The partners’ first project together was adding fitness exercises tailored to the sport to the Duotone Academy app last year, with guidance from Porsche motorsport racers and their coaches. Now they have added another milestone: a limited-edition Porsche kite. Designed by Florian Panther, Creative Director of Duotone, it has become available as of 18 October and is being built in a very limited production run of 222 units.
Florian Panther was largely inspired by Porsche’s history and its motorsport DNA, which he absorbed by visiting the Porsche Museum. That he has loved Porsche since he was a child also played a role. The limited-run Porsche Edition contains many car-specific elements. The Creative Director himself describes the result as “a kite with a dynamically reduced design language”. „There is just so much to see on these cars, especially when it comes to motor-sports”, is how Florian Panther describes his source of inspiration. “At the same time, there is no model so much connected to Porsche as the 911.”
The 911 model designation is a significant design characteristic of the kite. The aspects that are inspired by motorsports include the wheelarch vent slits, a racing number and arrows that would point to the tow hooks on a real racing car. Moreover, the Porsche Edition kite also bears the tapering form of the Porsche Crest.
Support for young talent
Part of the proceeds from sales of the kite will be going to Duotone’s programme promoting young talent. The kite brand’s Young Blood initiative aims to give young people the opportunity to develop on different levels and facilitate their entry into professional sport. Alongside physical aspects, the initiative includes meetings with professional sportspeople and training in social media and sponsorship acquisition. This year, Porsche also began supporting the Young Blood programme.
“We want to make a contribution to promoting kitesurfing with our partners,” says Deniz Keskin, Head of Brand Management and Partnerships at Porsche. “We are delighted to be making this tangible in the form of the first product for kitesurfers that we have designed together – the first of many future projects. It’s also very important to us that our support will enable Duotone’s Young Blood talent programme to keep growing in the coming years.”
Porsche and kitesurfing – a perfect match
Last autumn, the sports car manufacturer announced its commitment to the further development of kitesurfing – complementing its long-standing sponsorship of tennis and golf. Along with its cooperation with Duotone, Porsche also sponsors the Red Bull King of the Air kitesurfing competition. The company also supports athletes Liam Whaley and Rita Arnaus.
