These Z Kites are ‘Color Bleed’ kites. What exactly does that mean?
These kites were purchased after being stored slightly damp so the sail colors have bled from one to another. The severity of the color bleed is different from kite to kite, unfortunately we are unable to check each kite to determine the severity of the color bleeding. However, each is BRAND NEW and still have complete manufacturer warranty with them.

This package is complete with kite, kite bag, bar and lines, kite leash, kite pump, board with pads/straps/fins/handle/hardware, and harness w/spreader bar/spreader bar pad/hook knife.

Announcing the first “Spherical-C” Profile. The fresh, versatile design of the Z kite gives consistent pull with controlled power and unmatched versatility. Stable and predictable in virtually all conditions. The Z kite produces huge boosts with good control and effortless relaunch.

The Z kite is loaded with the latest innovative features. However, it’s most important feature is the “plug and play” usability you will experience everyday. This includes features like our industry first pully-less bridle that delivers a direct feel, enhanced responsiveness, and unmatched upwind performance. Additional unique features like our Spherical-C Profile and Axis Wing Tip allow the kite to easily roll up off the water into relaunch. Like our other kites, the Z has been optimized for maximum range to suit all kinds of riding conditions.

Kite with confidence. All conditions, all the time.

Features:

• Spherical-C Profile: Increases all around usage in the critical areas of kite performance. Stability, Upwind Ability, De-Power, Consistent Pull, Responsiveness, Boost, and Relaunch.
• 3 Strut Design: Lightweight, and balanced design.
• Pulley-Less Bridle Configuration: Innovative design that delivers intuitive feel and response. Tangle free, with no pulley maintenance required. Simple and direct.
• Aix Wing Tip Design: Factury tuned to be ‘plug and play’. The design allows the wing tip to automatically adapt to a variety of wind conditions without manual adjustment of pigtails at the kite.
• Deep Scalloped Trailing Edge: Reduces flutter and minimizes wear.
• Slingshot One-Pump: Patented by Slingshot, the most convenient and proven industry standard single point inflation system.
• Dimension-Polyant Dacron Leading Edge and Strut Material: DP 175 is the undisputed leader in Dacron quality. Proven by our top pro’s in the most demanding conditions year after year.
• Tri Tech Protection: Ballistic Kevlar, Mark Cloth, and Neoprene. Invidivual scuff guards, strategically places in the most vulnerable areas of the kite to optimize durability.
• Slingshot Legendary Construction: Long lasting durability and performance by using only the latest new high tech materials in our LE, canopy, bladders and finish trim materials.
• Lifetime Rider Hotline Support: Communicate directly with our friendly in house professional customer service department.

SLINGSHOT BALLISTIC HARNESS

Slingshot introduces the Ballistic Kite Harness. Designed and developed by riders for riders, the Ballistic harness is the answer for any kiteboarder who values the ultimate in harness performance and fit.

Ballistic Kite Harness from Slingshot Kite on Vimeo.

Our unique 3-D thermo shaping conforms to the body allowing for maximum mobility without sacrificing support and comfort. The integrated Lock Down Spreader Bar and pad displaces the load and does not twist or ride up. The Fiberglass battens provide just the right amount of back support. And Flex Edge makes everything comfortable to avoid any chaffing.

 Features:

·         3-D Thermo molded exterior and Interior

·         Dual density exterior foam

·         3-D Thermo molded spreader bar pad

·         Lock Down Spreader Bar System

·         Integrated handle and leash attachment

·         Flex Edge

·         Kite specific spreader bar

·         Waist belt closure

·         Fiberglass batten support

·         Neoprene buckle cover

Learn more

Features

• Hammerhead spreader bar
• Spreader bar pad
• Dual blade hook knife
• Pre-Curved P.E.B. inner support structure
• Spreader bar hold down webbing strap
• Featherweight ES foam molded lumbar pad
• Integrated handle and leash attachment
• Independent primary and secondary power belt
• Sliding Bar Kit compatible
• Buckle covers

Learn more

#1. Are you flying there? When booking a flight remember to check the baggage fees, because they change year to year and even month to month at times. The ticket that seems super cheap might not be the best investment if you’re overrun with bag check fees for your over sized gear. Make sure you research this information by calling the airlines and get names and quotes before deciding which airline to travel with.

