The Fall riding in Cape Hatteras has been excellent with week after week of windy days and insane sessions ! Check out the amount of skin in these pictures ? Cold ? No. Windy ?? Yes ! The Fall season continues to provide excellent riding conditions through mid-December, so with nearly 60 days to go, what are you waiting for !!? Get down to Cape Hatteras and get your ride"on !

One of the best things about Fall is combining all of next year"s gear with warm and windy conditions. The REAL team has been on the water non-stop for the past 9 days shooting our new Evolution instructional DVD (due out this Winter) and also testing the 2006 Slingshot Kites, especially the new Slingshot Octane and Turbo Diesel.

For 2006, Slingshot will have four inflatable kites:

FUEL : Freeride, All-Around Surf, 4 or 5 line.

OCTANE : High performance, contest riding, max up wind and jumping, 4 or 5 line, but benefits dramatically in windrange from using 5 line.

MACHINE : Dedicated lightwind powerhouse and performance machine ! This kite maximizes lightwind conditions and keep going once the wind picks up, something rarely if ever found in lightwind kites. 5 line.

TURBO DIESEL : Slingshot"s new “bow” style kite. Flat profile, simple bridle, 4 line rigging, 100% de-power. This kite is along the lines of a Cabrinha Crossbow, BUT with the benefit of Slingshot One Pump inflation, Slingshot Durability, a much better bar/line system, etc.


After 9 days of solid riding conditions, here is what our riders had to say about the new 2006 Slingshot Octane and Turbo Diesel Kites :


Slingshot OCTANE
“Yesterday I finally got to ride the much anticipated Slingshot Octane. The size I rode was the 16m. The kite is faster than you would even believe. I was able to point upwind and cruise with no problem while others were on larger kites and struggling to hold their ground. The bar system is very simple and the sheetable 5th line makes all the difference in the world when you get overpowered. Just pull in, cleat it off, and you are in the clear. The Octane will definitely be part of my quiver of kites in 2006.” - Nick Rodriquez

“Octane: They should call this kite HIGH Octane for the way that it makes you feel. This kite is insane. It is a perfect compliment to the Fuel in the Slingshot line. This kite has ultra light bar pressure and it turns so smooth. The Octane is a higher aspect kite (take a shot!!!!) than the Fuel, but it is very easy to ride. I heard and read all the tech before I rode this kite, and I was amazed at how easy it rode. Most kites of this style are really tune specific, but the Octane is suitable for anyone that is above the beginner level that wants a kite with huge range. The kite performs well in light wind, and as you get powered up it continues to be controllable. The 12m and 16m Octane are going to be staple kites for everyone"s quiver.” - Matt Nuzzo

“The 12 Octane is the smoothest, best handling, kite I"ve ever flown. The 16m Octane is a major addition to Slingshots big-kite lineup, has fantastic steering, and relaunches great . . . hands down one of the best "big" kites money can buy. It keeps up with any 17m, 18m, or 19m no problem. Both have ultra smooth power, deal with gusts well, and have a big, but functional, wind range that helps you charge back upwind. The Octanes definitely have impressed every rider that has had the chance to get out on them. Lots of envious glances. These kites are bad ass!!!!!! Italian sports car steering, unmatched upwind power, and huge jumps with staggering hangtime make "em the best Slingshot kites ever. The 12m Octane is ridiculous…”.- Zack Young

“Octane - Best upwind ability of any kite,… EVER.” Noel Jambor

“Octane 16m :"The nicest kite I have flown in 6 years of kiting, it does it all, effortlessly. Straight out of the box, this kite flies perfect. Light wind, over-powered, flat water, big surf...this kite shines in all conditions" - Tom Elliot

“Octane 12 and 16m : The Octane is a Ferrari. These are the best performance kites I have used to date. I know there are a lot of kiteboarders that have been waiting for this kite for some time.” - Tommie Kogut

“Octane... Super high end kite. No bar pressure, super fast, flies like a much smaller kite.” - Joe Wharton

"The Octane was a great kite to fly : very little bar pressure, goes to edge of the window super fast. It feels like the SS Machine but in a smaller size. It is a great kite to relaunch with the 5th line making it very easy." - Nadia Rioux

”You wanted lift and stability? You got lift and stability. Much easier to ride when powered up than the 05 Fuel and goes huge with great hang. Very
well balanced in the air and performance oriented. You can"t go wrong.” - Colin Gowland

“Amazing upwind and lift...Octane!!!!” - Ed Holden

“SS Octane vs. North Rhino 6 : Here is what I think about Octane and Rhino6. I will compare this two kites in a few parameters:

LIFT: Octane jumps higher and holds longer than Rhino 6.

