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2013 Slingshot Rally review

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toyletbowl
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Re: 2013 Slingshot Rally review

Postby toyletbowl » Sat Sep 01, 2012 2:54 am

First things first. I'm a slingshot dealer, so take my review for what it's worth, but as a dealer, we get to ride and compare a lot of kites.

Second, I love the 2012 Rally for strapless riding and wave riding and have spent the majority of this year and some of last year riding strapless due to injury recoveries and I enjoy strapless riding.

Reason i bring this up is my twin tip riding and boosting have been few and far between. Review below is based on yesterday's session on both twin tips and strapless.

Quality, construction, etc is all top notch as always. I used the 6m 2012 and 10m 2013 Rally yesterday for training and had a guy tomahawk my kites quite often and it just kept on going.

Riding style of the 2013 is geared more towards big air, ripping upwind, tons of range and tons of power. It has a slightly heavier bar pressure than last year, but in no way is it heavy. It's slightly less than light bar pressure. Last years Rally was light bar pressure and fast turning. This year is quick turning, but jumping is insane and the hang time is better and it's more stable in gusty winds and for heavier riders.

Last years 2012 though was a wave riding dream. Fast turning that would pivot turn on it's wing tip. This years is an arc turn, which isn't as good for wave riding for some. It drifts really well though also. Both kites are similar in drift. The 2012 Rally would turn the instant you cranked the bar. The 2013 would have a very brief delay in turning, but if I cranked the bar all the way, it would turn quick, but not fast.

Yesterday was one of my better days riding in a long long time especially on twin tips. Due to many injuries and recoveries, my twin tip riding has been completely replaced by riding strapless surf boards all year and a lot last year. Plus it's fun to ride strapless.

So I wanted to try the 12m and see how it boosted. I went higher than I've ever been on 4-5 jumps on that kite. The lift is very impressive and I felt at home right away on this kite. It was one of the easier kites to feel comfortable jumping right out of the bag. The hang time is incredible, but hard for me to honestly compare to last years since i didn't jump last years much at all. I hear from others it has much better hang time.

It's going to be a hard choice between these 2 kites. Some guys, including me, like last years much better for waves, but this years for boosting. I have quite a few of last years Rally's ordered due to this knowing some will prefer that kite. It also boosts really well, but isn't quite as stable overall for bigger riders.

When I rode the 12m 2013 Rally strapless, I wanted it to pivot turn so I could make more aggressive turns. If overpowered, the 2012 Rally will pivot turn much better.

Hope this helps,

Bob
www.kiteridersllc.com

fourperf
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Re: 2013 Slingshot Rally review

Postby fourperf » Sat Sep 01, 2012 6:50 am

completely agree Bob although I do feel as though this year they do drift a bit better. Last year drifted well but this year a bit better IMO. Really notice it in the surf in sideshore conditions. Out in super gusty side off conditions today on my 9m. Kite handled it awesome, solid in the sky and really ate up the gusts. Speaking strictly in terms of kiting in the surf I do wish this years kite turned as fast as last years but everything is a trade off, cant have it all. Still killer in the surf but faster is always better in the waves. As I said before I do think its an overall better kite this year just being nit picky. Super stoked on them still. It got pretty windy today and I flew my 2012 Rally 6m. That kite is insane! Best 6m I have ever flown.
Mark

KiloWatt
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Re: 2013 Slingshot Rally review

Postby KiloWatt » Sat Sep 01, 2012 7:44 pm

Dear all
I have read lots of good things and I will test it soon, I am thinking to buy 2....
After reading some old post I have seen some durability issues such
Holes in the wing tips created by pigtails
Comp bar chicken loop lack of resistance and unwanted opening...
Do you know if Slinshot fixed these problems in the new 2013 kites?

