In Focus: Slingshot 2017 Product Overview
Features / Wed 20th Jul, 2016 @ 12:29 am
Slingshot is a brand that needs no introduction, they’ve been with us since the birth of the sport and their range features some all time classic kites such as the Fuel and the Rally. They’ve just dropped their early 2017 product on the market and it is looking tight, with twin tips, surfboards and kites all getting an upgrade. Slingshot are known for their build quality and this year will be no different, with twin tips built in Hood River, Oregon, USA they offer one of the finest finishes on the market.
What’s got us excited? Arguably the new look Wave SST, we enjoyed riding this kite last year when we tested it and it’s been tweaked for 2017 to add even more performance, but also to appeal to the foilers out there. That pretty much sums up our Publishing Editor Rou Chater in a nutshell, expect some tests from him soon! The new Fuel always puts a smile on faces too, that kite is quite possibly the longest running kite in the business, first launched way back in 2001 it has a pedigree and following that is hard to beat…
Anyway, we have all of the new 2017 products from Slingshot right here with all the information you need, so grab a cup of tea, and enjoy!
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As the theme of our recent 2017 Rally launch, we ask this question armed with an arsenal of amazing new Slingshot kiteboarding gear, fine-tuned for whatever your answer might be.
You want high-flying, hard hitting freestyle? The 2017 Fuel, Asylum and Refraction are just for you. You want ultimate versatility? We’ve got the crowd-pleasing Rally-Misift combo. You’re a wave-searching surfer? The WAVE SST and one of our awesome new surfboards is your passport to performance.
We’re excited to announce our annual lineup of Summer launch cycle kites, boards and bars. Products are live and available now through your local shop and online. Here’s the gear that is included in this 2017 Summer Launch:
2017 Rally
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When you’re looking for a user-friendly all-around performance freeride kite that will deliver well in all conditions, look no further than the Rally.
The Rally’s Delta-C shape delivers you unmatched flying confidence. Its compact pulley-less bridle delivers precision turning with effortless bar pressure and it can be fine-tuned to match your personal style. You can fly the Rally confidently in any condition with Slingshot’s bomber Surf tough construction. The Rally performs exceptionally well in flatwater and waves, making it a great choice for riders who want a solid crossover kite for surfing as well as freeriding. When you add it all up, this is the most versatile kite on the market.
HIGHLIGHTS:
+ One kite for all conditions: the ultimate all-around freeride shape
+ Kite more, worry less w/ huge range & excellent depower
+ Easiest relaunch in the industry
+ Best kite for learning: instant depower, effortless relaunch & slingshot’s legendary surf tough construction
+ Fine tune your kite w/ multiple attachment points & light bar pressure
SIZES:
5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 14 M
RIDER PROFILE:
You’ll love the Rally if you want a kite that will deliver well in all disciplines of the sport. Casual or entry-level kiters will love the Rally’s big range, excellent depower and easy of relaunch, while more experienced kiters will appreciate its lofty airs, upwind ability and excellent downwind drift.
2017 Wave SST
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When we introduced the WAVE SST last year, we received immediate and overwhelmingly positive feedback from advanced kite surfers around the world. The WAVE SST is amazing, people said, it tracks magically downwind, turns on a dime and maintains a responsive feel even when fully sheeted out. These are the most sought-after characteristics of a surf-specific kite, and the 2017 WAVE SST is packed with the same great features that made it an instant hit. After a year in the market, we also discovered foilers were gravitating to this kite for freeriding. Performance traits found in a good wave kite are also sought out by people who know freeride foiling. For 2017 we’re releasing more sizes to include a full range (4-10 meter and 12 meter) so kiters can set themselves up with the perfect quiver.
HIGHLIGHTS:
+ Pivots & drifts effortlessly
+ Instills confidence the first time you fly it
+ Direct feel, instant response, no tangling w/ compact IRS bridle
+ Stealth feel & smooth power make it ideal for waves & foiling
+ Bomber slingshot surf tough reinforced & gridded canopy
+ Aggressive down-the-line performance
+ Responsive turning even when fully sheeted out
SIZES:
4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 12 M
RIDER PROFILE:
You will love the WAVE SST if you’re a dedicated kitesurfer, foiler or directional rider looking for a kite with unrivaled stability, serious downwind drift and unbelievable turning characteristics throughout the
power zone.
