Duotone Evo SLS 2027 — No Flex Strut, More Progressive Bar Feel

Last of the 2027 kites, and for a lot of people the most relevant one. The Evo SLS is the do-everything kite at a price that isn't the D/LAB, and this year it gets four changes — including one removal that's more interesting than any of the additions.

Five to 13m, in light-lime/grey, red/purple, or undyed Concept Blue.

The Flex Strut has gone

Removing a feature is a braver move than adding one, and Duotone have taken the Flex Strut out in the name of stable, responsive handling. Combined with higher structural stiffness — the kite now runs 9 PSI up to 10m and 8 PSI from 11m — the frame is doing more of the work and there's less give in the system. Expect a more direct, more connected feel than the outgoing kite.

More progressive bar pressure

There's a new canopy profile specifically for more progressive bar pressure. That's the change that will matter most day to day: progressive pressure means the bar tells you where the kite is through the whole stroke rather than loading up all at once, which makes timing a jump or a turn far more intuitive. The tip canopy connection has also been optimised for cleaner airflow and better stability.

Evo SLS or Evo D/LAB?

Worth being straight about this: the D/LAB is a genuinely better kite — lighter, more reactive, bigger wind range, and it landed back in August. But the SLS is not a lesser version of the same thing, it's a different proposition. It goes down to 5m where the D/LAB starts at 6m, it comes in Concept Blue if that matters to you, and it costs meaningfully less. Nobody who buys an SLS is settling; they're buying the kite that fits.