#2. This brings up another point in bags. Know the rules of the airline and plan ahead on how you are going to pack all of your gear. Many airlines now charge for every bag checked, so be sure to check only what you have to. Pack all of your kite gear into one bag and anything else you can fit in there, and try to pack everything else into two small carry on bags. Make sure your check bag is under 50 pounds and remember that it will likely be heavier coming back with excess sand and water weight. You can save weight in your travel bag by not taking the kite bag, and using a Compression Bag instead. Remember not to try to carry on your kite bar, as it could be considered a weapon and you might end up getting to know the TSA agents a little better than you would have liked.

#3. Use a Golf Bag. Travelling with a surfboard you are pretty much guaranteed to pay an extra fee each way (normally $100), but if you’re traveling with a twin tip there is still hope. Get a Travel Golf Bag to try and deceive the airlines into thinking you have golf clubs and equipment. Remember this is only a chance to deceive them, just because you buy a Golf Bag does not mean you are guaranteed to check without fee. But using a Golf Bag certainly increases your chances of getting through without extra charges. Expect the best, but plan for worst. Putting a few golf clubs in the bag might not be a bad idea either if you have the extra weight to spare.

#4. Know Where You Are Going. It seems like one of those statements your teacher would have told you in grade because of how simple the idea seems, but it can often mean more than you think. A new location will almost surely have different conditions than what you are used to and preparing for these new conditions with simple items can make a huge difference. For instance, are you traveling to a tropical location with reef and sea urchins? You should pack a pair of thick soled booties to protect your feet from any harm, the last thing you want is slice your foot open on your first day kiting and spend the rest of the trip on crutches or in the hospital. Is the place you’re going near the equator? Then you definitely need some sun and heat protection. This includes sunscreen and water jersey or rashguards. Don’t expect to buy either of these when you get there, because they often won’t be available or they can be incredibly expensive.

#5. Repair Kits. I know you’re probably thinking that this is just a sales pitch to sell more repair kites, but that’s not entirely what I’m saying here. Sure we want to sell repair kits, we want to sell everything we have or make we’re a business and we need sales. But you absolutely cannot count on finding a kite repair center where you go, and if there is one there you can’t count on getting your kite repaired in time to ride or even in time to travel back with it. Do not take for granted a simple repair kit that can temporarily fix small damage to your kite to keep your riding on your vacation. You can find these kits in all sizes and price ranges, and it’s up to you to decided which you think you need.

#6. Respect the Locals. You’re probably a better kiter and maybe even a better fighter than most people where you travel. But remember this is their local spot and they have many more friends there than you do. No wind or wave is worth getting into an altercation over, and anytime a physical brawl takes place there is always a chance of prison. I don’t know about anyone else, but I have no desire to spend any time in a foreign prison. I’ve seen “Locked Up Abroad” that’s enough to keep me from doing anything that could get me arrested. So yes, it’s unfortunate when someone pulls the “Locals Only” card or anything like that, but just remember that you’re the visitor there no matter how good you are.

#7. Relax and Have Fun. This is your vacation, you need to have fun. Things are going to happen no matter how your prepare, but it’s how you deal with them that will have the most effect on your vacation. So there’s no wind, well do something else. Find something fun to do, SUP, snorkel, scuba dive, surf, or anything else the local culture enjoys. Although most of us are used to a fast paced life and limited time for every interaction, remember that most island places you visit are on “island time”. Life moves at a much slower pace, and you’re going to embrace that while you are there. Don’t let small things get to you, just keep telling yourself you’re on vacation and enjoy the moment. No stress, no problems, just fun.

