#35 Sky Solbach - 20 years of Kiteboarding with B&M, from teamrider to Designer

Around 703 million people across the globe still live without access to clean and safe drinking water — a basic human necessity. Viva con Agua is on a mission to change that. Carolin Stuedemann CEO @ Viva Con Aqua explains how the charity engages communities through joyful activities such as Art, Music, Sport to raise awareness. Water is life. Clean drinking water improves and protects people’s health, gives children the possibility of attending school permanently, empowers women, strengthens the local economy and allows for a better future. However, many people worldwide do not have assured access to this precious commodity. With over 162,000 followers and worldwide projects in South Africa, India, and Europe Viva Con Agua is achieving global attention. The collaboration between Boards & More and Viva Con Agua began at the renowned ‘Kite Masters’ event in St. Peter-Ording, Germany — a partnership with a truly inspiring origin story. Carolin emphasizes the importance of partnering the charity with organizations that share the same values on sustainability and environmental initiatives. Carolin’s seven-year journey as CEO of the charity coincides with her seven years as a kiteboarder — a parallel that naturally leads us into a conversation about our shared passion for kiteboarding and its deep connection to water www.duotonesports.com, www.instagram.com/vivaconagua/, https://www.kitesurf-masters.de/, https://www.boardsandmore.com/en

In this episode we’re looking at the career of Sky Solbach, from competitive team rider to surfboard shaper and kite designer. Get some insights in how it is to create kites, ride your own kites the first time, how to develop as a team of three designers and testing teamriders. History about Sky Solbach. Insights from rider to kite designer. Information about with who Sky is testing with.

Mikaili Sol and Andrea principi reflect on winning the 2025 Lords of Tram event in Le Barcarès, France. The event has been described as the windiest competition in kiteboarding history with gusts up to 70 knots. Athletes from around the world were tested to the limit to perform extreme moves over 30 meters up in the air. Winning the event Mikaili Sol has become 8X World Champion whilst Andrea now has 3X LOT titles under his name. We discuss together what it takes to become such dominant riders in the sport and what is required away from the water to be 100% prepared. Pressure? What pressure! Both athletes reveal how feeling pressure is a choice and something they do not feel. Rather focusing on being in the moment and concentrating on what moves they are capable of being their secret weapon to success. Living together has helped the duo develop as athletes. By kiting and training on and off the water in Tarifa, they have learned a lot from each other and from the wonderful town in the south of Spain so famous for windsports. We talk about their close relationship to the Duotone R&D team which has resulted in an incredible 10X World Championships between them and an extensive list of individual major event titles around the world.

Duotone Kite Designer Sky Solbach reveals all about the exciting new Rebel D/Lab and the design process behind the kite. The Legendary Rebel being transformed into the revolutionary Rebel D/LAB Join us as we dive deep into the creation of Duotone’s latest groundbreaking kite, the Rebel D/LAB, with Sky Solbach. With over 18 years of experience developing cutting-edge kites, wings, hydrofoils, and surfboards alongside watersports legend Ken Winner, Sky shares his journey and the pioneering innovations that make Duotone the leader in the kiteboarding industry. Discover Sky's extensive experience spanning nearly two decades, working on iconic products from the first Rhinos to the revolutionary Rebel D/LAB today. The Birth of the Rebel D/LAB: Unveil the story behind developing kites using the ultra-advanced material Aluula. Learn about the challenges and milestones in transforming the renowned Rebel into the Aluula-powered Rebel D/LAB. The innovation journey: Get insights on the collaboration between the Duotone R&D team and pro riders like Reno Romeu and Andrea Principi during the testing phase. The unparalleled advantages of the Rebel D/LAB for kiteboarders of all levels, not just professionals. Performance Breakthroughs and big air excellence: Understand how the Rebel D/LAB excels in big air performance, offering incredible jump heights and extended hangtime. The strength of 5 struts: Analyze the benefits of the five-strut design and its impact on stability and performance. Further Sky delves into the benefits of having three seasoned dedicated kite designers and a committed R&D team in combination with the financial capabilities that allow Duotone to experiment and maintain its leadership in innovation. Whether you're a die-hard kiteboarding fan or someone curious about the latest technological advancements in the sport and why Duotone is leading the industry, this episode offers an in-depth view of the exceptional craftsmanship and innovation driving Duotone’s latest success, the Rebel D/LAB. Gain valuable insights straight from an industry veteran and elevate your understanding of what goes into making world-class kiteboarding equipment.