2017 Fuel
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Harness the thrill of explosive C-kite performance with the 2017 Fuel. Slingshot’s longest-running kite, the Fuel is a time-tested, rider approved design that delivers aggressive grunt, unhooked authority, consistent power, massive boosts and deep, powerful mega loops. For freestyle-focused riders who want a stable, powerful and thrillingly-explosive kite to take their riding to the next level, there’s truly no substitute for the Fuel.
HIGHLIGHTS:
+ Most powerful, explosive C-kite on the market
+ Take your freestyle game to new heights, literally
+ No back-stalling, unrivaled unhooked performance
+ No bridles, no tangling, direct connection
+ Go big, ride hard, the fuel is a kite that will not hold you back
+ Takes the abuse with bombproof slingshot construction
+ The megaloop king
SIZES:
7 / 9 / 11 / 13 M
RIDER PROFILE:
You’ll love the Fuel if you’re an aggressive freestyle or freeride kiter who likes to ride powered-up, boost big, unhook often, hit kickers, rails and sliders and throw big, powerful kite loops.
2017 Refraction
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Although you might not be able to match Sam Light’s smooth, technical style, with the 2017 Refraction, at least you’ll have the same tool for success. Sam introduced the Refraction last year as his perfect solution for needing a competition-level freestyle board that he can use all over the world, in every condition he encounters (including cable parks). Due to its popularity, we have added a 139cm model to create a full lineup. The Refraction features aggressive rocker, stiff flex and a thick and super durable Dura-Glide base. You will generate great power with or without boots and the board features inverted NACA tech channels on the tip and tail which provides a flat surface for presses and slides on obstacles.
HIGHLIGHTS:
+ Fear no obstacle: upgraded & super durable .7 MM Dura-Glide Base
+ Insane load & pop, big airs, cushy landings
+ Don’t catch an edge: ideal for sliders features + Smooth, consistent flex w/ Bedrock Carbon Inserts
+ Flexible, Durable, Hand Built Wood-Core Construction
+ Universal M6 Hardware
SIZES:
135 CM / 41.6 CM
139 CM / 42.4 CM
143 CM / 44.3 CM
RIDER PROFILE:
You’ll love the Refraction if you want an explosive, competition-level freestyle board that will shred flat water, eat-up chop and withstand regular abuse from, sliders, kickers and rails.
2017 Karolina Pro
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Building on the popularity of last year’s Refraction Karolina model, this freestyle-focused board is designed with hard-charging, aggressive and powered-up female riders in mind. It is modeled to the demands of world champion Karolina Winkowska. You will generate great power with or without boots and will love its smooth load and pop. It’s great for big airs and cushy landings thanks to a progressive rocker profile, subtle V-spine and wood core construction. When you press on rails or fun boxes, you will notice that you’re pressing on a flat surface with raised edges that prevent you from catching an edge.
HIGHLIGHTS:
+ Tailored Specifically for Female Riders
+ Great Load & Pop, Big Airs, Soft Landings
+ Don’t Catch an Edge: Ideal for Sliders & Features + Smooth, Consistent Flex w/ Bedrock Carbon Inserts
+ Flexible, Durable Hand Built Wood-Core Construction
+ Universal M6 Hardware
SIZE:
135 CM / 41.6 CM
RIDER PROFILE:
You’ll love the Karolina Pro if you’re an aggressive female rider who wants a freestyle-specific board that will take you, and your game, to the next level.
2017 Asylum
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The 2017 Asylum delivers fast top-end speeds, aggressive edging and smooth load and pop, making this an ideal board for progressive and aggressive all-around freeriding. It features a moderate rocker and flex pattern and aggressive laser-cut channels designed for speed, grip and superior hydrodynamics. The Asylum’s rocker and flex profile and durable base layup make it a great choice for riders who want a solid all-around freestyle board that can handle rough water and chop as well as the occasional flatwater, kicker, rail and slider
HIGHLIGHTS:
+ A board to take your freestyle game to the next level
+ Insane grip, load & pop: boosts huge, sticks hard landings + Pierces chop, shreds flat water
+ Smooth, consistent flex w/ Bedrock Carbon Inserts
+ Flexible, durable hand built wood-core construction
+ Universal M6 Hardware
+ Handmade in the USA from locally-sourced materials
SIZES:
134 CM / 40.8 CM
138 CM / 42 CM
141 CM / 43.1 CM
RIDER PROFILE:
You’ll love the Asylum if you’re an intermediate, advanced or aggressive entry-level kiter who likes to ride powered-up, boost big and charge hard in all conditions.