Another true innovation in the world of kiteboarding and self reliance. If you live in a place where you can’t drive on the beach and there are no viable options to hook your self- launch to, this is the product for you. This Self-Launch Beach Anchor can be used to self-launch your kite with nothing around but sand or rocks. This is truly the best Sand Anchor you’ll find, because you don’t have to drill as with a stake and it folds up into nearly the size of your hand. Also, you can store it with your kite because there are not sharp points or edges to cut your gear unlike a dog stake!  Don’t puncture your very expensive and important gear with harder-to-use and more expensive equipment.

Tough and durable material (similar to sand-weight bag) will take a beating and heavy-duty webbing will take the load of your kite and then some.

Combine with the Self-Launch Tool or Carabiner and you’re all set to launch on any beach or lake shore anywhere!

Learn more

Lithium One (16m Only)
The ultimate lightwind freeride kite, using the innovative One strut technology, the Lithium One 16m utilizes the weight saving concept to create a whole new Lithium 16m for 2013, devoted to extremely light wind conditions. The drastic reduction in weight improves the relaunch, turning and stability, which are essential focuses of lightwind riding.

Tips From The Kite Designer
The Lithium is a pretty plug and play kite for all uses, all conditions and all riders. It excels in gusty conditions and is the best relaunching kite in our range.

New for 2013 there is a Lighter bar pressure setting on the bridle attachment near the center of the leading edge. Use this for a lighter slightly different feel than the standard setting.

I would recommend as with most kites, If you ride with the bar relaxed 100-150mm (4″- 6″) away from your quick release (or chicken loop), you could probably tie an extra knot ABOVE the standard setting on the pigtail, this will give you faster turning and a bit more power.

On the other hand, If you ride with your bar fully sheeted in resting against your quick release (or chicken loop), you could probably tie an extra knot below the standard setting on the rear pigtail. This will help when unhooking also and reduce back stall when kiting in light winds.

Hardcore Construction:
All Airush kites feature the Hardcore Construction, a focus and commitment to structural integrity.

• This includes a 4 piece strut with bomb proof double sandwich centre seam to reduce the amount of stitching points for reduce wear as well as increased rigidity.
• A Leading Edge connection seam with a slick 19mm soft webbing reinforcement to handle harder crashes.
• Increased mark cloth sections at the front of all canopy seams at the leading edge to stop stitching and seam wear points.

V3 Bridle System:
Featured on all the 2013 Airush Kites, with the exception of the Razor, the V Bridle system adds not only to the safety benefits, but also contributes significantly to the feeling and performance of the kites. The positioning of the bridle attachment points on the LE of the kite combined with the V pulleys, give a very smooth and responsive depower this allows for steering that is light, but direct enough to feel where your kite is. This also enables the kite to be steered and controllable when the kite is completely depowered.

Delta Hybrid Design:
The Delta Hybrid design in conjunction with the V3 bridle gives the Airush kite a whole new meaning to performance and feeling. Displaying direct and pivotal turning, the Delta Hybrid insures a great balance of speed and response. Due to the swept wing tips and profile the Delta Hybrid has instant relaunch capabilities making this shape ideal for all-around riding.

Learn more

It was blowing a solid 20 mph on a cold and cloudy Saturday. I was sitting on my couch bored out of my mind waiting for something cool to happen. That’s when Richard called me, he said “I’ll be out of work at 3, and I’ll come pick you up. We’re heading to the beach, the wind is cranking and the waves are gnarly.” Right at that point my day went from relaxing/boring to super exciting. I had been hurting to kite for a few weeks by then, and this was an opportunity to go with a good friend and hit the waves. I’ve been surfing since I was 14 years old and this was going to be my triumphant return to wave riding after a year of strict flat water kiting. I was incredibly excited and slightly nervous, but the adventure that awaited us was so much more than that.

