Does anyone in the industry know the full story about North coming back to the windsurfing market?
I was told that North factory wanted out of the windsurf sails market due the small volume's. The department that made and marketed the sails wanted to keep/buy the North name but were told no, and that's where the Duotone name comes from.
To my observation the market has become even even smaller in the intervening years, (going by the amount of grey hair at my beach the median age must 60+.) Now their back with an extra premium priced product selling to a very niche market. Could 3DL manufacturing unit cost warrant the effort?
Perhaps they are only selling us old gits who have not bought a motor bike or a carbon road bike.
You got some of the details correct....Boards&More UK owned the North Windsurfing Brand under License from North Sails Ltd. North Sails Ltd did not want to renew the agreement with Boards&More so they sold windsurfing gear under their own brand Duotone.The Deal with Boards&More is they are one of the biggest Brand development companies in Watersports. They have heavily invested in Wind Winging and that has payed off. This means a lot of riders in both windsurfing and kiteboarding have moved into winging.You are correct the demographic for windsurfing has not moved and is getting older. The cost in windsurfing has always been expensive. Funny enough I have been windsurfing for a long time went to kiteboarding and came back to windsurfing and winging. I will admit I am 50 but have windsurfed since I was 12.... I have never really purchased new equipment or always looked for last years gear at a discounted price.North Ltd have indeed come back into windsurfing. Their 3DL Technology is top notch but it is expensive. For windsurfing wave sails Ben Severne and Severne has made some of the lightest and best kit out there and has matched and beaten many brands on sail feel and weight. I reckon North Ltd are doing a lot of catch up compared to everyone else. North Ltd are also testing the market with this technology as they can diversify their market as windsurf foil racing is in the olympics and they really still want to be connected with the forefront of sail design.