2017 Screamer
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Cousin to the Tyrant but with a progressive snub-nose shape to reduce front-end size and weight, the Screamer is a playful and agile board that will appeal to riders of all disciplines. Its pulled-in thumb tail
and three-fin setup provide solid all-around performance and control at speed for traditional wave riding, while its shorter length and unique T-Rex nose profile makes strapless airs, tricks and strapped-in boosting considerably easier than with longer, more traditional shapes. The Screamer is offered in 5’2”, 5’4” and 5’6” lengths and features a parallel rail outline and single-concave rocker. This makes for a compact and highly maneuverable ride that can handle any conditions you throw at it.
SIZES:
5’2” X 17” X 21/4”
5’4” X 17 3/4” X 2 5/16”
5’6” X 18” X 25/16”
SCREAMER HIGHLIGHTS
+ Classic short board performance, in a truncated nose shape
+ Ride fast, carve hard, pull into steep waves
+ More snap, more pivot w/ rounded squash tail
+ Best option for hard-charging surfers
SCREAMER RIDER PROFILE
You’ll love the Screamer if you’re among the new-era of kiters that wants both solid wave performance and progressive freestyle capabilities out of the same surfboard. The board’s parallel rail outline, “pulled-in” thumb tail and single-concave rocker make it a fast, stable and slashy choice for all-around wave riding.
2017 Angry Swallow
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The Angry Swallow is a board that shines in marginal wind and wave conditions, when more traditional shapes would leave you left behind by mushy waves, struggling to stay upwind or get out past the break. Based on Slingshot’s hybrid T-Rex profile, the Angry Swallow is the most buoyant board in our lineup, which creates a stable, yet snappy freestyle-friendly feel that only a board of its size and shape can provide. With the performance of a larger, full-volume board in a small package, this is an excellent choice for riders who frequent onshore wind, rough, choppy breaks or who want a solid all-around setup that can perform well in a wide variety of conditions. The Angry Swallow features a parallel rail outline, which adds surface area for better handling in mushy conditions. An aggressive winged diamond swallow tail gives the board tight, snappy turns and helps it keep up with marginal or mushy waves.
SIZES:
5’2” X 17 11/16” X 2 1/4”
5’4” X 18 5/16” X 2 3/8”
5’6” X 181/2” X 23/8”
ANGRY SWALLOW HIGHLIGHTS
+ Excels in marginal wave conditions
+ Our highest-buoyancy board
+ Agile, freestyle-friendly T-Rex shape
+ Super slashy diamond swallow tail
+ Edge harder w/ parallel rail outline
ANGRY SWALLOW RIDER PROFILE
You’ll love the Angry Swallow if you’re looking for a mix of stability and all-condition wave performance with a snappy, responsive and freestyle-friendly feel that only a board of its size and shape can provide.
2017 Celeritas
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The Celeritas is the most versatile all-around board on our lineup, ideal for riders who want one option that can do everything well. The Celeritas features a stout body, curved outline and mild rocker. The result is a stable board that planes easily, performs great in light wind and slower speeds and carves upwind well. The Celeritas’ rounded thumb tail and three-fin configuration give it a snappy feel, while far-back stomp pad and foot strap inserts give riders the ability to position themselves directly over the rear fins for aggressive handling and locked-in turning.
SIZES:
5’6” X 181/2” X 21/4”
5’8” X 181/2” X 21/4”
5’11” X 20 1/4” X 2 3/8”
CELERITAS HIGHLIGHTS
+ Super versatile shape ideal for all conditions
+ The one-board quiver
+ Classic thumb tail provides all-around performance + Stability, agility w/ stout body, curvy outline
+ Trusted all-around shortboard shape
CELERITAS RIDER PROFILE
You’ll love the Celeritas if you want the most versatile and comprehensive surfboard in Slingshot’s lineup. Designed with a curvy outline , rounded thumb tail and a mild rocker that blends from the center to the tail, the result is an aggressive yet stable board that appeals to riders of all levels, in all types of conditions.
2017 Tyrant
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The Tyrant is a classic short board profile designed for hard-charging, down-the-line performance, big wave conditions, high speeds and high-powered locked-in carving. Although a solid all-around short board shape, the Tyrant excels with aggressive riders who can take full advantage of its slender profile, snappy turns and high-speed capabilities. The Tyrant features a rocker designed for high-performance wave riding and a rounded squash tail that yields snap off the lip and locked-in bottom turns. Additional rear footstrap inserts have been added farther back, directly over the back fin to maximize these characteristics for strapped-in riders.