The second we got out of the car onto the sand we started to cough. We both looked at each other and said “red tide,” the red tide was as bad as it had been in a long time. If you’re not familiar with red tide, it is a flesh eating algae that irritates your eyes, mouth and nose very badly. But a little irritation was not going to keep us out of the water, not one bit. We started to rig up our kites and noticed that no one else was out and we started to work faster and faster because this was going to be epic. The waves were picking up and the wind was incredibly steady. Richard was riding the Airush Lithium 10m with the 2012 Raptor LTD 132×41 and I was going to be riding the 2012 F-One Bandit V 12m with the Shinn Monk 132×41. We got our kites ready to launch and put on our wetsuits, high fived with excitement and Richard launched me. As I was approaching the water Richard was using his Self Launch tool to launch his kite. I walked into the chilly water overcome with anticipation and excitement, dipped my kite and took off. I started to launch off each peak steadily working my way past the break, the further I got the bigger the faces of the waves were. It seemed like I was constantly in the air, jumping from one wave to another. All of a sudden as I was almost beyond the break a huge set started to roll in, so I dipped my kite powered up and start to hall upwind as fast as possible. I was getting huge air off each wave in the set, and just as the set was about through, a head and half size wave rolled up in front of me. I knew immediately I was not going to make it over before it broke on top of me, so in a split decision I powered up ever more and braced for impact. I smacked the face of the wave with my shoulder first and plowed through the back somehow making it all the way through the other side with enough power to keep riding. It was at this time that Richard started to yell and it was on, he had seen it and it was now documented. It was not pretty, but it certainly got the job done. The rest of the hour and a half session was full of launches upwind and carving waves downwind. We couldn’t wipe the smiles off our faces and couldn’t keep from yelling in excitement. The day was a success; we had survived the red tide and lived to tell the tale. As the sun went down, we made our way back to the car to land the kites. I self landed and then assisted Richard in landing his kite. We then packed up, changed out of the wetsuits and began to notice that we had extreme problems with vision and taste. The red tide had infiltrated our eyes and mouths. I could not keep my eyes open and could not see anything, though the smile was still on my face. We packed up the car, and started the journey back to our homes to sleep off the effects of the red tide.

The day was just as I built it up to be. I had returned to the surf successfully and had witness to testify to it. After all, without a witness how would you be able to tell the story and have it confirmed? And not even red tide could put a negative spin on that day. It was a kite adventure I will remember for a long time. I can still close my eyes and see the sets lining up in front of me.

Whats the difference? As we hear this over and over again from riders.  Well, there is a huge difference. Enough so that Airush Kite Designer, breaks it down and explains the two kites feeling and design.

In 2013 the Lithium made some minor changes compared to the 2012, what were they and how does it affect the kite?

[MP] The Lithium 2013 has a new extra light bar pressure setting, Extra construction refinements (ie stronger for the same weight), and some added improvements to the Fast Bladder Inflation valves and fittings.

What type of rider is in mind when you designed the Varial X and Lithium?

[MP] The Lithium is designed for anyone, in any conditions. It works perfectly from first day as a beginner (the proof of this is the kite is EXACTLY the same as our DNA school kite, just with different graphics), up until top pro riders unhooked freestyle and wave riding.

[MP]  However, a rider at the upper end of this performance category, would be slightly more suited to the Varial X as its designed a bit more toward the higher end rider. The Varial X is better for unhooking, powered kite loops, and boosting.  Where as the Lithium works well, but is a bit more designed around ease of use, handling gusty winds, and super easy relaunch.

What type of turning and feeling do the Varial X and Lithium have?

[MP] The Varial X keeps it speed through the turn slightly more than the lithium.  This is great for the advanced rider who wants more power in a kiteloop or enjoys flying their kite around the window.  The Lithium is more suited to “park and ride” with using its better gust response rather than rider skill more so in the Varial X.  Both kites turn about the same speed really, its just a bit of a different feel and speed through the turn.

Do the Lithium and Varial X have the same rigging options ie bridle changes and back line adjustements?

[MP] Yeah, but the new Lithium has one extra “lighter” bar pressure setting on the front section of the bridle. The new Varial X is already pretty light on the bar so it doesn’t need that. They both still have the low, medium, high bar pressure setting on the back lines as well.

Why is the Lithium feel like it has more pull?

[MP]  The Lithium has more pull when you park it compared to the varial X. The varial X you need to fly around in the window a bit more to get the same amount of power. The Lithium also sits a little bit further back in the window which makes it feel like it has a bit more pull.

