NIK BAKER: BOARD TALKNIK BAKER: BOARD TALKThe 2026 Duotone wave range has landednew boards, new sails, new factory and a new shaper. We hear from Nik Baker who tells us what has changed, the background behind these updates and why these boards and sails feel like a huge step forward!Photos: Eunice Bergin and Billy ShortBEHIND THE DESIGNSNik Baker: I have actually had the new Ultra Grip and the Grip now for a couple of months already. So far, Ive managed to get out on them about 7-8 times in different and quite varied conditions, which is very useful for us, so I can get a feel for them. The boards are new designs because weve got a different shaper, which is now Kai Hopf. As you know, he has been our sail designer with Duotone and previously North forever. Kais been a mate of mine and made my sails for many years. He is a very talented, clever guy and quite a unique character as lots of these designers often are.Kai was also a very good windsurfer. He used to develop his own products; both boards and sails for years and years. He always made my fins, you know, the square tip wave fins! What we didnt even realize until, maybe eight months ago, was that Victor and the other team guys have all been riding Kais boards for the past few seasons. So, theyve been developing this new range for a long time. And then since the move from Fanatic to Duotone with the windsurfing boards and then Raoul taking over the brand management for not just the sail side of it, but also for the board sideThat was sort of the perfect timing make this new change in production with Kais designs.NEXT-LEVEL PRODUCTIONWe also have the incredible improvement for our products with the new Duotone board factory in Thailand, where all our boards are now CNC milled and custom built, including the entry level Eagles. The things that we are able to do with our factoryno one else cancertainly not at our capacity! So, we are in my opinion, light years ahead with the technology. This has allowed us to use different shapes and different technologies, but also whats just been launched for this year is our new MTO Made to Order products.So, you know, weve put all these elements together, with tried and tested, designs and setups, and then you can sort of pick and choose from those to build your own so-called custom board, which is pretty coolno other major brand can do that! It makes Duotone quite unique!THE ULTRA_GRIP: PURE WAVE WEAPONI have tried the new Ultra_Grip, which is the extreme radical performance-based wave board, so designed for proper waves. It is for better riders, proper wave guys that are into full on down the line or proper conditions. They are butter smooth through the chop, which is lovely for you because we have got really choppy conditions on the south coast. But the biggest change is the way they turn. The way they turn on a rail is like they are riding through butter. But its really a rail turn, its not just a little snappy turn, its a full-on proper grind that rail, turn it and it grips, it runs through the chop like it is flat water. It has taken me a little bit of time to get my sailing style slightly changed from the older designs that we are used tohaving to control them through the bottom and then snap off the top. On the new boards you drive through the bottom, use that speed, engage the rail and they sort of catch you by surprise when you get that rail engagedit grips so hard. I said to somebody the other day, I said, if I had these 20 years ago, I would have been multiple wave world champion! As long as long as nobody else had them, of course! So yeah, thats the Ultra_Grip, which you can get with 3 or 4 fins. Ive actually got it in both. Im undecided, if I like it better in 3 or 4, I think 4, but actually on the recent windy days, Ive been riding and loving the 82L with the 3 fins, so it really depends on the feel that you like.THE GRIP: CONFIDENCE AND FUNThen we have the Grip, which is more, I would say, a south coast type board.So if you are sailing like Timo Mullen down the line in Gwithian or Ireland, where theres a proper wave. Then you would probably be an Ultra_Grip customer. But the majority of the people in the UK, I would suggest would probably be more Grip customers.The boards feel slightly bigger compared to the Ultra_Grip. Theyre not necessarily a bigger boardeven in similar volumes the tails are a little bit wider, they get planning slightly earlier and they go upwind just a little bit easier! They give you more confidence!These boards are for a normal intermediate wave guy that are not into full on, down the line. They allow you to get planing and they give you that platform to practice your wave riding, have the confidence to jump because youre not worried about not getting back to