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Slingshot Foil Kite (is it really an Elf?) Update: Yes, it's an Elf

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windrider1
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Re: Slingshot Foil Kite (is it really an Elf?)

Postby windrider1 » Thu Aug 17, 2017 4:41 pm

I used to like slingshot but lately have just been put off by them . Their horrible graphics on their boards in the past few years are just a turnoff to me . Seems like the designer spends most of his time doing some sort of drugs before he begins work as no clear minded person would design such shitty depressing graphics. No wonder i have only seen 1 other slingshot board at my spot. and its a shame because they do make a decent boards. And Now with the almost 4000 usd price tag for a their new kite are u kidding me?? ..slinsghot what new features did u bring to foil kites that justify your ridiculously high prices. We really need some new quality players in the foil kite market as it seems these company take us riders for fools and will continue to push yhe envelope when it comes to prices.

socommk23
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Re: Slingshot Foil Kite (is it really an Elf?)

Postby socommk23 » Thu Aug 17, 2017 6:35 pm

windrider1 wrote:
Thu Aug 17, 2017 4:41 pm
I used to like slingshot but lately have just been put off by them . Their horrible graphics on their boards in the past few years are just a turnoff to me . Seems like the designer spends most of his time doing some sort of drugs before he begins work as no clear minded person would design such shitty depressing graphics. No wonder i have only seen 1 other slingshot board at my spot. and its a shame because they do make a decent boards. And Now with the almost 4000 usd price tag for a their new kite are u kidding me?? ..slinsghot what new features did u bring to foil kites that justify your ridiculously high prices. We really need some new quality players in the foil kite market as it seems these company take us riders for fools and will continue to push yhe envelope when it comes to prices.
$4000? Ouch

Mossy 757
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Re: Slingshot Foil Kite (is it really an Elf?)

Postby Mossy 757 » Thu Aug 17, 2017 6:46 pm

According to their website the 11m is $2775 USD (I'm in the US so I'm not calculating VAT or export duties). The 15m is $3280, the 18m is $3780.

Given that you could get a new race kite for that money, I'm curious why there isn't really ANY info whatsoever on their site about why this kite is worth owning.

BTW, they pretty much say it's just a re-badged Elf on their website:

http://imgur.com/a/cxx9T

socommk23
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Re: Slingshot Foil Kite (is it really an Elf?)

Postby socommk23 » Thu Aug 17, 2017 10:06 pm

Mossy 757 wrote:
Thu Aug 17, 2017 6:46 pm
According to their website the 11m is $2775 USD (I'm in the US so I'm not calculating VAT or export duties). The 15m is $3280, the 18m is $3780.

Given that you could get a new race kite for that money, I'm curious why there isn't really ANY info whatsoever on their site about why this kite is worth owning.

BTW, they pretty much say it's just a re-badged Elf on their website:

http://imgur.com/a/cxx9T
As the fone diablo is a gin kite.

Still doesn't look to be bringing anything new to the game. It's not a race kite. Everyone else is so far ahead of the development curve. It won't win anything. So why have they bothered? Because there are people who will buy what the top sponsored rider fly i guess? The North ace hasn't really done anything. The lf elite has all but fallen off the face of the scene. This train has left the station.....and a few have missed it.

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Re: Slingshot Foil Kite (is it really an Elf?)

Postby Mossy 757 » Thu Aug 17, 2017 10:52 pm

socommk23 wrote:
Thu Aug 17, 2017 10:06 pm
Mossy 757 wrote:
Thu Aug 17, 2017 6:46 pm
According to their website the 11m is $2775 USD (I'm in the US so I'm not calculating VAT or export duties). The 15m is $3280, the 18m is $3780.

Given that you could get a new race kite for that money, I'm curious why there isn't really ANY info whatsoever on their site about why this kite is worth owning.

BTW, they pretty much say it's just a re-badged Elf on their website:

http://imgur.com/a/cxx9T
As the fone diablo is a gin kite.

Still doesn't look to be bringing anything new to the game. It's not a race kite. Everyone else is so far ahead of the development curve. It won't win anything. So why have they bothered? Because there are people who will buy what the top sponsored rider fly i guess? The North ace hasn't really done anything. The lf elite has all but fallen off the face of the scene. This train has left the station.....and a few have missed it.
Which sucks, because the Phantom could have totally been a competitor of the Hyperlink if they knew what they were doing, but I guess they just wanted to release an outmoded product just to say they did...?

