Review
Slingshot Rally Review
I’ve been riding with my Slingshot Rally’s since last autumn, and will here give a small review of the best kite I’ve tried to date in the waves.
2012 Slingshot Rally is the second version of the shape Slingshot calls an “Open Delta C”, which blends the features of C-Fuel and RPM with the delta kite’s wind range and depower performances, and the result is for sure worth a test!
There is really no significant changes from the first edition, the new version is rather a result of optimization. The bridles have been tweaked so that the kite now has more precise control and the balance of the kite makes unhooked and drifting properties top notch. Some extra reinforcements have been added to the wingtips where the 3 pigtails attach, so you can trim the kite, depending on how much bar pressure you desire. For those who remember the split struting from the past, this is now back, and gives the kite a great stability.
As I started writing, I find this kite especially suitable for wave riders, but Slingshot Rally will also be the perfect kite for free riders as well as the beginner. Common to both is that you want a kite that is so easy to handle as possible so that you can concentrate on anything but the kite.
The kite control is quick, which is a result from the short bridle that comes without any pulleys. There is such a good feeling with the kite, it is extremely easy to manage. Slingshot Rally also has a huge wind range with an unmatched depower. There are many kites can be drifting hooked, but Rally drifts also unhooked and if it stalls, so it makes it to the “good way”, so it is easy to catch again. Whether it is because the kite only has 3 struts, is very light, or if it is the balance of the kite that gives it its drifting properties I do not know, but the result is just perfect.
Last but not least, there’s no pull in the turns. There are perhaps some who do not think this is so cool, but it’s a different style which people prefer. I think it is very important in the waves, so you will not be torn away from the wave in the bottom of the turn, so you can always position yourself where the wave breaks, so you can utilize the wave all the time. Also in strapless aerials and airs it is an advantage not to get ripped off by the board, and for beginners, it also means that you are not punished by any fault input. And when it happens, the kite is easier than easy to water start again.
So just to recap:
The kite is quick
The kite has no pulleys
The kite has only 3 struts
The kite water starts easy
The kite has no pull in turns
The kite has a direct bar feeling
The kite is going really well upwind
The kite drifts perfectly – even unhooked
The kite has a very simple and short bridle set-up
The kite has Slingshots tested one-pump system
The picture above shows the very simple and short bridle set-up without pulleys
Above seen is slingshot’s one-pump system that many other brands choose to pay a license to use. Please also note the small closure feature on the inflate valve (far right in picture), which means you can hammer the kite into the ground or water without popping the plug out.
I really thought much about anything negative about the kite, and I had to find something, it must be that the fabric can flapper a little when the wind is very strong and gusty. But if that is what you have to pay to get a kite with 3 struts with somewhat less direct kite control, with a very short and simple bridle without pulleys, which drifts perfectly and is so easy to ride unhooked – then I can live with that =)
Slingshot bar is also right in the eye. Not so much bullshit and no frills. It just works perfectly with a quick release, easy to keep around unhooked. If you choose to release, the system is so easy to assemble, it can be done in the water without any problems. There are deepower the bar and the bar has a swivel which prevents lines from twisting. (Which happen if you rotate many times around the same axis). The bar seems a little heavy when you just hold it by hand on land but on water it just feels really good in your hands.
Finally, there is a very handy bag that can both be opened at the top and is has a side zipper. The bag is spacious enough to fit the kite, bar and pump, but if you prefer you can also secure the pump and bar on the sides of the bag.
Overall a very positive review, but it is also very hard to find something negative to write about with this amazing kite. The Rally will not be the first choice for those who want to ride freestyle, but for freeride, waves and beginners it is spot on. Nor am I alone in this assumption, since testers from around the world all come with the same very positive feedback.
The Rally comes in the following sizes:
Sizes: 4m, 6m, 8m, 9m, 10m, 12m, 14m
Let me know if me if there are any items that you require more information about.
/ Raphael
Patrick Rebstock with his Slingshot Rally:
Here are some more reviews of the Slingshot Rally:
https://www.kiteboardingreview.com/kitereviews/20-slingshot/97-slingshot-rally-2011
https://www.sbckiteboard.com/2011-kite-review-display?news_id=1764
https://www.forcesix.com/2011-slingshot-rally-review.html
https://www.sbckiteboard.com/2012-kite-reviews-display?news_id=1867
Slingshot RPM 10m & 12m 2009 Review
By Slingshot kiter
I had the opportunity to kite a Slingshot RPM for three days in Sun Juan, one 10m and one 12m. My first kite was a Slingshot Fuel, then I moved to Turbo 2 and 3 and now I’m riding with a REV2. I always liked Slingshots products, but I´ve also been kiting Flexifoil and Ozone.
Anyway, let me tell you what I think about the 2009 RPM.
The turning speed on the kite is fast and what is also interesting is the way the kite turns, which is very tight. Some kites rotate in kites and bow kites tend to slide through turns and SLE’s such as the REV usually turns in an arc. The Slingshot RPM instead tends to almost pivot around its wingtip. Moreover, the kite doesn’t lose much power when you turn it, in fact you can actually gain power without having to turn the kite right up towards the sky. My REV2 turns a little faster, but the RPM turns tighter and it responds immediately.
The RPM is also very stable. I was expecting to have more or less wind since it was quite gusty the three days I kited, but the kite absorbed the gust very nicely and it didn’t dold in when the wind died like many others of the kites did. The 3-strut design makes the kite light and it doesn’t take much space when you pack it.
The jumping was amazing! The kite pulled you up and then you float a long time in the air and there was lots of tension on the way down. I never dropped like a stone which I did with my old Turbos. This could of course be a reason of that I´m better at kiting now and I know what I do, but the thing is that the kite was much more predictable.
In lighter wind I could still play around and be able to ride upwind or carve down a small wave. The kite didn’t got slow when I depowered and the bar pressure was perfect, not to light and not to heavy. I kept the lines attached to the outermost wing tip knot.
Another thing I noticed is that when you dive the kite you get power immediately and are ready to go again. My REV2 is more dependent on wind.
On overall I don’t really have anything negative to say about the RPM 2009. I never tried to kite unhooked, but I heard that the kite should be good for that purpose.
Good wind!
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