There have been some exciting kites coming out of the Slingshot factory in recent years, and the latest on the market is the Slingshot RPX. We caught up with Sam Light to find out more about their new release!

There have been some exciting kites coming out of the Slingshot factory in recent years, most recently the out-of-this-world UFO strutless kite for foiling, the single strut Ghost for light wind, and the Raptor for boosting. The latest arrival is the Slingshot RPX. We caught up with Sam Light to find out more about this new kite.

Sam, tell us a bit more about the RPX and how it fits into the lineup! 

We are stoked with the feedback we have been getting from our latest kites and we are super excited about the new RPX. We have taken some ideas from our new lightweight kites such as the UFO and implemented them into the RPX, such as reducing the diameter of the leading edge and reducing the weight by up to 14%. The RPX is an evolution of the RPM, the most versatile kite in our range designed for high-performance freeride, big air and freestyle. 

What was the design brief for the RPX? What segment of the market were you trying to satisfy, and which elements of the final design do you feel achieved this?

Strip down the RPM to the bare bones, reduce the weight as much as possible without sacrificing durability, simplify the canopy, reduce leading edge diameter and use our new 25% lighter bridle line. We managed to reduce the number of panels from 108 to 20. This created a lighter kite which results in a more efficient canopy that turns faster and more direct, flies faster through the window, recovers better from kite loops, and jumps higher. We have seen the biggest performance increase for big air, whilst it still retains some of the DNA from its predecessor.

Taking a closer look at the adjustment points on the RPX wingtips, this kite has the option to switch from wake to freestyle. What do these adjustments do?

On the wake style setting, the kite has more bar pressure, turns slower, sits deeper in the window, and requires more input to turn. On the freestyle setting, the kite will turn faster, fly further forward in the window, have more depower, and generally be more nimble. These are quite subtle changes that are worth experimenting with to see which you prefer.

The Slingshot RPX features technical features like SplitStrut, Fly Line Bridle, 4x4 Canopy tech, and one pump. Can you break down these features for us?

SplitStrut is a Slingshot invention that has been borrowed industry-wide. It integrated the kite canopy and struts into one firmly interconnected piece, rather than the canopy being sewn over the strut like lesser designs. It creates a stronger more stable canopy.

The Fly Line Bridle has been upgraded on the RPX. Using more premium materials, we have reduced the bridle line thickness by 25% which reduces drag and makes the kite more efficient. 

4x4 Canopy tech is Teijin reinforced ripstop material and is the strongest, stiffest, most durable canopy material on the market.

One pump is a patented Slingshot invention that is used across the industry. The single point inflation system has been upgraded with increased tube diameters for easier inflation and beefed-up durability. 

Which Slingshot bar is the best choice to pair with the RPX?

Our new Sentry bar, for sure! Our kites have been performing even better using the new Sentry bar, which is considerably lighter and features auto swivelling, a brand new safety system, and PU coated centre lines, making it a pleasure to use!

Trying to showcase a new piece of kite equipment is becoming increasingly difficult with the constantly evolving public health situation and ever-changing travel restrictions. Can you tell us a bit about the experience of travelling to and shooting the RPX in South Africa?

We were super lucky to squeeze in our photoshoot in Cape Town. I felt it was important to shoot in Cape Town to do the kite justice and have it perform in the conditions it was designed to excel in. I was organising the photoshoot and in constant communication with our riders. We had to book everything last minute, but we scored a few days of epic conditions and everyone was stoked with how the kite performed!

During the shoot, the team was excited to use the RPX with the new Formula board, which is mostly carbon and super lightweight, making a huge difference for big air and free riding. The RPX has so much extra performance with so much less kite than the RPM, particularly for big air, which makes it a lot of fun to fly free riding. 

On your international team, which riders will be adding the RPX to their quiver? 

Our rider’s quivers are getting bigger and bigger as we refine our range of kites, with most wanting a selection of different kites for different applications so they can chop and change depending on what they are doing. Our top freestyle/big air riders such as Carlos Mario, Rita Arnaus, Karolina Winkowska, Stijn Mul, Youri Zoon, and myself (Sam Light) are using the RPX.

Videos

RPX V1 - Behind The Design - Slingshot Kiteboarding
By Crystal Veness
Editor at IKSURFMAG, Crystal Veness hails from Canada but is based in South Africa. When she isn't busy kitesurfing or reporting on the latest industry news for the mag, she is kicking back somewhere at a windy kite beach or working on creative media projects.

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