I was in Holland on a Slingshot kite / kiteboard test and this is my personal review of the new Slingshot Rev.
As I got the kite out of the bag I could see that the bag had not changed from the 2007 kites, but hey it’s a bag! As I was pumping the kite up I did see that the bridle was very small, now this is something I really like as with long bridles you can get tangles very easy. The kite still has the original and best one-pump system, the graphics are the usual Slingshot style “in your face” - again this is something I think is unique about Slingshot.
Now on any bridle my first question is pulleys – how many? And what have you done to prevent wear from the pulleys? My questions were answered as I took a closer look at the pulleys I could see that the pig tail use to attached the pulleys to the kite/bridle was used in a way that I have never seen on ANY kite before and when I asked why, it all made sense! It keeps the pulley from pulling to one side and creating friction and ware. Now I know this is a small thing, but it all makes a big difference on the water after 4 months of use.
Bar & Lines:
I personally am made up with what Slingshot have done here; 800lb lines (stronger than any other Slingshot kite before now and the Rev is a simple 4 line kite; no options for 5 lines just simple. ‘Rider simplicity’ that’s what Slingshot are all about. The bar itself has been changed, but only to the trained eye.
They have put a solid metal insert into the bar to stop chicken loop rope wearing too fast and used a better EVA grip on the bar a bit like a expensive wakeboard handle.
The lock and load chicken loop is still here so it looks pretty much the same apart from one major thing - The safety stem!
Now this is new and I was told by Slingshot that I could let the bar out on the re-ride and recover the bar and still re-launch the kite with ease. To be fair every kiteboarding company says that and to date not one is true, so I thought it best to not go and try this out of my depth… just in case.
So I put the kite up above my head unhooked and let the bar go - the kite had instant de-power and dropped from the sky onto the water, the bar went about 15 meters up the center line and the kite laid out flat, normally at the stage you’re on a long swim back to shore!
Now the kite was leading edge down facing me and any one who owns or has flown any hybrid or bow kite will know this is not a good position to be in.
I pulled in the center safety line until I could reach the control bar re-hooked myself in and looked down at the bar, I saw the center safety line whizzing back though the bar until all 4 lines where taut again.
The kite then swung round back into the re-launch position, I pulled on the outside/steering line and the kite just re-launched off the water back above my head… nice!
So I know the kite re-launches well, I know the kite has a very good safety system, but I still don’t know how stable the kite is above my head or how well it flies in strong winds… Keep reading!
Stability:
Now this is a big issue with kites; we need a kite that is very stable in the sky in both clean and gusty winds this is how it went.
I walk out into the water with the kite above my head about 40 meters away from land and everyone else (I was thinking the worst). I unhooked the kite and tried to make the Slingshot Rev over fly and drop from the sky; however it was just sitting there perfectly. So I pulled very hard on the bar down to my knees and back up above my head but the kite would not over-fly at all!
Now I was really impressed, but that was just the start!
Anyone knows if you walk under a kite that is above your head it will fall from the sky. Newbies make this mistake all the time when leaning to jump (they do not re-direct the kite on landing) and just walking up the beach, or if its gusty at your local beach the kite will rock back into the wind and then surge forward over your head and drop from the sky; hence you need to keep most kites moving in these conditions.
Remember I am still unhooked - the kite is not falling back into the wind at all like other kites - so I ran under the kite about 5 meters and the kite just rocked back with me until it was back above my head. So I did it again, and again, until I was running about 30 meters under the kite and the kite just kept gliding back into the wind and above my head. I was blown away by this!
How could a kite with so much performance have such good stability? I know there is a secret but Slingshot aren’t going to tell me that’s for sure!
One thing left to do…. Fly!
Well on this day it wasn’t possible as the wind was only around 10-13 knots max! But still I was up and riding an 11m with some good power (not super powered, but good)
Later that day everyone was going for dinner and myself, Lewis (UK kite boarding Champion) Justin, Stacey and Brian from Slingshot all decided “we can eat anytime lets go and kite!” The wind was picking up and we were all damn keen.
We got to the beach and it was 20+ knots - sweet!
Everyone was rushing around to be the first out on the new Slingshot Rev fully powered up.
First out was Justin (this guy is so quick on setup your never beat him to the water) on a 9 meter Rev and he had the kite parked and powered. Now I was just about ready to go and I looked out to sea only to see Justin do what I can only describe as a massive jump with huge distance covered and I think to myself, “Should I be putting this 11m up?” - But hey someone had to test the high end of the kite! I was ready then and there so Brian from Slingshot put my Rev in the air, but the kite did not feel that powered? So I pulled in on the bar and went about 5 feet in the air… Nice!
Out on the water both the 9 and 11m Revs were powered and both riders the same weight. Now that’s great as it tells us the kites have a large wind range. My safety was on the new Slingshot centreline safety system as I had a lot of power in the kite when I wanted it.
Now I don’t know about you guys (and girls) but I am always talking to people about those crazy days on the water where the wind is light and you just mess around and try new stuff that you know you won’t land but it’s nice to try. These days don’t come around often, but when they do I try to make the most of them. Well myself and Justin had one of those days in 20 knot wind! Now I have never had one of those days in 20 knots - it‘s just too dangerous, but I just felt so safe on this kite. I dropped the kite trying new stuff on the centreline safety system over 8 times with no tangles or failures at all… now that is a kite I am happy with.
What’s the best way to describe this kite? The stability of the Turbo 2 with the safety of a bow kite and the performance of the Fuel.
Try one ASAP - I promise you will be blow away I was.
Angelo
S2AS Team
www.S2AS.com
