Top pointers on how to choose the Slingshot Kitesurf Board that’s right for your riding style and interests.
Changing from a twin tip to a surfboard opens up an entire new world of performance in waves (obvs…), but can also be a game changer in wind chop and light-wind conditions. We make four different surfboard models: Celero, Mixer, Tyrant and Sci-Fly—each of them designed with specific features that collectively form a complete surf family capable of handling everything from high-speed, overhead barrels to jump-and-bump wind swell to chaotic onshore mush.
We’ve divided kite surfboards into three main categories:
- Modern Freeride Cut-Offs
- High Performance All-Arounders
- Wave-Specific ChargersKitesurf
Modern Freeride Cut-Offs
Short and fat with a blunt nose is not the kind of Tinder profile pic you’ll be swiping right on, but it is what you’re looking for in a surfboard if you’ll mostly be kiting in small to medium waves or seeking to maximize your strapless freeride game in flatwater conditions.
With a wide, parallel rail outline, flat-ish rocker and blunt, cut-off nose similar to a twin-tip, this category of surfboards provides incredible stability in wind swell and onshore mush. Additionally, the thin rails and buoyant design yields a quick glide and excellent upwind capabilities, making these surfboards your best choice for light-wind situations.
Typically utilized with a thruster fin set-up for tight, driving turns, these surfboards’ compact, playful shape really shine for strapless freeriding where swing weight and in-air maneuverability are crucial. Not only will the flat rails and wide tail help you transition to directional riding easier, they will also have you chop popping and boosting with impressive ease.
If a Modern Freeride Cut-Off surfboard sounds like what you’re after, then check out our new-for-2020 Sci-Fly model.
High Performance All-Arounders
These “quiver of one” surfboards are adaptable to all abilities in nearly all conditions, making them the ideal choice for kiters just starting out with directional riding and discovering where they want to take it. Unsurprisingly, this category of do-it-all surfboards has quickly become the most popular on the water.
They can be ridden with straps or without, and usually have a rounded or squash tail shape to provide a secure and predictable turn at moderate to high speeds (especially with a tri-fin thruster set-up). The medium rocker combined with a pointed or diamond-shaped tip allows you to aggressively drop into steep sections and carve down the line with confidence.
Their overall wide outline provides stability in messy conditions and ample buoyancy for underpowered or light-wind situations, while the semi-parallel rails yield fast upwind ability and energetic freeride pop.
If a versatile all-conditions surfboard is what you’re after, we’ve got you covered with two High Performance All-Arounders in 2020: the multi-talented Celero and the Mixer, a playful, small-wave ripper.
Wave-Specific Chargers
These surfboards are exactly that: boards wholly dedicated to surfing waves. Forget freestyle maneuvers or cruising flat water, these surfboards are designed for steep, high-speed walls, tight, tucked-up barrels, carvy, no-slip bottom turns, and powerful, fins-out top slashes.
With a narrower profile, thinner rails and significant rocker, these surfboards mimic the flex, feel and performance of a modern shortboard, delivering on the biggest of days when the waves are pumping and precise in-the-pocket handling and speed is mandatory. Typically equipped in a tri-fin thruster configuration, these surfboards can be rigged with foot straps or without depending on your preference and the conditions.
If you’re an experienced rider that demands maximum performance on powerful waves, you’ll absolutely want our redesigned-for-2020 Tyrant.
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