Thank, ciao

KiloWatt

TonyL
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Re: 2013 Slingshot Rally review

Postby TonyL » Sat Sep 01, 2012 10:31 pm

Bob - thanks for the review! I noticed you are also a Cabrinha dealer. Any comparison on how it boosts compared to a Cabrinha Switchblade? I currently ride switchblades and if the Rally boosts just as good but drifts - i think I found my kite:)

fourperf
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Re: 2013 Slingshot Rally review

Postby fourperf » Sun Sep 02, 2012 1:43 am

KiloWatt wrote:Dear all
I have read lots of good things and I will test it soon, I am thinking to buy 2....
After reading some old post I have seen some durability issues such
Holes in the wing tips created by pigtails
Comp bar chicken loop lack of resistance and unwanted opening...
Do you know if Slinshot fixed these problems in the new 2013 kites?

Thank, ciao

KiloWatt
No holes in wingtips. 2012 had reinforcement where the pigtail would contact the wingtip and so does 2013. I had 3 different 2012 compstick bars and never had a problem with unwanted opening either. Many, many days on the water with no problems.
Mark

toyletbowl
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Style: Waves, Twin tip and Foilboards.
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Re: 2013 Slingshot Rally review

Postby toyletbowl » Sun Sep 02, 2012 4:46 am

Tony,

I do know that the Switchblade boosts huge also. I had a short session on the 12m 2013 Switchblade, but it was short. Borrowed it from one of the guys who helps me with training and he goes huge on SB's. The new 2013 SB is quicker turning, a little lighter bar pressure and not quite as much low end grunt.

Both are great kites and not 100% sure how the SB drifts. Didn't ride it with a surf board yet.

Hope this helps,

Bob
www.kiteridersllc.com

KiloWatt
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Re: 2013 Slingshot Rally review

Postby KiloWatt » Sun Sep 02, 2012 11:03 am

Bob

Is the low end in SB still acceptable? Does it boost in hang time any way?
Thanks

KiloWatt

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ulx
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Re: 2013 Slingshot Rally review

Postby ulx » Sun Sep 02, 2012 8:32 pm

Tried the 8m strapless quite extensively now. The good thing is that it made some strapless things like backloops or transitions easier because it won´t turn if you don´t want it to and the lift is really nice. Bodydraging to the board is really nice, too. Most of the time all you have to do is pull the bar and up you go. No need to sinus the kite. Great pull and unbelievably stable in the air. BUT, the turning of the kite was not what a wave-kite should turn like imo. If I would always let my kite drift I would consider buying it, but as I like working my kite, too, I need a fast turning kite. With the short bar (stock) I found the turning unacceptable, when I switched to a long bar it was better, but far from great. I really can´t understand why slingshot has done that to this kite. My bet is, they will go back to better turning with the next generation Rally, or bring a new wave-kite to the market. I am pretty sure this Rally will not satisfy very many of the ones who really liked the last ones for the waves. Maybe they could at least start to deliver the 8m with the longer bar.

fourperf
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Re: 2013 Slingshot Rally review

Postby fourperf » Mon Sep 03, 2012 2:00 am

yup, I miss the turning of last years kite also. Awesome kite though!

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ulx
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Re: 2013 Slingshot Rally review

Postby ulx » Mon Sep 10, 2012 7:52 pm

Funny thing. I was allowed to keep the 8m a while longer. And found myself not wanting to take my 9m rpm instead ;-) Had a lot of fun in choppy conditions with the long bar. And found it quite amazing how it helps my strapless riding in these conditions. Transitions felt much smoother and it was the very first time I landed several backrolls (with a kiteloop in the end). Today I sold my 12 and 9 m rpm and will replace it with 10 and 8 m Rally. By the way. The low-end is really fantanstic. I could do my strapless jumps/attempts (transitions, backrolls, frontrolls) in about 14-16 knots with my 2012 Celeritas. I guess if my 6m rpm sells well I will replace that, too. So, not love at first site. Sometimes it just takes a while longer. Haven't used it in waves again yet, but hope that I will have loads of fun there now, too.


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