I demoed a 12m Slingshot Turbo Diesel yesterday (1/10)
The kite looks like it is usual Slingshot "tough". The onepump is great. I connected the lines at home, then rolled up the kite, with the bar connected. On the snow, I just connected the chicken loop, with the kite totally depowered (stopper ball closest to kite) to my burried snowboard. Then pumped the kite.
With it depowered, it just comfortably sat there as I walked back to my kite, not feeling like I had to hurry. I hooked into the chicken loop, put my board on,
then just pulled on one rear line and it rolled up and launched, softly because of the depower range, no jerk on the launch, unless you want it by just pulling in on the bar. The first thing I want to know on a new kite is how the safety works. With the stopper ball in the full depower position, I just let the bar go, the kite softly dropped to the ground with absolutly no pull. Then I just reached out for the bar, pulled in on a rear line, and off I went. Super safe, super easy. Would Mitch still be with us if he had this kite? probably.
The wind was very light, I was working it a lot, it would fall out of the sky, not bad kite, just bad wind. I would have normally rigged bigger kite. Just wanted to Demo this kite. But very easy to relaunch. In bad winds, when the kite would stall and fall from the sky is when I experienced the inverted kite syndrome. (wouldn't just one more bridle fix this problem?)
I like the way the kite flys, more like a wing, less like a bucket. Its very fast, it turns on its axis, not from the tips. Super fast loops. I like the power/speed in the turns, I like the longer and softer jumps. I think my favorite is the stopper. Simple is always best, and this is simple. Very easy to adjust on the fly. I like the Cabrinha Powerlock, and North Microhook. This is the best of all worlds, adjustable lock in. Killer for toe side.
The kite bag is million times better than last years garbage bag.
Why the hell doesn't slingshot have colored lines? what a pain in the butt to not see any lines laying on the snow, stupid.
I didn't get to test the range, the wind were to light.
Thanks to Jon from Mountian Top kites for the Demo.
-Marty