Some say that the Delta Hybrid design has more power than the SL-C design of the Varial X, Is this true? And Why?

[MP] Not that they actually have more power, but they deliver the power in a different way.  SL-C kites need to be flown (swooped) more to create the power, where as with delta hybrid kites you can just park it and it creates power.

The Delta Hybrid shape is renown for having excellent relaunch – How is the Varial X designed to achieve similar capabilities?

[MP] The Varial X still has good relaunch, but not quite as quick and easy as the Lithium which is more primarily designed around easy relaunch.

The range of the Lithium is immense, does the Varial X have the same range or different?

[MP] The Lithium wind range comes from the ability of the canopy to distort shape in gusty conditions giving a smooth feel even though the kite is parked in the same place. The Varial X can be used in a similar wind range, but needs a bit more skill in the “piloting” of the kite. The wind range works more by keeping the kite moving and generating power in lulls, and the reverse in gusts, ie keeping it more at the edge of the window.

Read more on the 2013 Airush Lithium here.

Read more on the 2013 Airush Varial X here.

This article was written by Airush, not kiteboarding.com. We cannot take credit in any way, but we are happy to share these words on such great kites. – Nate

The GoPro Wi-Fi BacPac Combo Kit does exactly what we’ve been waiting for it to do, allows you control your GoPro Hero 2 with a simple Remote that includes and LCD screen which mirrors exactly what the camera shows. But GoPro didn’t stop there, they also are allowing you to control the camera with your favorite smart phone or tablet, via an app from the app store. Now that is impressive and goes beyond what I was asking for. Not only does the app control the camera, but it will also allow you to view in real time what you are recording or taking pictures of. And they didn’t stop there, with the Remote you can actually control up to 50 cameras at once up to 600 feet away. Up until now I didn’t know that I wanted more than one camera, but GoPro just gave a me a real reason to buy 50 cameras. What a great marketing campaign, I wish I had thought of something so clever. Touche GoPro, touche. On top of all that, when you are connected to Wi-Fi network with internet access you  can even live stream your videos or photos to the web. Or upload them to youtube without having to plug your camera into your computer. I don’t know about everyone else, but the less wires I have to deal with the better.

For more of the technical aspects of this product check the product out on our website

We are offering this amazing GoPro addition for pre-order now. We have plenty coming to our shop, but they are selling very very fast, so I suggest you get yours ordered now to guarantee delivery. Earliest ship date for this is June 11. Pre-Order now.

Post comments of what else you want to learn.

-Nate

So here are my thoughts on the 2012 Slingshot RPM. I think it’s great to finally have an every-person kite endorsed by a champion rider. What do I mean by “every-person kite”? I mean that it’s not a C-Kite and any rider from a beginner to an expert can ride this kite and enjoy it. It’s not just made for expert riders and it won’t put anyone in danger like the other tour kites out there. I think that Youri Zoon is the best thing for the sport of kiteboarding because he is making a non C-Kite popular and winning with it. He’s the most marketable person with the most marketable kite right now because of its versatility and safety. The kite is the absolute best of both worlds:  it obviously delivers enough power when you want it (see Youri Zoon in the video below), and it dumps power when and if you need to. Every other kite that is marketed like it is not going to have the safety and versatility. That is what makes this kite so important, this is the kite with the potential to finally start to draw the younger riders to the sport. To learn safely and continue to progress this most amazing sport.

Those are my thoughts and opinions, right or wrong they’re here on this blog. Read them, agree with them, argue with them it doesn’t matter. It’s nice to have something different that wasn’t written by a marketing person meant to be copied and pasted on 100 different websites. And that’s the important thing to me.

Check out how to get your 2012 Slingshot RPM at a discounted price here. All you have to do is select the trade in option to receive up to $200 off and once you get your kite delivered just mail us an old kite you have lying around. It’s that easy. You knew I had to have a sales pitch in here eventually, we are a business. At least I waited ’til the last paragraph.

2012 Slingshot RPM with Youri Zoon (Capetown) from Slingshot Kite on Vimeo.