RPM
2012 Slingshot RPM
Slingshot’s RPM has was a great kite already when it was released year 2009. The RPM is now released in its 4th version, tuned to perfection! You´re probably familiar with Ruben Lenten and Youri Zoon. Ruben is the guy’s that make insane kiteloops, Youri is the world’s kiteboarder champion. Perhaps is it a coincident that they both ride with Slingshot or perhaps do other kite manufacturers simply not produce kites that are good enough for those who requires top performance?
12011 Slingshot RPM Review
At a glance
The bottom end of the RPM seems to have been improved and we 
managed to get up on the board and ride in winds as low as 14 knots. Just pilot the kite through the wind window which increases the bottom end significantly, and it gets you going. The RPM flies upwind easily when you power up and it gives you nice boosts and floats with great precision at all time. The rock solid construction also provides great stability and we were impressed of the way that the RPM handles various wind conditions. Strong gusts are smoothened out which gives you confidence to perform tricks even when the wind is a bit to rough. The line swivel is a small, but great innovation since you don’t have to worry about your front lines getting tangled up and you don’t have to mess with bar after a break on land. Small thing like this swivel, adjustable bar settings, strong lines, reliable construction etc make the kite an overall user friendly kite without and annoying things to bother about. The RPM is the kite’s Volvo or Ferrari depending on how you look at it. It turns fast, gives great boost and loops fast and powerful. It relaunches with ease and is a pleasure to fly. Also a great kite for unhooked tricks since it generates good amount of pull when popping. Its park and popping performances are among the best on the market and there is no surprise that Youri Zoonand other pro´s are nailing 900’s and other insane tricks, it all becames a lot easier with the RPM. Without hesitation on of the best kites on the market suitable both for advanced riders and beginners that need a kite they don’t have to exchange as they progress.Conclusion
The 2010 RPM was a great kite and it´s no big surprise that Slingshot has chosen to tune up an already winning concept with some improvements when it comes to wind range, stability and rigidity. The RPM is now a very refined kite and you really get value for this kite, which besides has a good second hand value as well. Slingshot has set the bar high for all competitors this year and it will be interesting to see if they can match this monster. In fact with RPM, Slingshot might squeeze the market for the also very popular Fuel which from now on may be the choice for the more extreme and aggresive form of kitesurfing. For more information on the 2011 RPM check out Slingshot’s Official Site or visit Kiteboarding Review
Slingshot RPM 10m Review
I recently had a session with a Slingshot RPM 10m, 2009 version. A hybrid kite, i.e. a combination of a traditional c-kite and a bow kite.
First impression:
The kite is extremely robust and well constructed. The leader lines are reinforced to withstand really tough conditions! I´ve been riding kites from many different manufactures such as Cabrinha Crossbow, Royal, EH etc… but none can compare to Slingshot when it comes to construction. No wonder Ruben Lenten and Youri Zoon rides with Slingshot!
In the air:
The RPM is positioned a little back in wind window making it almost immune to gusts. You can let go of the bar and the kite is just parked there in the sky. The handling is fast, the kite immidiately response on your manouvers. You could have wished more from the RPM when it comes to jumping. The hang time is simply not very good and it feels like you fall down quite fast from the sky, but perhaps is it just me that isn’t good enough to control the kite in the sky… though I feel that I can jump a lot higher and more controlled with bow-kites.
The bar:
The bar has a metal aluminium core which makes it strong and indestructible. Slingshot are still obstinate when it comes to the the lines that goes through the bar, they look like some cheap rope bought in a store for sailing and they do get worn out quite “fast”. What you can do is to put some wax on the ropes, not only will it make them slide easier through the bar, but make it less vulnerable to wear. The depower strap is also quite shitty, you pull it down and attach it in some kind of cleat stolen from a sailboat and it works in the same way, it just tends to wear the rope. These ropes also have a tendency to scrape against you fingers when you ride with one hand placed on the middle of the bar. Conclusion is that bars where the center lines is wrapped in a plastic tube is much more comfortable!
Overall:
The RPM is great kite. The bar could be more comfortable, but I guess that is something Slingshot have worked with and I assume that bars from 2011 are nicer than this 2009 version. The RPM is a pro kite and my feeling is that you must be an advanced rider you fully enjoy this kite.
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Why Slingshot?
Are you a freestyle kiter that is tired of your old dusty kites? Do you think that your kites are to slow and not powerful enough to make tricks and give you big air? Perhaps is it time to try something new? I asked the Slingshot Support which of their kites they though I should pick, here is the answer:
The kite that I think would fit your style best is out RPM. The RPM is our Open C style kite. It is a strong freestyle Kite which is currently leadering on the PKRA Pro tour. But the kite is still manageable in the surf and down in line kiting. It is a 3 strut kite with split strut in the 2011 Model. This gives the kite great lighter wind capabilety do to it lighter weight 3 strut canopy. I have attached a link to the RPM page on our website. This will give you more detail on the kite and the style on riding the kite was designed for. Let me know if you have any other questions about the kite or any of our other products.
Here is the link to the Slingshot RPM 2011 version
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!
12011 Slingshot RPM
It’s finally here, the 2011 slingshot RPM!
The RPM was the first kite to win a PKRA Championship, in fact it was the first “Open C” kite to win. Perhaps had it something to do with the rider, but still, the Slingshot RPM is a great kite!
A new thing with RPM this year is that it only has 3 struts and it delivers enormous amount of high end power and is suitable for all kind of riders, freestylers, wakestylers, beginners, you name it, this is a kite that everyone will enjoy!
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