SIZES:
6’0” X 181/4” X 27/4”
TYRANT HIGHLIGHTS:
+ Classic short board shape for dedicated surfers
+ Aggressive heel-toe edging
+ Ride fast, carve hard, pull into steep waves
+ More snap, more pivot w/ rounded squash tail
+ Best option for hard-charging surfers
TYRANT RIDER PROFILE:
You’ll love the Tyrant if you want a surfboard that excels in a variety of wind and wave conditions, with high-performance down-the-line riding for an aggressive, lip-slashing style.
2017 Compstick Sentinel
The Sentinel system is designed for riders who like the Compstick’s simplistic and rugged design but prefer an above-the-bar location of the depower rope. The Sentinel features an adjustable trim cleat above the bar, a swiveling safety mechanism below the bar and all the other features that have made the Compstick Sentinel the trusted choice for riders around the world, year after year. For 2017, we’ve given the Compstick a fresh new visual presence and have carried over improvements to the floats, grips, redesigned bar ends and safety leash that were implemented in 2016.
COMPSTICK SENTINEL HIGHLIGHTS:
+ Streamline above-the-bar depower
+ Below-the-bar swivel keeps lines untwisted
+ Bomber Slingshot construction
+ Strongest and longest lasting lines available
+ Easy, reliable safety release
COMPSTICK SENTINEL SIZES:
17″ bar x 20m lines
20″ bar x 20m lines with 3m extensions
23″ bar x 27m lines
COMPSTICK SENTINEL RIDER PROFILE:
You’ll love the Compstick Sentinel if you want ultimate control and confidence, the Compstick’s intuitive and streamlined above-the-bar depower and safety is unrivaled by any other bar on the market.
2017 Compstick Guardian
Slingshot riders trust the Compstick Guardian setup for its simplistic design, bomber construction and easy-access below-the-bar depower system. With the Guardian, the trim cleat is located just above the chicken loop and is integrated into the safety release mechanism. The result is a streamline system that removes eye-level components, placing them within easy reach below the bar and allowing for more throw above the bar. For 2017, we’ve given the Compstick a fresh new visual presence and have carried over improvements to the floats, grips, redesigned bar ends and safety leash that were implemented in 2016.
COMPSTICK GUARDIAN HIGHLIGHTS:
+ Slingshot’s patented below-the bar trim setup
+ Simple, clutter-free design: ride hard, ride with confidence
+ Features the strongest and longest lasting lines available
+ Huge depower, maximum throw, easy-reach depower
+ Low-profile, reliable, easy-reset safety release system
COMPSTICK GUARDIAN SIZES:
17″ bar x 20m lines
20″ bar x 20m lines with 3m extensions
23″ bar x 27m lines
COMPSTICK GUARDIAN RIDER PROFILE:
You’ll love the Compstick Guardian if you want ultimate control and confidence, the Compstick’s intuitive and streamlined below-the-bar depower and safety is unrivaled by any other bar on the market.
2017 Dually Footstraps
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One ride on the Dually and you’ll never want to go back to regular footpads again. Designed to fit any foot on any board, the Duallys are the result of more than 15 years of Slingshot innovation. We’ve fully revamped the Dually for 2017. They feature an aggressive new outline, new pads, new texture and a lower-profile shape. The result is a footstrap that will lock down tight, hold firmly in place and leave you walking away pain-free after a long day on the water. For precision fit, the Dually features a four-point adjustment system that allows for independent tightening at the front and rear of the pad. They also feature a rotating base plate that allows riders to customize their stance to their desired angle.
DUALLY HIGHLIGHTS
+ Perfect fit w/ four-point micro-adjustment straps & velcro closure
+ Longer sessions, happier feet w/ ergonomically-designed footbeds
+ Great binding for booties: fits large feet, straps down tight
+ Cushy comfort on tough landings
+ Freestyle friendly
+ Super secure, grippy texture & toe ridges help keep the board on the board on your feet without strain
SIZES:
4 – 11 US / 22.5 – 27.9 CM
DUALLY RIDER PROFILE
You’ll love the Dually if you want to maximize your session by harmonizing your connection with the board and water. Our goal is to get you in the right stance and keep you there comfortably for your entire session.
How do you want it? Freeride, Surf or Freestyle? Pick your poison
slingshotsports.com
All Photos: Andre Magarao
By Lindsay McClure
Lindsay is a pro rider from Hood River in the USA, she works for IKSURFMAG as our Features Editor and is an integral part of the team. Lindsay is really into wakestyle riding and can be found in the Hood River Slider Park during the summer months, she also travels all over the world with the World Class Academy helping younger riders develop through kiteboarding!
