DUOTONE SUPER SESSIONS 5.9M
2020 TEST REVIEW
THE VERDICT
Retaining its rider-focussed pull position, there’s real crispness and precision to the 2020 Duotone Super Hero’s handling, which combined with a super smooth and dynamic power delivery, makes it a doyen of the wave riding arena.
OVERVIEW
Duotone describe the Super Session as the ideal engine to partner ‘freewave and small freeride boards’, with the versatility to mix it between flat water and waves. Sitting next to the Super Hero in the Duotone range, the brand is quick to highlight the differences between the two, namely the draft position of each. So whilst the Super Hero has its centre of effort located low and back, around the rider for crisp neutral handling, the Super Session’s power is located higher and further forward in its profile. The end result is a sail said to have very different mannerisms – generating lift for early planing, whilst feeling light, crisp and direct in nature. Duotone have gone to town on their website to help their clientele decipher which sensation is best for them, even listing the compatibility of the other brands’ masts and sails in a quiver! It is a very honest approach and, in our opinion, should be commended, informing the consumer as best as possible. Rigged here on a Platinum 430 cm RDM, the Super Session is easy to downhaul, requiring little tension to achieve leech looseness within the prescribed VTS (Visual Trim System) markings (said to have been increased in sizes 5.6 and above for more control). The hollow leech scoop remains evident just above the clew, and the Super Session continues to feature the brand’s concept of pre-tensioned battens, where the sail is ready to go, straight out of the bag. The principle of the concept is to mitigate human error on the rider’s part … yet we really struggle to resist the temptation of using the new torx key to tension the lower two battens at the very least, what with all the crinkles along the length of the batten pocket. Tested here in standard construction, with x-ply foot and clew panels, and monofilm luff and upper panels, the Super Session is also available in an HD construction, using x-ply throughout. One final note – the sizes available in the Super Session range have swelled significantly for 2020, with ten now available from 4.0 to 6.7, ensuring its compatibility for most quivers.
BRAND CLAIM
“Freewave boards are amongst the best selling on the market. The SUPER SESSION has been developed specifically for this category.”
PERFORMANCE
Using the Super Session in light marginal conditions, it has a very light and ‘pumpable’ nature, where the rider has a true sense of feel and connection with the mast. As pressure builds in a gust, the feedback comes through both hands, and a well-timed pump generates a real spring and surge forward. It’s as if the whole sail with all its panels are in use and geared towards getting you on the plane. Once going the sail quickly settles into a comfortable stance, sort of halfway house between upright and locked in, where it can adapt to various riding styles. Power delivery is smooth and balanced, its high and forward position generating good lift without pulling the rider out of shape or to their toes during gusts. Instead, it has a light and forgiving nature, encouraging them to enter transitions actively and positively, before going neutral and airy as it is sheeted out. More manoeuvre-oriented in nature than blasting, it has both natural and tuning range, which can be put to great use as the wind increases, settling any rearward movement in the draft. And given its easy handling, forward facing drive and ‘pumpable’ bottom end, the Super Session remains an excellent exponent for entry/freeride foiling too.
VITAL STATS
Size: 5.9
Luff: 443 cm
Boom: 179 cm
Battens: 5
Ideal Mast: Duotone 430 cm RDM
Available Sizes: 4.0,4.2,4.5,4.7,5.0,5.3,5.6,5.9, 6.3,6.7
Price: £609 HD £659
Other sails in this test:
THE LINE UP