At a GlanceThe Slingshot Fuel is arguably the kite with the oldest heritage on the market today. There isn’t another kite out there that has held the same name, or the same fundamental design concept. Sure the Rhino is still called the Rhino, but the actual design of the kite is so far removed from the original C shape beast that you can’t really argue the heritage case.
Over the years the Fuel has become synonymous with high performance and power. It has set the benchmark in the past as a kite surfing kite that needs to be tamed and only certain riders are up to the job. It has never been for the feint hearted.
Back in the day guys like Ben Wilson and Jeff Tobias were pushing the limits of this kite around the globe. But as ever the old makes way for the new and now it is the turn of Ruben Lenten to fly the Slingshot torch. He has been riding the Fuel for a few years now but 2009 sees for the first time the kite being designed around the rider. It is his signature pro model kite that you will be getting your hands on. Rest assured the build quality is up to its usual Slingshot standard, and we doubt Ruben would settle for anything but the best!
The Bar
The kite comes with three options for the bar, you can opt for the Lenten Pro Model, which comes with 4 lines and just the O’Shit handles for safety. Or there is a 5th line version, which gives you all the advantages of a 5th line set up. Lastly is the 4 line Profire Control Bar. Which was the set up we used.
The Profire bar uses a Centre Safety System, which allows the kite to flag out on one of the front lines when it is engaged. This assures complete depower and also is designed so that the kite won’t twist when it is deployed allowing you to reengage the system and carry on your session. The bar itself oozes quality and there are some great graphic detailing on it. We know it isn’t all about the colours, but it does make it very easy on the eye!
In the Air
We had had a few warnings about the Fuel before we rode it, tales of pro riders getting spanked by it when they weren’t paying enough attention. So we treated the kite with all due care and caution. What we found was a super stable canopy that pulls like a train. It actually isn’t all that scary once it is in the sky either, just as long as you leave it their tracking through the window. The real fear gets switched on when you start to engage it in a loop, but more about that later.
Obviously designing a kite for Ruben it is going to have certain characteristics and we would say that unless you are at the top of your freestyle game and looking for the tools to match the skills then look away now. As a free ride kite you will find it fairly slow and sluggish in the turns, this isn’t a kite that turns on a sixpence. But if you want to smash out handle passes all day long and need a kite that will sit in the window exactly where you left it at take off then this is what it does exceptionally well. It really hardly moves and takes a fair bit of rider input into the bar to get the kite to turn with any real pace.
Jumping is good and the kite really launches the rider off the water and gives some impressive float for what is essentially still a c-shape design. And of course while you are up there it would seem a shame to not engage the true nature of the beast and chuck it into a loop or two. Of course being an 11m it doesn’t lend itself to Rubens trademark Mega Loop too well, but you can kite loop it and discover the ridiculous power it generates in the turns. It is bordering on the very scary to insane, the smaller kitesurfing kites in the range are of course faster and the really small kites are designed with high wind big tricks in mind. The 11m though does what you’d expect it too, pull like a truck and keep on pulling without moving too much in the window throughout your move.
Pros
If you want to ride top-level freestyle and demand the qualities you would expect from a kite designed for those duties then the Fuel fits the bill very well. You also have the exceptional attention to detail and build quality too.
Cons
A lot of riders used to ride Fuels and they weren’t so specific in their nature, this year if you aren’t dedicated to freestyle then consider the Slingshot Rev or the Slingshot RPM; the Fuel is definitely a dedicated machine.
Overall
Rubens first Pro Model kite and it does exactly what you would expect it to do, don’t be fooled if your skills aren’t up to it. The Rev delivers far more bang for your buck in terms of the free ride stable.