board should be comfortable yet sporty, fast but controlled, have great upwind ability, and be fun in all conditions. The changes we made this year were focused on improving these four key characteristics and pushing each board closer to the ultimate freeride machine.

The Select, Soleil, and Shred have always been comfortable thanks to Space Flex. This year, we added a very mellow Double Concave on the bottom, which parts the chop nicely, giving a super soft and smooth feeling on the water. It’s easier on the ankles, and you’ll immediately feel the difference compared to last year’s models.

To make sure the boards stay fast, we’ve kept the same outline. The Select, Soleil, and Shred have always had a slightly longer, narrower outline than other boards in the range, which helps with speed. But when you’re going fast, control is just as important. To ensure this, we’ve combined the straight outline with Angled Rails, a feature we know works well from the Jaime and Team Series boards. These rails help maintain grip at higher speeds and in rougher conditions.

This was essential for us this year: to have not only a fast board, but one that remains fully under the rider’s control, even when pushing hard. The Angled Rails also improve upwind ability, another key freeride characteristic. When you edge the board into the water, the rails sit deeper, increasing surface area and water pressure for better upwind performance.

These changes have resulted in a board that’s fun and capable in all conditions — whether you’re riding in Cape Town, the Red Sea, or on a lake in Europe. It’s fast, smooth, has a touch of pop, and covers the full Duotone kitesurfing compass. I’m really happy with how it turned out, it’s the ultimate do-it-all freeride machine.

For ambitious riders, we have the SLS versions. For those looking for even more comfort, the Concept Blue versions are perfect. And for younger riders, the Shred comes in a glass fiber construction. I’m super stoked on these boards, they were so fun to develop, and I can’t wait for you to ride them.

The Jaime

Moving on to the Jaime, this is always a tricky one to improve. It’s such a well-balanced design that’s hard to beat. Recently, I actually saw a video pop up in my feed where the Jaime won a blind test against all other freestyle boards on the market. So both in my opinion and in Ruben Lenten’s (who ran the test), it is the ultimate Freestyle machine.

That said, we still made a few focused changes this year, mainly to the bottom shape. We adjusted the concave slightly, making it pointier in the center. This gives you more control and comfort on imperfect landings. Compared to the Select’s mellow Double Concave, the Jaime now has a deeper one, providing even more grip and shock absorption in rough conditions.

Think of it like the bow of a boat, splitting the water down the center. That’s what we wanted to achieve with the Jaime: to disperse impact water away from the middle, reducing discomfort and improving stability. The result is smoother, more controlled landings.

We also reworked the Double Diffuser system, the channels in the tail. Instead of running them toward the center, they now run straighter, which maintains the same level of grip but adds speed. And as you know, when it comes to jumping high, speed is key. This change made the board faster and more comfortable, tuned slightly more toward freestyle big air performance — similar to what we’ve done with the Team Series Big Air SLS.

The outline of the Jaime remains the same: slightly rounder than the Select for a more playful feel. Combined with the new channels and diffuser, it’s quicker and delivers more airtime than before.

The Team Series Big Air SLS

This brings us to the Team Series Big Air SLS. As the trend toward ever-bigger jumps continues, the board had to evolve to meet the riders’ needs. It’s been designed specifically for the team to compete at the highest level.

You might have already spotted it at the Lord of the Tram, where some of the team riders were on this updated model. It’s a true competition board, super stiff and made to go huge. What’s cool is that even riders not under contract to ride it are choosing it when they have free choice. 

That shows it’s not just working for our team, but for pros across the scene.

One of the main changes is in the outline. It used to share the same shape as the Jaime (136x41 or 139x42), but now we’ve narrowed it slightly to 136x40 and 139x41. This narrower shape gives much more grip and control, especially in strong, gusty conditions, exactly what you need at events like Lord of the Tram.

The bottom shape mirrors the Jaime: a deeper Double Concave through the center, leading into a ridge and straighter tail channels. It delivers extra grip, speed, and control, everything you need for modern big air. This board already claimed its first title at the Lord of the Tram, and it’s just the beginning.

Construction Layups

Now, let’s go over the layups.

Starting with Concept Blue, this is our Eco-Friendly construction used on models like the Select Concept Blue, Soleil Concept Blue, and Jaime Concept Blue. It features a Flax top layer, supported by Basalt stringers and a Basalt base. This combination creates a balanced feel, not as stiff or sporty as SLS, but perfect for riders who aren’t on the water every day or are looking for something more budget-friendly.

The SLS layup remains the same as last year, using upcycled carbon fiber reinforcements and a 45-degree biax base, plus our signature Textreme Innegra, a mix of black and white fibers. This delivers a sporty, lightweight, and responsive ride, with plenty of pop while still keeping comfort thanks to the Innegra fibers.

All boards now feature Bio-Based rails, part of our continued sustainability effort across the 2026 range.

To sum it up, we’ve analyzed every board in the lineup and made meaningful updates, nothing here is just a carryover.

For Freeride, we have the Select, Soleil, and Shred, the Select being the ultimate all-round Freeride board, the Soleil designed specifically for women, and the Shred for younger riders.

On the Freestyle side, there’s the Jaime Concept Blue and Jaime SLS for those looking to push their big air and Freestyle performance, and at the very top, the Team Series Big Air SLS, our premier competition Big Air board, proven by the team and riders worldwide.

Every board in this lineup is new, refined, and ready for the next level. We’re super proud of how far we’ve pushed the range this year, and we can’t wait for riders everywhere to experience it.