Duotone Select

The Select is Duotone’s super accessible freeride option. Not for newbies but for pretty much everyone else. It’s been a dependable workhorse – with that extra bit of flair – for the last couple of seasons, so how does it stack up under the new Duotone colors? We tested the standard version, and it’s relatively light, 3.85kg loaded to be exact with a noticeably low swing weight. There’s also a durable matt finish which will take sand scratches, being thrown in the back of a van, or overly aggressive baggage handlers in its stride. The Entity pads and straps are quite complex to fit and adjust but, once you get them right, are very snug and comfortable. Hidden under the footpads are interchangeable inserts built in to adjust how much shock absorption you want in the heel area. This is an intelligent way to make sure the pads suit varying rider weights. The stance is very tuneable on the now familiar track system.

On the water and straight away the Select planes early and is a very comfortable board to ride. The slightly tapered but boxy outline hammers upwind with ease. Couple this with a soft and friendly flex pattern and the full length stepped concave make light work of ironing out the chop. The abundance of grip and flex then allows you to build power, and edge and release easily giving you a brilliantly consistent initiation to your tricks. These attributes also transfer perfectly over into the boosting. Once you’re fully stacked, the Select can store up a considerable amount of power and maintain speed once things get bouncy. You can then release this very simply and cleanly and get some decent airtime. For landings, the board is relying more on flex than shape, being relatively low rocker and flat based, so if you come in hot, you need to be positioned perfectly to stick it clean. Considering its mid-table position in the Duotone range, it’s an extremely capable board which will suit all but the most advanced freestylers, who will want a bit more channel and rocker to smooth out fast and harsh landings from technical tricks.

In a sentence: If you ride predominantly in straps then Select is an absolute diamond – forgiving, accessible and high performance all at once…