Slingshot

Can anyone give me any feed back on the Slingshot boards? I am wondering if they are worth buying?

best board I've ever been on, without a doubt.

Slingshot made me re-fall-in-love with wakeboarding and made it so much more fun. way worth looking into and buying.

do a search and you will find tons of info. there are a few reviews in the review section for the boards too.

but i will try to summarize.

Slingshots (and company wake's boards, and Humanoid wake's boards when humanoid releases) are made with the same construction. they are made with high end foam, wood and have an abs sidewall. the sidewall material helps protect the board on rails and also allows to "tune" the edges, in that you can round the edges to make the board ride slower/ more forgiving. most tend to ride the boards as they come out of the box.

The unique construction gives the boards a lively flex, much more noticable than a traditional foam core board. The flex allows a rider to build up energy and then release it at the wake potentially adding more pop. similar as one would "load the line". also think of a spring being loaded or the potential energy storage of an archery bow.

The flex also allows for super soft and forgiving landings, especially when landing tail heavy. a recent interview from Randall Harris (rider and part owner of Company wake) mentioned also that the flex of these types of boards allows the rocker to flatten out a bit and "rocket forward on landings" http://www.wakeworld.com/getarticle.asp?articleid=2173

some companies are achieving flex in different ways or "mixed/hybrid" ways.
Obrien has two boards using an eva core that has a warranty even after hitting sliders
hyperlite's roam is made of wood and not with foam and flexes more easily than the others but tends to be better for rails and not so much utilized wake to wake.
LF has two boards that use the construction of their "press" board but utilize bottom features such as channels and molded fins. such bottom features will make the board a bit less flexy do to the thickness (or so is believed so far)
SINE, a relatively new company uses a unique, secret construction to create a hybrid flex and they can even customize the ammount of flex, weight, size, etc.

Slingshot (and other similar boards) are the ultimate "all terrain boards" good for just messing around, good for rails, and good for wake to wake, and cable too!


that about sums up all of flexboards, slingshot being the ripple starter of the flex revolution IMO. i like randalls interview about flex being a FEATURE. the feature of flex has and will be influencing wakeboarding more and more.



(Message edited by wakerider111 on April 24, 2009)

roll with it. damn fun board

+1 for best board I have ever been on

Thank you very much Jeremy and everyone for all your help. It made me more excited to get one.

Any suggestions between the response and the recoil?

my only suggestion. If you get one, get an '09.

Get a CO Wake and support an up and coming company rather than a kiteboarding giant.

(Message edited by steezyshots on April 24, 2009)

Riley - No!

Slingshot, done.

Wow Riley, pretty bold statement against the company that brought flex to wake. Respect...

the response is continuous and the recoil is three-stage

if you typically like 3 stages then you may most likely like the recoil best. or opposite, you may like the response best if you typically ride continuous rocker boards.

the response is faster but not as aggressive in the pop.

Both are great!

if you are looking at the 09 boards then you have the choice of the reflex as well which is a blend between the two rides

The 07 and 09 boards are exactly the same except for graphics and mou8nting holes. the 07 lacks the traditional mounting and will only mount 4 hole bindings like slingshots. the 09 boards have a smoother rail, rail-friendly base, wider stance available 6 inch traditional mounting inserts (the 08 had 8 inch i think).

also, if you get the 08 or 07, in time you may want to ask slingshot for the new 09 fins (made of a stronger material and use a wider bolt too). the fin holes will have to be drilled wider to fit them, an easy and quick task (i just did my 07 recoil earlier this week), as the boards are so thin and light... the lightest you can get on the market WITHOUT breaking the bank!

Ohh and, How tall are you and what is your weight??

I finally got to try out my 08 response for the first time over the last two weeks. I LOVE it. I've had it both at OWC and behind the boat. Great on rails, its held up really well and by far my favorite board I've ridden behind the boat. So much fun to just carve, slide, and try and press the hell out of it. Its great to treat almost like a snowboard and flex it on the wake then ollie off the top with that extra snap. Great board. I will definately be on flex boards from here on out

Slingshot Reflex is the best cable board ever!

(Message edited by jdwake1 on April 25, 2009)

lmao at riley's comment! How about this...buy slingshot or buy Company...either way you are supporting slingshot!

^what I was thinking

Actually, my understanding is that Company now has their own warehouse and manufacturer. Although some of their boards are still made by Slingshot right now, they are moving towards doing their own manufacturing.