Big air rider Ross-Dillon Player has joined the Duotone Team down in South Africa. At only 24 Ross Dillon Player has been around the big air scene for quite some time, riding for different brands, traveling the world, taking part in photoshoots and competing at a high level. Partaking in 4 Redbull King of the Airs, winning the 2019 RedBull Megaloop in the Netherlands and the 2021 Big Air Kite League event in Cape Town he boasts a healthy competitive portfolio. We speak about the challenges facing young riders from South Africa and why it’s such a top kitesurfing destination. Ross also offers his advice to first time visitors and up and coming kiteboarders. Filling a huge roll, Ross steps into a prestigious position representing South Africa on our Duotone Team.

At only 18 Italian Duotone Rider Adrea Principi has become a 2X World big air Champion and one of the biggest stars in kiteboarding right now. A product of the Duotone youngblood programme, Andrea explains how his connection to his parents and the Dutotone brand is important in his ongoing pursuit of success. Amongst many never been done before tricks, Andrea tells us about his new move ‘The Triple Contra Boardoff’ landed at the DCP pro center whilst training in Mykonos. Yoga, staying focused and free from injury is also important to Andrea and his disciplined approach to keeping in shape is impressive to hear. His current gear set up / quiver makes for a great discussion point and we also find out about his aspirations for the 2023 RedBull King of the Air.

A long term member of the boards and more family, Sky Solbach tells all about his journey on becoming one of the main kite designers for Duotone. Always curious about design Sky tells us about his early modifications adding straps to surfboards with his dad and now shares his excitement of working on the Duotone Kites. Working alongside Ken Winner in Hawaii, Sky has had the perfect mentor and the ideal location in order to develop his design skills. Patri McLaughlin our Duotone team rider plays a big role in testing with Sky who explains that a good relationship between tester and designer is essential for a great product, communicating ‘feeling’ is everything. Concept Blue the new program from Duotone which pushes sustainable design to the limit also makes for a great discussion!

With plenty of years of riding, testing and developing his own gear, Aaron Hadlow is sharing his insights on some important tips and tricks about how to get the most out of your gear - and not damaging it. Year after year, it seems the same topics pop up in conversations at the beach, at the bar, in forums: ”What you really have to do to make your gear work better than the factory recommendation.” Today Aaron tries to clean up the mess and share his thoughts about what works and what not, from the correct bar pressure to how to handle the lines of the bar and much more!

Based in Hawaii, Ken Winner shares his story from being a champion athlete in the windsurfing hall of fame to transitioning to become an innovative designer for windsurfing, kitesurfing and wing foiling. We discover what drove him to become a designer from his interests as a small child all the way to his new found passion for Wing Foiling. Our conversation leads us to talk about the team that Ken works with and his roles with Duotone. We also learn which products that Ken is responsible for and how new materials and technologies have helped Duotone products develop even further.

Liam Whaley, Duotone international team rider, vice big air world champion, vlogger, kite school owner, porsche ambassador and recent winner of the LOTR kiteboarding event. Liam shares with us his jubilation over winning the first GKA big air event of the year in France and how his quest of being world champion has gotten off to a great start. We talk about the impact that the D-LAB kites are having on the sport and how he finds balance juggling a packed schedule in life. Tarifa, the European mecca for windsports is Liam’s home and he explains how that has affected his career. From managing his own kiteschool, working with Porsche, training and producing a very successful vlog, Liam shares his methods for staying in control.