Ocean Rodeo Duke (2015)

THE DUKE, A NOBLE ADDITION TO THE MAKO FAMILY

The Mako Duke is not a surf board ported over for kiteboarding; its roots are firmly planted firmly in the Mako family - boards designed purely for kiting that we’ve been refining since 2002. 

When we started on the Mako Duke we had a 13 year data base to draw from in terms of rocker, volume distribution, concave depth and diffusion, not to mention templates and fin and strap configurations. 

The first version of the Duke hit the water about 4 years ago. We wanted the same hard carving, chop eating characteristics of the Mako with superior strapped and strapless performance in a wide range of conditions. We wanted a "one board does it all” directional that travelled well (fits in a golf bag) and delivered fun in whatever conditions you found when you got to the beach be it flat water big kite sessions, high wind chop blasting, or slashing deep into the pit of a green monster. Once we had the shape and performance sorted, we needed bomber Mako strength. We couldn’t put the Mako name on a fragile surfboard of the traditional construction method. 

Dimensions: 5’4 x 18 1/2” 
Volume: 25.3 liters

FORM AND CONSTRUCTION

So once again, as we did in 2002, we looked outside to snowboard and ski technology.

The Mako Duke is made with our propriety Rampart construction technique. A high density EPS foam core is laminated with biaxial fiberglass cloth, epoxy resin, and multi layers of Rampart Skin.  The foam core and laminate layers are compression molded in a precision aluminium CNC cut block to create an incredibly strong, light and consistently shaped board each and every time. Coming in at 7.8 lbs (3.5kg), the Duke has a finish similar to that of a snowboard or skis to deliver a new level ding and scratch resistance. The flex and torsion twist is crisp and snappy and will stay that way longer than boards of traditional production methods.

The thruster fin setup is supported by Futures boxes. The side thruster fins are placed well back towards the tail; this allows for tight snappy transitions and carves at low to medium speeds while for high speed top to bottom carving the massive 17 mm deep concave holds your edge while driving through turns.  At high speed the Duke relies less on the fins and more on the bite of the concave and tucked rail. With the thruster fins pushed to the tail, backwards riding and moves like kick flips and shuvits are easy to master.

Forget the messy wax. We've gone full EVA deck grip, tip to tail; it makes foot transitions and strapless riding a joy. Weight-saving holes have been strategically placed in the EVA deck because we believe that every gram of weight saved on the deck can be put back into making the board stronger.