Slingshot Rally (2012)

THE HYPE:

The 2012 Slingshot Rally is the top choice for crossover freestyle and surf minded riders. Proven Delta features, such as low-end power, responsive, pivotal turning, endless lofty hang-time, effortless relaunch and unbelievable range are matched with C kite-style predictable power and uncompromising stability. The three strut design of the Open Delta C delivers smooth efficient power through the stroke and offers a light weight, balanced build for maximum flight stability. The Rally's range has been optimised for maximum low-end grunt, meaning you can ride in lighter wind speeds with a smaller size kite as well as getting noticeably bigger boost with longer, lofty hang-times.

The stroke at the bar and the pulley-less bridle lets you tap into a top-end range with complete control when the wind picks up. Fine tuning the Rally is easy with Custom Fuel Injection attachment points. CFI alters the overall feel and bar pressure enabling you to tune the kite to meet your personal riding preferences.

TEST TEAM NOTES:

Slingshot always build their gear as if it's going into war; everything is highly-reinforced, with good mark cloth where the canopy joins the leading edge and there's also now extra reinforcement on the wing-tips under the rear line attachment points. Slingshot's One Pump is a proven success and there's a large dump valve next to the inflation valve. The bar is just fantastic. Super strong front lines, tough grip, solid chicken-loop that's always perfectly sized for hookedin or unhooked riding – it's all just bomb-proof. One thing to note is that Slingshot have the depower system located on the side of the chicken-loop under the bar, but it does work nice and smoothly, so it's not difficult to find leverage to operate it and means the Rally is allowed a nice long throw above the bar for lots of depower. The push away quick-release remains from last year and is just slightly smaller than you might be used to, but operates smoothly.

The Rally is definitely a pure-bred freeride kite for the masses, with a three strut delta design and pulley-less short bridle. The low-end power is excellent and the power comes on smoothly but with plenty of grunt to get you going with just one stroke of the kite. The top-end is very impressive too, and it would probably take a 30 knot gust before you start getting really uncomfortable on this. Having such good low-end abilities and incredible top-end really will make this a very popular freeride machine. Boosting on it is very easy, it's a bow-type boost, so all you need to do is send the kite back somewhere over your head, pull down on the bar and up you go, pulling you very vertically and with good lift before floating back down with plenty of feel for where the kite is throughout the jump. You can turn every jump into a transition if you want as the Rally turns on a six-pence, you can redirect it in a heart beat and there's a lovely hovering quality for lower level transition work, too. Super pivotal, it almost draws a circle around its own axis with incredibly light bar pressure, which is an unusual trait for a delta kite.

We didn't actually get to try it in waves, but this rapid, easy handling and huge depower should make it very good for throwing around in the line-up.
The Rally is an ideal freeride kite for anyone, from the smallest of girls to the biggest of fellas. The superb mix of low-end grunt and super easy, pivotal steering and lack of power in the turns makes it an incredibly easy, safe kite to just get on and use. Loads of forward flight make it a dream to ride upwind and the Rally seems allergic to water, relaunching itself in seconds.

SUMMARY:

If you're fairly new to kitesurfing and want a kite to be able to get out and ride in a low force four and above, but don't want to have to buy a 15 metre, then this is great. You'll also easily be able to hold onto it when the wind picks up too. Super easy-touse, safely throw-about when learning tricks without any unnerving surges in power, this really is your bread and butter freeride kite for all conditions.

KW LIKED:

Super-easy handling in a kite that's so safe you could teach your gran how to kite on it.

KW WOULD CHANGE:

Wave riders and racers will like the kite too, but anyone who likes a bit of power in their turns and a bit more consequence to their tricks should look elsewhere in the range.

First impressions of my new rally 9m...

So yesterday, out a gwithian (about a mile upwind of comp zone) on my brand spanking new 9m rally. I've not tried it with a twinny for freestyle etc yet, but riding strapped with a surfboard and boosting was great kite. Really predictable and more intuitive than i'd hoped, drifts nicely down the line with you and inspired alot of confidence in fairly heavy surf. I did also drop it once in the surf zone and relaunched quickly (thank f**k otherwise missus would skin me alive). I have also had a quick play in light wind on friday and was going upwind on a 6''2 surfboard and 9m when people on 12-14 and even some big sleeping bag thing were going downwind.

Off to the bluff this avo after work to try it strapless or with a twinny if nice and flat.

