Slingshot Rally 9m 2019
Reviews / Kites
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At A Glance
The Slingshot Rally is an institution in kiteboarding. One of the longest standing all-round kites, it has die hard fans the world over who use it for all sorts of kiting endeavours. Suited to those who are just beginning in kitesurfing to those who have a decade of riding under their belts, the Rally will do it all with power and precision.
At its core, the Rally is a Delta C shaped kite with 3 struts, Slingshots bomb proof construction, 1 pump system, split strut technology, and a heritage of being a boosting, cruising and freeride machine.
A few minor tweaks to the 2019 Rally have occurred primarily in the construction of the kite. Slingshot have used high quality materials in both the canopy and struts, and there are a multitude of bumper pads and reinforcements the kite over which assures you of the kite’s robustness, while maintaining the tried and tested performance of the Rally we all know and love.
Slingshot have visibly ramped up their colour selections for this year, and added them all in at once! The result is a fun and colourful kite which works well, and certainly makes a change from the slightly sombre greys and blacks we have seen the last couple of years.
Sizes: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14 meters
The Bar
We headed out on the Rally with the Compstick w/Sentinel. The bar itself is ideal, it has a small diameter with a great amount of grip. Available in a variety of sizes with a small option for riders who are accustomed to that. The bar floats are large, however are not moulded into the bar ends making the ends harder if you do slip on a pass, but hey that just makes you aspire to grab the middle every time.
The throw is generous, and the adjustable cleat is welcomed. Depower range on the bar is fantastic and what’s impressive is how the kite remains controllable even when fully depowered.
The safety system is clean, simple to use and easy to reset. The swivel on the top of the bar spins out easily and enables the bar to sit solidly onto the chicken loop when unhooking.
“Power, performance and incredible universal usability."
In The Air
The Rally is one powerful kite! We first had the kite out on a classic 9m day and were astounded by just how much power the kite posses; so much so we could have easily gotten away with a size smaller!
Suitable for both beginners and experts alike, there is a constant feedback through the bar with the Rally which lets you know where the kite is at all times. The pull through your harness also is constant meaning you feel supported and connected even when simply standing with the kite.
Powering off is smooth; no sudden surges of power, and a progressive pull which accelerates through the dive and out the other side.
The delta shape of the kite means up wind is easy as the kite sits relatively far round in the window, and the more pivotal turn of the kite thanks to the tapered wind tips means it is quick to throw around should you need to generate any extra power.
For those who are new to kiting or simply enjoy mowing the lawn, you can’t get much better than the Rally in terms of brute power and usability. It pulls like a train but maintains manageable, albeit slightly heavy, bar pressure which reassures you to its position without having to constantly watch the kite.
Likewise, with foiling, the Rally is a dream kite. It pulls well at all points without too much downwind truck-like force. It is a slightly heavier kite than some (due to the reinforced construction), which means in those super light winds the kite can be a little nose heavy, however once adequate for the kite to fly it enables you to cruise to all points of the wind with ease.
The prominent curved shape of the leading edge on the Rally keeps the kite wanting to fly at all times. In relaunch the kite 9 times out of 10 will move itself to the edge of the window and sit waiting for you, however if it is stuck in that down wind battle, a little pressure on one side of the bar is all that’s needed to bring the kite round and back into the sky.
Of course you cannot use a Rally and not jump. The Rally is simply one of those kites on which you will want to jump higher and higher. It has a knack for making you feel safe even when you are higher than normal thanks to the supportive feel through the bar, and the super smooth landings which happen every time you jump. You do need to send the Rally slight further back compared to some kites, and everything is slightly over exaggerated, however this is simply learning how the kite performs, and it will not be uncommon to get your floatiest jumps on the Rally.
Even unhooking the Rally is good. A consistent pull throughout your trick, and a powerful drive to keep you moving after landing. Looping too provides a fun and manageable loop with the drive of the kite pulling you through every time in a predictable manner.
Being such a powerful kite, the top end is a little below others in its size. The depower works very well through the cleat, and also the bar itself, but you may need to change down a size slightly earlier than others.
Overall
The Slingshot Rally is one of those kites which you assume cannot be improved upon, but again Slingshot have made those small tweaks which a big difference. The Surf-Tough construction has been increased which results in a kite you can trust in the gnarliest situation.
Suiting a huge array of people the 2019 Rally is incredibly powerful, has a huge jumping potential and overall is a kite which excels in real world conditions for real world kitesurfing. There is a reason we all see so many on our beach.
Videos
This review was in Issue 71 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit SlingshotRelated
By Robin and Sukie
With years of kite sport experience combined, you can be sure you’ll be receiving the highest quality of knowledge on the best equipment the industry has to offer.
