Slingshot Rally 2012 - 10m
I managed to convince my wife that I
needed (as opposed to wanted) a set of new kites and having looked through
various websites and magazines, opted for the Slingshot Rallys. The youtube
videos looked appealing and the Slingshot website suggested that the kite was
very good quality and delivered excellent performance. I spent a couple of days
deciding what size to go for. Loads of people said 12m and 9m. I wasn't
convinced. From what I had read the Rally has a high low end performance. My
last kite had been a 10m and had been pretty much the only kite I had used last
year. 10m and 8m it was then.
Arrival
When the kites arrived the first
thing that struck me was the quality of the bag. The material feels tough and
the zips and clips don't feel like they are going to let you down. The bag has
a neat little pocket and strap on one side for your bar/lines and a holder for
your pump on the other made up of a strap and elastic loops. Simple but both
work really well. The bag has plenty of room in it for your lunch as well as
anything else you need to take along. The shoulder straps on the bag are comfy
too. Last, but not least, the bag comes in black and bright green which looks
awesome. You might think 'its a bag - who cares' but I have seen so many other
companies turn out some real crappy bags which really aren't up to the job and
in some cases, the kite barely fits inside.
As soon as I picked up the bar and
lines I could feel the build quality, the lines look and feel stronger than
other brands I have used and had a nice waxy feel to them. The bar has a nice
and wide hole in the middle and is bored out at an angle and smoothed
to prevent any wear on the centre line. The grip on the bar feels strong to
hold and again, feels like it is very high quality. The de-power adjustment
cleat is situated at the top of the chicken loop (under the bar) which is new
and something different to get used to.
The kite has the one pump system and
only three struts. I have heard that the kites come in random colours so I was
pretty chuffed when my 10m turned up in blue, white and black. The design is
simple but looks sharp and effective. I think most people would agree with me
that the colour and design really does matter. If you and your mates are into
cars then you don't go out and buy a car that looks naff. Looking over the kite
you can see that slingshot have gone to great lengths to prevent the kite from
having weak areas prone to damage. The wing tips and the landing/crash points
on the leading edge are reinforced and look like they will put up a fight. The
kite has three different attachment points for the pigtails for the back lines.
These control the bar pressure and turning speed.
The pump has the usual
Slingshot gauge which is a nice little extra and helps you ensure
that the kite is inflated properly.
Flying
The wind could only manage 15 knots
on my first trip out. I weigh just under 12 stone and thought it might be a bit
light but was itching to get out on the water. The kite pumped up quickly and
effortlessly due to the one pump system. The valve has a little plastic clip
which pops over the top of it once you have pumped the kite up. This is a nice
little touch that secures the valve lid in place to stop any leaking. The
bridle is simple without any pulleys to corrode.
This kite self launched off the
beach with ease. The first thing I noticed about the kite was the
feel in the bar. Without looking I could sense where the kite was in the
window. The next thing I noticed was that I could let go of the bar
and the kite remained at the top of the window without diving off to either
side.
On my first run out from the beach
the kite quickly found where it wanted to be and took me easily upwind, even in
the light conditions. I even managed a few jumps.
The next day the wind had picked up
to about 25 knots. The kite felt like it was in its element. Everything from
turning to jumping was effortless and the gusts were easily dealt with by the
effective de-power on the bar. The kite had plenty of float in it when jumping
and on the occasion that I did ditch it in the water, it relaunched as quickly
as it went down.
Conclusion
The biggest thing for me is quality
and this kite has bundles of it. Everything feels like it will last. On one
occasion I scraped it over an overflow pipe and expected it to at least cause a
tear. no marks whatsoever!
The kite does exactly what slingshot
says it will. It has a really wide wind range with great low end performance.
It also handled the higher end safely with easy and effective de-power.
For these reasons alone it would
make a perfect beginner's kite but is also ideal for any intermediate rider
looking for a strong kite with plenty of grunt (when you want it).
The price is also good compared to
other makes on the market.
I did find something that I didn't
like with the kite. The pump has a little clip on the end of a bungee that is
attached to the kite to keep it in place when inflating it. The clip isn't
really a clip and is more of a hook which I have found unhooks a bit too
easily. This could result in your kite running off down the beach while you
pump it up so just need to keep an eye on it when pumping!
Thats it. Thats the only fault.
I would recommend this kite to
anybody and would be happy to answer any further questions on it.
Big thanks to Alex Southgate for this review, he has been rewarded for his effort with store credit to use on anything in store!
If you would like to have your review featured here and gain store credit, please email: David@S2as.com with your reviews.
