Slingshot Vision 138 x 42cm 2014
Reviews / Twin Tips
34,266
At A Glance
The Slingshot Vision is a totally new board from the brand, and it’s been packed with all their latest technology that they have been honing in their US factory in Hood River. The board itself is aimed at the rider looking for a high performance machine that will deliver huge pop whilst still offering a forgiving nature and plenty of control in any water conditions. The shape is fairly elliptical, a move away from the boxy shapes we have been seeing of late from some brands. There is also a con-tinuous rocker line that is quite pronounced. The Vision features a full wood core which is CNC shaped in their own factory using locally sourced wood from the area making it one of the greenest kite boards on the market. The 60/40 Slantwall rails of the board are quite thick and squared off to help the board get upwind, they have also been angled to direct spray away from your face. The underside of the board has been laser cut (using actual frigging lasers!) to create what Slingshot are calling the “bonzer” channel configuration aimed at providing smooth turns and landings. The build quality is outstanding and the board should live up to the demands of the most hardcore rider with ease. Also of note is the Fast Track Mounting System which will either mount straps and pads or boot bindings. The system offers near limitless stance configurations.
On The Water
We've been riding the Vision over the last couple of weeks and it would be fair to say we have fall-en in love with it. The board has performed way beyond our expectations and it took quite a bit of head scratching to figure out why it works so well. When you initially give the board the kitesurfing equivalent of a tyre kick, namely a flex test, it is surprisingly stiff. Our first outing was on some but-tery flat water and we found it to be fast and smooth with immense pop, as you would expect from a stiff board on flat water. Obviously not everyone is blessed with conditions like this and so we took it out in some of the harshest chop we could find to see how it faired. Expecting the ride to be harsh and leg busting due to the stiff nature of the flex we were pleasantly surprised to find it rode exceedingly well. The Vision, seems to sit much lower in the water and smash it’s way through the chop rather than using flex to smooth it out. The channeling, rails, rocker and outline all work in harmony to create a smooth ride. We did notice when it was underpowered in chop there is a ten-dency to get a face wash, but as soon as you are powered up this disappears. The pop from this stiff board is ridiculous, and it will put a smile on the face of anyone who rides it. We've been rock-ing the board with the Slingshot Rad bindings and are loving the set up…
For
Awesome pop, excellent in flat water and surprisingly smooth through the chop as well.
Against
Can give a wet ride when underpowered in choppy conditions.
Overall
An excellent all-round board from Slingshot with a nod to the more high performance rider. It’s smooth through the water and forgiving too, offering fantastic pop and smooth landings.
Videos
This review was in Issue 43 of IKSURFMAG.
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By Rou Chater
Rou has been kiting since the sports inception and has been working as an editor and tester for magazines since 2004. He started IKSURFMAG with his brother in 2006 and has tested hundreds of different kites and travelled all over the world to kitesurf. He's a walking encyclopedia of all things kite and is just as passionate about the sport today as he was when he first started!