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Re: Slingshot Foil Kite (is it really an Elf?) Update: Yes, it's an Elf

Postby wvickers » Thu Aug 24, 2017 2:13 am

I personally like the graphics on the LEI Slingshot kites since they are simplistic and traditional. To each his own.
And certainly no one is making a sexy looking foil kite yet ?

You can make the Slingshot Ghost Whisperer into a race capable foil by swapping the free ride wings for the Moses Comet wings.
As most know, the Ghost Whisperer is a long race mast like the Comet but has the free ride oriented wings similar to the Moses Fluente but can be swapped to full race wings.
Moses and Slingshot Ghost Whisperer share the same fuselage too. i.e just like Moses, it's very easy to upgrade the Ghost Whisperer to a full on race foil.
Similar to the new Phantom kite having some Elf influence, The Ghost Whisperer foil was predominantly a Moses product. Moses foils have been on the podium
From what I have seen so far, the Phantom has very good upwind VMG numbers using the Ghost Whisperer foil with 600/300 race wings.
The Phantom is a slightly simpler bridle design that is more robust...so hopefully after more use won't need all the pain in the butt tweaking and measuring to keep it well tuned.
Recreational wannabe foil racers who practice enough and use the Comet Moses wings on their Ghost Whisperer, Hypermiler foil board, paired with the Phanton kite should be in the ballpark upwind VMGs as the R1V2 and other foilboards. I haven't a clue yet if the Phantom has respectable downwind VMG....but no one appears to be unpar with the R1V2 going downhill. Which is a difficult and expensive kite to keep tuned.

socommk23
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Re: Slingshot Foil Kite (is it really an Elf?) Update: Yes, it's an Elf

Postby socommk23 » Thu Aug 24, 2017 7:40 am

wvickers wrote:
Thu Aug 24, 2017 2:13 am

And certainly no one is making a sexy looking foil kite yet ?

After saying you like the graphics on slingshot kites, I'm not sure your qualified to say that afterwards. Lmfao

Plus the f one diablo is clearly a very sexy kite

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foilonfoil
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Re: Slingshot Foil Kite (is it really an Elf?) Update: Yes, it's an Elf

Postby foilonfoil » Fri Aug 25, 2017 8:46 pm

I have been watching the development of the kite and testing in Hood River for several months. It is a high aspect ratio kite although they say its a "Hyper Link" all round kite.

What is interesting to me is the kite they claim is a prototype is not built as a prototype - It has none of the top surface/bottom surface camber adjustment lines of a prototype on the kite itself, but they are working to tweak the bridle with numerous trips to the sandbar to adjust bridle settings.

They also say that production kites are built releasing for the 2018 season but, IMO, kite may be built but bridle is still work in progress... I can only guess the kite is built by whoever, but they are attempting to develop the bridle system themselves.

What I saw was not ready with horrible tip tucks and all. IMO, testing at Hood River is the absolute wrong place to test given the stable light winds of somewhere like San Diego rarely occur in the gorge but what do I know... No one flies foil kites in the gorge except for visiting San Francisco foilers and they normally get schooled in some fashion due to tricky local conditions.

Pic is from May this year although last time I saw them testing/tweaking of their mixer was Monday/Tuesday this week and it looked better behaved.
Screen Shot 2017-08-25 at 12.43.08 PM.png
Last edited by foilonfoil on Fri Aug 25, 2017 9:13 pm, edited 5 times in total.

Mossy 757
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Re: Slingshot Foil Kite (is it really an Elf?) Update: Yes, it's an Elf

Postby Mossy 757 » Fri Aug 25, 2017 8:54 pm

foilonfoil wrote:
Fri Aug 25, 2017 8:46 pm
What I saw was not ready with horrible tip tucks and all.
That's an Elf for you! Fast as shit but hard to fly...

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foilonfoil
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Re: Slingshot Foil Kite (is it really an Elf?) Update: Yes, it's an Elf

Postby foilonfoil » Fri Aug 25, 2017 8:58 pm

Mossy 757 wrote:
Fri Aug 25, 2017 8:54 pm
foilonfoil wrote:
Fri Aug 25, 2017 8:46 pm
What I saw was not ready with horrible tip tucks and all.
That's an Elf for you! Fast as shit but hard to fly...
All of their development focus is in bridle and mixer so I would guess that there is much to do. Certainly the testing in May, it looked awful.


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