Turning Speed: Slingshot Octane turns a lot faster than Rhino, and I was really impressed by the stability in the turns. Octane does not lose any power during the turns and has a really nice feeling for control in kite loops. In kite loops, the pull is gradual and consistent, this will make Octane a good wave kite as the Rhino is more like a shock in the kite loop and then nothing….

Upwind: These two kites are going upwind really well , personal opinion Octane goes better.

Depower: Octane has more depower and range, definitely better in gusty wind conditions.

Speed: I don"t really know for sure; they are really fast. I don"t know which is faster.

After many years of being a true North Kites fan, my loyalty has shifted. I love the Slingshot Octane !!! - Stan Radev



Slingshot TURBO DIESEL

“Turbo Diesel: Bow kite mania!!! The bow kite is the buzz in the industry and for good reason. The Turbo Diesel has a huge wind range. It rides at least 2 kite sizes bigger and smaller than the size that it says on the kite. Slingshot took a proven design of the kite, added One-Pump, and made a bar that blows the doors off of any other bow kite on the market. The Pulley/Chicken bar that comes complete with the Turbo Diesel allows you to set the range of depower by simply sliding the stopper in or out. This kite will be perfect for the rider that wants a kite that is great for cruising in a huge range of conditions or for getting long extended air time.” - Matt Nuzzo

"The Turbo Diesel is my type of kite ! You can feel the powerjump huge and float in the air forever. The bar is thhe best bar you can imagine : It is a pulley with a chicken loop you can adjust while you are riding. This kite has alot of range, it"s a great kite foor gusty conditions." - Nadia Rioux

“Turbo Diesel - Great windrange !” - Noel Jambor

“Turbo Diesel.... Mac Truck!!! Great boosting kite !!” - Joe Wharton

“Turbo Diesel......Great light wind kite!” Ed Holden

“Turbo Diesel pulls like you are driving a Ford turbo Diesel. I have a hard time edging out the power with my board, but using the bar to get the kite to the edge of the window was no problem. I think this is the ultimate cruiser kite, just rig the one you have and go. The Turbo Diesel is best suited for the crowd that is looking to boost only and is at the intermediate level of riding.” - Tommie Kogut

“The bar on this kite is far superior to the bar Cabrinha supplies with their Crossbows. This combined with Slingshot"s proven durability and ease of use (One Pump) will put this kite far ahead of Cabrinha in "06” - Warren Fuller



GENERAL OBSERVATIONS
There are three key observations taken away from these days on the water :

1. Yes, the “bow” style kite has its advantages, but will it rule the industry, effectively canceling all other designs ? Answer, NO. With over 20 riders, all weights, ranging from intermediate to pro level, riding all of the kites in the Slingshot "06 range, most riders chose the Octane as the kite that impressed them the most. Many riders were simply speechless about the "06 Octane. This style of kite required no change in riding style and delivered huge range combined with incredible upwind and jumping. Most of these riders have ridden the Cabrinha Crossbow and compared the Slingshot Turbo Diesel Kite and Turbo Diesel Bar as being even better than the Crossbow. The de-power range seems to be the advantage of this type of “bow” design, but not as much the performance or overall feel of the kite, which is definitely still firmly planted in the Octane style kite"s court.

2. Kites will be significantly better in "06. Whether you go Octane, Machine, Fuel or Turbo Diesel, you will experience significant increases in wind range, turning, upwind, and jumping compared to "05 or "04 kites. Most people involved in these tests rode "05 Fuels this year and recognized significant improvements in all of these categories when testing the "06 kites. Imagine the difference in performance when compared to "04 or "03 kites !!??

3. Slingshot takes proven steps forward every year. Rather than starting from scratch on a new design, hoping it will be a better one, Slingshot improves on each design, each year. This has been the case for the Fuel for four years running and in "06 the FUEL is even better. Here is what REAL Co-Founder Matt Nuzzo has to say about the "06 Slingshot Fuel: “The staple kite in the Slingshot line just keeps getting better. Simple improvements to a kick ass product. The bar has some great new features that make the bar pressure significantly lighter, and they all come stock 5 line. Overall the Fuel just continues to rock. The Fuel is a killer product that is suitable for any ability level, in any conditions.”

Several more examples of this simple, year to year design method ; Slingshot took what they learned from the lightwind dedicated "06 Machine and produced the best high performance kite ever with the new "06 Octane. Now with the new bow style kites coming into fashion, Slingshot started with a proven design (all bow kites are produced with a license from original designer Bruno Leganioux), then added SS durability, ease of use (One Pump), a better bar and depower system, etc. Again, adding simple but recognizable improvements, not trying to re-invent the wheel.