Slingshot Brand Review: The Americans Who Built a Kite Without Struts

An American brand with a reputation for "anything but breaking". Here is what we carry and what sits behind it.

What is in the catalogue

• RPX V2 — 980 €, sizes 9, 10, 11, 12, 14 m.
• UFO V3 — 994 €, sizes 6, 7, 8 m.
• Code V2 — 1 166 €, sizes 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12 m.
• Ghost V4 — 1 357 €, sizes 10 and 12 m.
• SlingWing V5 — 736 €, 4.5 m.
• SlingWing V6 — 1 013 €, sizes 4.0 to 6.5 m.
• Sentry V3 — 675 €, a 53 cm bar.

Seven items is narrow, and for specific models and sizes we confirm availability with the supplier before payment.

How the American approach differs

A generalisation, but it explains the range.

European brands have historically optimised for weight and efficiency: lightened constructions, expensive materials, fine tuning.

Slingshot has historically optimised for structural endurance. The brand grew out of wakeboarding and park riding, where equipment lives hard, and that DNA shows.

What it gives a buyer: a margin of strength where it is genuinely needed — rentals, schools, shallow rocky water, kites dropped on the beach repeatedly.

What it costs: weight. A durable construction weighs more than a lightened one, and in light wind you feel it — mechanics in our materials guide.

Four kites, four jobs

Read through the size ladders, as always.

RPX V2 (9 to 14 m) — nothing below nine. That means medium and light wind, freeride.

Code V2 (5 to 12 m) — the widest ladder, closest to an all-rounder.

Ghost V4 (10 and 12 m) — only two mid-range sizes. Specialisation rather than a range.

UFO V3 (6, 7, 8 m) — three small sizes and an unusual construction. Covered separately.

The practical conclusion: for one kite, the Code. For two, the Code plus the RPX.

Wings: V5 and V6

SlingWing V5 — 736 €, one size at 4.5 m.

SlingWing V6 — 1 013 €, sizes 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.5 m.

The 277 € gap is a generation. The V5 remains in the catalogue in one size while the V6 runs a full ladder.

What that means practically: the V5 at 4.5 m is a chance to buy the previous generation cheaper if that size fits you. The same principle as last season's kites: a construction does not spoil because a newer one appeared.

The V6's 6.5 m is the top of the ladder, for light wind. How to size a wing: our GONG range guide.

The Sentry V3 bar

675 €, 53 cm wide.

53 cm is a wide bar. Width affects steering effort: wider gives more leverage, so the kite turns with less force but demands a greater reach.

Who wide suits: larger riders and anyone on big kites.

What to look for in a bar generally: our bar guide.

Who it suits

Schools and rental fleets. A strength margin means fewer repairs per season.

Anyone riding hard conditions. Shallows, rocks, a windy shore.

Anyone looking for something unusual. The UFO is a construction almost nobody else offers.

Wingers wanting last generation cheaper. The SlingWing V5 at 4.5 m.

Who it does not suit

Anyone with consistently light wind. A durable construction means weight.

Anyone wanting choice. Seven items against hundreds at larger brands.

Anyone needing depth of sizes. The Ghost has two, the UFO three.

Common questions

How does Slingshot differ from European brands?

An emphasis on structural endurance rather than minimum weight. The brand grew out of wakeboarding and it shows.

Which single kite should I buy?

The Code V2: a 5 to 12 m ladder, the brand's widest.

How does the SlingWing V5 differ from the V6?

By generation. The V5 remains in one 4.5 m size at a lower price — sensible if that is your size.

Why a 53 cm bar?

More leverage: the kite turns with less force but needs a greater reach. It suits larger riders and big kites.

Is everything in stock?

For specific models and sizes we confirm with the supplier before payment.

Where to look

The range is on the Slingshot page. Sections: kites and wings.