the beach and not getting planing through the white water and stuff. The new Grip really gives you a lot of confidence when you are sailing. I sort of struggled with the Grip_3 last year. I felt it wasnt turning enough. The new boards have a lot more drive through the turn and are much snappier. I think they are an amazing board for the south coast conditions. For the proper waves and for proper turns, the Ultra_Grip is like nothing Ive ever ridden before!ULTRA_GRIP VS GRIP: SIDE-BY-SIDEI sailed 88L Ultra_Grip last night in south coast conditions and I had fun. Tim Frampton was on the 91 Grip 3 and it was 4.7m planing conditions and he was having a blast. Then the wind sort of dropped right off went a bit side, side / off so a bit drifting and riding. So that was good to test the boards also.The day before was, I was on a 4.2m and could have been on 3.7m, cross / cross-on at Sea Lane caf. I was on the Ultra-Grip with the 3 fins. Ive got the 82L and I was absolutely loving it. But then I know how to turn on a rail and I have a certain feel that I want. I want that engagement through the rail and that carve off the top. So, if youre a pretty good rider, then youll make the most out of, but to make the most of the conditions you would be better off on a Grip. So, if you are an above average intermediate wave guy, that is properly wave riding, then they will be able to extract the best out of the Ultra_Grip and make the most of it. If youre not at that point, then the Grip will flatter your wave riding better.FIRST SESSIONS FEEDBACKOverall, Im bloody loving the new boards! Ive been riding them with Sam Latham from Worthing Watersports, whos a pretty confident wave sailor as well. Weve been swapping boards backwards and forwards. It took us a couple of sessions to get our head around, slightly adjusting how we ridebut weve been bloody loving them! And Tim, whos actually my intermediate wave guy, whos just sort of learning to wave ride and hes quite heavy on his back foot and needs that confidence sort of given to him. He can ride an Ultra_Grip backwards and forwards and do his little bits, but actually the Grip just suddenly compliments him and gives him that confidence to want to push and learn a wave ride or to do a jump. He is staying up wind on the Grip no problem!I think for our short period of time, that weve been on them, the new boards seem pretty rad. You have to ride them a bit differently! I think the downside to the Ultra_Grip if there is one is if the wave is flat and quite soft, then youre not going to get the most out of the board. You need a bit of power, a wave that is a little bit steeper, so that you can use and that rail, engage that rail and use the drive that that rail gives you.DUOTONE Surfboards Your surfboard for every session!SAILSSUPER_HERO D/LABThe Duotone wave sails are all new this year. Weve got the Super_Hero D/Lab with all the glued seams, carbon panels and stretch patches which I use, these sails are insane.The wind range on the D/LAB is honestly something like 3 or 4 knots more bottom end power and at least 5 knots, if not more top end control. I dont know how Kais done it, but when its 3.7m weather like it was two nights ago, it didnt seem as windy on the beach. So I took a 4.2m as I dont like to be underpowered in those conditions, and it was absolutely 3.7m weather. Yet, I was on a 4.2m and it just made it feel like it was 4.2m weather. People were on 3.4m and 3.6m sails being blown off the water. So yeah, the sort of wind range that the new sail gives us is insane.SUPER_HERO SLSThen weve got a new Super_Hero SLS and its actually the same weight as a Super_Hero Dlab. It still comes with a 5-year warranty, but it feels so much lighter on the water and the wind range has also increased quite significantly compared to last year. So somehow Kais managed to reduce the weight but also give us that slightly bigger wind range. Some places it is not such an issue. I think for England where the wind, we get is more like16 to 30 knots generally every time we go rather than 20-25 knots, so that having that wind range is really important for me. On the South it makes such a difference for your general overall performance and fun that you get to have for your hour or two on the water. The guys have done a really good job of that.So super light, bigger wind range and the fact that the SLS Super_Hero, now the standard sail is as light as the D/Lab, is quite impressive. It is the biggest jump weve had for quite a long time in that way!DUOTONE Surfboards Your surfboard for every session!Worthing Watersports Duotone Specialist Store Wing Foil, KitesurfingH20 Sports watersports mega storeThe post NIK BAKER: BOARD TALK appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.