North Technology Group (NTG) has announced it will make a significant investment in its brand, North Kiteboarding.
The company is bringing the design, innovation, and manufacturing of its products home under the umbrella of the group and ending its third-party licensing agreement.
The decision arrives weeks after the announcement by Boards & More, the co-founders of North Windsurf and North Kiteboarding, that they were set to launch a new brand - Duotone - on August 1, 2018.
According to NTG, the firm will support North Kiteboarding's newly established world-class leadership team to produce a full product range, sharing and harnessing North's unrivaled technology innovations across all components of wind-powered craft - foils, technology, masts, and boards.
The first new North product range is currently under development and will be released globally in August 2019, while simultaneously tapping into the firepower of the NTG to develop new products for all North riders and the wider kiting community.
NTG believes that North Kiteboarding will be stronger than ever under a new, more efficient business model.
The team will soon reveal a new brand experience that will enhance its connection with the kiteboarding community through its products, retailers, and digital channels.
"We have so much technology within our group which we can better share with our fellow lovers of wind and waves," notes Tom Whidden, CEO of NTG.
"Sailing and kiting are equipment-driven sports. When you have the best gear, being out there in the wind, on the water is so much better, In fact, it's the greatest feeling on earth."
America's Cup Matters
NTG's says that recent world firsts with America's Cup hydrofoiling, masts, and North 3Di composite sail innovations as well as Solar airplane prototyping present opportunities to adapt and cross over into kiteboarding, that can only be fully realized by producing their own gear through the North Kiteboarding brand.
The owners of the North brands stress that the new leadership team behind North Kiteboarding is made up of experienced industry innovators and leaders, determined to make kiteboarding more accessible, sustainable, innovative and exciting.
"Our team is working very hard to leverage years of experience and passion to develop a high-performance range of gear," adds David Mead, director of manufacturing and operations at North Kiteboarding.
"It's great to be working closely with the NTG's composite engineers and designers, as well as leveraging the unmatched aero and hydro expertise the Group has within its portfolio. It's a fascinating time for the sport."
The North Technology Group will make further announcements in late 2018.