Interview:Bernd Zerelles
North Sails is a sailing brand with a tremendous tradition and many successes. North Sails team riders have won countless world championship titles in all disciplines over the last few decades. Boards & More in Munich, with Managing Director Till Eberle, was previously a licence holder for the windsurfing division of North Sails Group America. This is now coming to an end.
Until now, there were only rumours buzzing around forums and being spread on the beach. Now it is official that North Sails will become Duotone.
That's not true. Boards & More will launch a new brand Duotone on 1 August and discontinue the production and distribution of North Sails products in 2019.
38 years of brand tradition are coming to an end. Why did you decide to take this tough step?
Boards & More and North Sails Group America, which is part of Oakley Capital, have different views on the future of the North Sails Windsurfing brand. This has motivated us to create our own brand. We have many exciting ideas for the future and are ready to take full control of the realisation of these ideas.
What does the new Duotone brand stand for?
Duotone clearly stands for the fact that we are authentic - true - in windsurfing as well as in kiteboarding. Because we love the sport, offer high-quality products, are at the forefront of technology and play in all facets of the sport. But we are also true because we have enormous fun with it and drive the progression of the sport.
Is it possible that North Sails Windsurfing will continue to exist?
I can't say that. We as Boards & More will not continue to operate North Sails Windsurfing products after a transition phase.
So North Sails Windsurfing is history for you. But what does that mean for the customer? For example, if they only bought a new North sail in the spring?
We, Boards & More, are the contractual partner of the dealer from whom the customer purchased his sail and will continue to work with the dealer. We are clearly responsible for all warranty claims. Basically, from a legal point of view, for the warranty period in Europe of two years from the date of purchase. If the product is registered, we even offer various warranty extensions that go beyond the statutory warranties. But we will also continue to be accommodating beyond this. Boards & More has a reputation for reliability. So we will also take care of the service and warranty for the products we sell. And of course, as Boards & More, we also want to get our new Duotone brand up and running. So we will do everything we can to make our existing customers happy
What does the new brand name Duotone mean for the products? Are they completely new or are they the familiar parts just with a new name?
We will continue to develop our products under the new brand, that much is clear. All the engineering, the construction of the sails, masts, booms and extensions, all the expertise is Boards & More expertise. All products have been developed by our employees, all patents are in our name and all product names belong to Boards & More. The Super Hero or the Warp, for example, were created by us and there will also be another Super Hero or Warp under Duotone that is identical to the Super Hero or Warp that existed before in terms of performance, features and function. We will continue to work with the same productions in the future so that we can always deliver superior quality to our customers.
All developers stay with you, all team drivers, all international distributors?
We put the question to everyone in advance: Line manager Raoul Joa, sail designer Kai Hopf, hardware engineer Uli Bitterolf and all the team riders. All the developers have committed themselves for the next few years, all the team riders think Duotone is cool and everyone internally at Boards & More is staying on board. It's very exciting to watch. At first, many employees thought: They're crazy, you can't just start a new brand. But this opens up so many new opportunities. All employees are extremely motivated, they are pushing harder than ever before.
As North Sails Windsurfing, you were always somewhat dependent on the parent brand. What new freedoms does the Duotone brand offer you?
Sometimes a change can be quite inspiring. The Duotone brand is ours, we can shape it however we want. We position Duotone in exactly the way we think is best and is cool for our customers. We no longer have any connection to sailing. Where do you come from, what do you stand for, answers Duotone in a completely new way. We can also develop the brand into new areas, such as foiling or clothing, if we want to. Or if we want to bring surfboards onto the market, we can do that too. That is now entirely up to us.
You own the established ION brand, under which ION Clubs have also been established. Why isn't the new brand called ION Windsurfing?
That was indeed a big internal discussion. However, we came to the conclusion that the brand positioning does not necessarily appeal to the customer exactly. What's more: ION is an absolutely independent brand, even a NeilPryde rider or a Severne fan can identify with ION and buy the products. If we suddenly start producing sails under ION, we might lose these customers. The principle when we created ION was not to offer hardgoods under it, but to create a neutral brand specialising in accessories - complementary to our hardware brands. ION therefore does not fit in with our original idea as a new sailing brand.
Duotone already existed in the 1990s as a snowboard brand from Boards & More. Why are you pulling this name out of the drawer again now?
The name Duotone has been the subject of heated debate in some forums. We find it very exciting because it's a very emotional name that can mean a lot. Our sails have had this duotone effect in terms of colouring over the last two years, which is why we stumbled across it. When we were looking for a name for the new brand, we chose Duotone as the internal project name. The longer we worked with it, the more concrete the idea became that the name would fit the new brand very well. What's more, this Boards & More name is already registered worldwide. We really like the ambiguity of the name Duotone: Wind and water together make a better unit, as do light and stable. The interplay of two factors is very often present in the creation of products.
You've been with Boards & More for a very long time, even before you became Managing Director. What does the new brand foundation mean for you personally?
The moment came very quickly when I realised: This is a huge opportunity. We are bringing something new to the table that no one has ever realised before. I can feel this spirit of optimism again. It's a challenge - but creatively very exciting. I would put it this way: if you wanted to ride a big wave like Jaws and had no respect, that would be neither normal nor good. A certain amount of respect is a good signpost. But we have thought everything through very carefully and are looking forward to the challenge.
Now you have to publicise the new brand. How do you go about this?
Windsurfing is a very close-knit community. Word has already got around that there will be a new Duotone brand. But it is also clear that a certain marketing push is coming from us. Because we naturally want to ensure that the brand launch works. Our sales partners will of course benefit from this. And Boards & More probably has the best international distribution system in the wind-water segment.
In your opinion, does the new company have an impact on the second-hand prices of North Sails products?
I don't think so. Because a Super Hero is always a Super Hero and a Warp is always a Warp. The customer knows what he wants. They are not just looking for any sail from any brand. My experience shows that the specific model, the product name, is more important than the brand.
When will the new Duotone sails, masts and booms be on the market?
Duotone will officially launch on 1 August. Super Hero, Super Session, Idol LTD and E_Type, as well as 80 per cent of the hardware products (masts, forks, extensions) will be available on this date. Warp, S_Type and the rest of the hardware products will follow a month later.
