Slingshot 2011

[BWD]

Thanks/nice colors!

[mike dubs]

Shymac,

Thanks for this, since Angelo flashed the surfboard line up, I'm gasping..... Let's have the details of the full line up, particularly interested in the Dialer fish and the Coupe twin fin!!!

mike

[Kraimer]

Any info on the sizes for the 2011 Fuel?

Thanks,

Dave

[Hybridkiter]

I spent an hour plus on the Rally and was blown away. What a nice kite! I hope to add a 10 and 6 Rally to my RPM quiver.

[ed257]

I spent an hour plus on the Rally and was blown away. What a nice kite! I hope to add a 10 and 6 Rally to my RPM quiver.

What size did you try? Can you give us a brief review?

Do you think the Rally is best in the smaller sizes and the RPM better in the medium to larger sizes?

[Hybridkiter]

I rode the 10 and 8 on a surfboard--so no jumping. The kite goes upwind like nothing I have ever been on. Riding waves, it pretty much just parks itself down wind and waits for input. The kite is more of a pivot turner than the RPM, but the kite has no pulleys so I could really feel where it was at all times--I did not like the Rev because I lost feel for it in the turns. I unhooked some and I thought it was good, though I am far from being an un-hooked master. The kite is super smooth and has more low end per m^2 than the RPM, yet it did not feel grunty, or rigid.

As for RPMS, I love the 8 so much I just don't feel the need to replace it. But, I have a family of kiters and we need to add some duplicate sizes, so I think the Rally will really be fun to ride as something a bit different when more than one of us need a 6 or 10--I already have two 8 RPMS. I don't ride my 12 RPM often enough to replace it. I like it a lot when I ride it though.

My take? If you want to ride surf-style and wake-style go RPM. If you just ride surf-style, or like to cruise and jump on a twin, consider the Rally.

[ed257]

I rode the 10 and 8 on a surfboard--so no jumping. The kite goes upwind like nothing I have ever been on. Riding waves, it pretty much just parks itself down wind and waits for input. The kite is more of a pivot turner than the RPM, but the kite has no pulleys so I could really feel where it was at all times--I did not like the Rev because I lost feel for it in the turns. I unhooked some and I thought it was good, though I am far from being an un-hooked master. The kite is super smooth and has more low end per m^2 than the RPM, yet it did not feel grunty, or rigid.

As for RPMS, I love the 8 so much I just don't feel the need to replace it. But, I have a family of kiters and we need to add some duplicate sizes, so I think the Rally will really be fun to ride as something a bit different when more than one of us need a 6 or 10--I already have two 8 RPMS. I don't ride my 12 RPM often enough to replace it. I like it a lot when I ride it though.

My take? If you want to ride surf-style and wake-style go RPM. If you just ride surf-style, or like to cruise and jump on a twin, consider the Rally.

It must be an unusual design to go up wind that well. What I mean is traditionally higher aspect kites went up wind better - because they can fly really forward in the window. Most deltas sit a bit further back which facilitates turning etc, but are generally not as good up wind.

Did you get any sense for the depower, wind range, gust handling, etc?

[Hybridkiter]

The 10 Rally had a good feel for me at 15 to 30 mph on a surfboard--gusts to 30 mind you; not averaging. And yes, the upwind was a surprise not only to me, but others who rode it as well. The kite has a different outline than anything I have ever flown--almost like a wide arrowhead. The downwind "parkn'ride" ability was also a surprise. The Rally and a surfboard seemed like a match made in heaven to me. I can also tell you that I saw a bunch of kids I know demo the 8, and they were jumping a lot more, and a lot higher than I was used to seeing them do. It was really apparent from the beach.

I am one of those who knows what they like within the first minute of riding. I had a "have to have one of these" feeling about the Rally at the end of my first reach. Felt the same way about the RPM last year. The Rev and Turbos, for reference, were not for me. Turbos too slow, Rev was fast, but without the bar feeling that I need to know where the kite is.

[dcorning]

http://vimeo.com/13261368

See near the end of the video,

Looks to me like it is a kite who enjoys inverting.

[consumer]

http://vimeo.com/13261368

See near the end of the video,

Looks to me like it is a kite who enjoys inverting.

just a consumer so I have no bias, but are you certain it "enjoys inverting?" It almost looks like the green rally hits the yellow RPM before it luffs? I suppose it could be a local lull both kites are feeling, but I'm not sure how responsible i'd feel extrapolating that from this video...