I imagine it will be less exciting than the RPM unhooked, but keen to give it a go.

cheers

Luke

At A Glance

Last year the Rally really took the market by storm for Slingshot, it was their first venture into the Delta concept and they came out with what they called the Delta Open C format. The kite used C kite elements from the Fuel and RPM fused with the Delta concept to create a new beast entirely for the brand. This year the 2012 Rally has undergone some tweaking with the bridle and profile but remains largely unchanged in terms of a major overhaul. And why not, the kite was very well received by riders last year. Previously sizing was on the even numbers but 2012 sees the popular 9m size make a welcome entrance. In terms of what’s new the bridle positioning has been tweaked to befler spread the load on the leading edge, the panel layout around the spilt strut has changed and the profiling on each kite has been adjusted to improve the low end.

The Bar

The Comp Stick Bar has been tweaked for 2012 with a different colour for each size and a different grip design. The chicken loop is the same as last year and features a push away release system that seems to be becoming ever more standard. Floats, O’shit handles it is all here, perhaps the most interesting feature is the Surefire Spinner, one of the few attempts at keeping your lines from untwisting that we have seen to actually work. Hats off to the engineers on that one. The safety is a front line depower system that allows the kite to flag out on the front line. It is made in such a way that the kite should still be easy to relaunch after a release. The front lines ore 800lbs breaking strain too which is double that of most bars, this should ensure you never snap a front line.

On the Water

The low end on the 9m is very good, something the designers were looking to improve and they have certainly achieved it. You’d still need a 12m in the quiver as opposed to perhaps choosing the lOm and having that as your big kite coupled with a surfboard. Last years kite was great fun when the wind picked up and this year it is no different. Powered up it really comes alive and flies around the window with direct precision and plenty of power. The kite fools a lot more stable although it is still susceptible to user input. Let go of the bar and the kite will just sit overhead, but it only takes a small amount of input to get it racing round the window. The speed of the kite accelerates the longer you engage the bar, it’s something to be aware of as you con use it to your great advantage, but it can also catch you out if you don’t pay attention. Jumping with the 2012 Rally is great fun; the big floaty airs that we enjoyed on last years kite ore still there and the hongtimo is impressive. The speed of the kite lends itself to waveriding too and the stability helps in this area as well. The kite has a great “hang” ability when you are chasing it down the line and seems to sit in the air rather than fall out of the sky.

For

Moderate tweaks on last years excellent design means the Rally is improved for 2012, great build quality and a good bar set up add to the package.

Against

No real complaints, we love the safety system and the lively flying characteristics.

Overall

Fun, fast, well-made and great fun to fly the Rally improves it’s game over last years version but remains close enough to still be excellent!

Took ownership of a 14m and 10m 2012 Rally on the week end. Had a session on the 10m and one on the 14m on Saturday in wind from 18 dropping off to 12 knots which gave me the feeling the 14m is pretty much the same as last years. I am yet to ride this kite for any length to pass judgement. The 10m which i did not use from last year was allot of fun in 18 knots, but today got to try it properly in 26 to 30 knots. I was reluctant to use it as the wind was really gusty and there were squally sections coming through constantly. I used a friends 8m rally in these winds normally but decided to take it for a spin.

I was surprised at how controllable the kite was with a little trim on, i had no problem riding through gusts with one hand. It has about the same par pressure as last year which is fairly light and riding in small choppy waves generated by the wind were fun, not getting pulled off the waves as the kite sits nicely down the line. It jumps nice with enough hang time for my liking and docent drop you like a brick like some smaller kites i have tried. Slingshot said they had ironed out some of the minor problems of last year like the flutter from the trailing edge when taken through the window at speed and the weird jerky motion they had in really gusty conditions. Not that either of these things affected the performance of the kite but neither of them happen on the new model.

They sit very stable and are very predictable. The kite itself has had the tips where the outside lines attach beefed up so the nots dont rub if you have them around the wrong way like last year. It would take a life time for them to rub through there now. I cant tell you how the re launch is as i didnt ditch the kite today. I snuffed one jump and when i surfaced the kite was still in the air. I am assuming it will re launch as effortless as the 2011. The bar is the same as last years except they have changed the colour on each bar length. They have done a good job at matching bar length with kite size as the 8, 10, 12 and 14m kites all pivot turn fast.

This kite is a great for free ride and waves and i would totally recommend anyone looking for a stable and predictable kite to demo one.