No your not company is in no way affiliated with slingshot! I'll second the company I've ridde the response and it was fun but I love my severance it's a different ride it in no way acts the same as the slingshot I would definitly consider trying the company first.

hahaha riley, slingshot is making the company boards, so either way ss is making bank.
slingshot is the way to go

I guess you didn't read the post two above yours...

Slingshot was kind of a launch pad for Company wake IMO. from here on out its reaching for the stars and "boldly going where no man has gone before..." i bet Co. will be differentiating themselves more and more, but will always be wakeboarding of course. I respect all wakeboard companies and am especially respectful of those working on flex... or rather working from the inside out on a board's construction and performance. and slingshot is and will be a permanent niche on the time line of wake history and progression along with many other companies, and names.

some say flex (slingshot) has been the best thing since twin tip... i'm thinking more since threestage tech. there was no argument whether twin tip was gona stay or be a fad or be a style preference for some, it was implemented on the spot! it became the CHARACTER of the board more than just an optional feature so to say. Flex is and will be like three-stage tech, a feature that is used fully or partially as a hybrid. Again, i really like Randall's statement of flex as a FEATURE and i think that statement can represent the wake industry as a whole and not just Company Wake IMO.


I can start to feel some warmth in here, or is it just me...I (would) hate to see any company get stepped on despite my own or others' preferences (though i am sure i am guilty of stepping on rare occasions) before long we are all hopping on one foot still trying to stamp everyone elses toes... though it is kinda funny at first sight, especially for the on-lookers watching the craze. peace!

haha i respect all companies, i think that what randall is doing is smart. there is only one other company focusing on flex and that its just the beginning of the idea. I was just trying to say that company wouldn't have produced any boards in the beginning maybe even now without slingshot.

ok ok ok...this is how it is. Slingshot boards and Company Wake boards are made in the same factory. Company came to us because they were stoked that we were doing something different in the wakeboard industry. We decided to work with them to help bring even more flex boards to the market. More flex board options for all you riders out there! Company is not housed or shipped from the Slingshot Warehouse. They are their own company doing their own thing. The Company boards are different from Slingshot boards. Different flex, different shape, different sidewalls, different ride, different feel. They design their boards and boots to how they want them to ride and feel, and we design our boards and boots to how we want them to ride and feel. They use our board manufacturing process because its super awesome! The Company Severance is different from the Recoil and the Recruit is different from the Response. I say try them all, ride what feels the best to you!

Sask Rider, if you want any info on the Slingshot boards, call me at work and I can tell you all about them 509-427-4950x23

Really classy post by SS.... go with them for that reason alone.

but seriously... different strokes for different folks.... I love my SS, tried a company, didn't feel as poppy... just me though.

I think the flex market is so small that their really isnt a whole lot a competition right now between all of them. Sure SS is the biggest (and great customer service) Company has the most marketing efforts (which to some is really important) and then pretty soon we are going to see a tiny grassroots company come on to the scene called humanoid. All different shapes and flexes. Choices are good because to pushes the industry (especially new niches such as flex). I ride a slingshot and a humanoid and honestly at this point couldnt say one is by far better than the other. Each one has trade offs that the other doesnt. So what is better in one is made up by the other in better in something else. I honestly have ridden each one as much as the other this season. I really like supporting the smallest company in wake that is Humanoid and I really like supporting the originator in flex for wakeboarding that is Slingshot.

I think thats why people get upset when people say company is hands down better than slingshot. It is all personal preference and I know I for one have let my pride show a few times on this subject. So I would like to rephrase my statement to mean something different. By supporting SS, CO, or HU, you are really supporting all of them. I wasnt always sold on flex, but I have taken a new approach on riding this season and have found what everyone has been talking about. Flex is in folks!

Hey. I am 6"1' and weigh 210. Thanks for all the help. I am super excited to try one out if I can get my hands on one. Hopefully one of the local shops will be carrying them

I'm 6'1, 200lbs, and I got to try out my 142 Company Severance with Slingshot D3 bindings. The board was sooo light, it was a little loose compared to the only board I'd ever ridden but it was also a lot of fun. The pop was predictable and could boost you if you hit the wake right.
Oh ya, first day back in awhile and I cased it bad a few times, and it handled it like it was nothing. Sooo smoothe. I'm satisfied

the largest of any of the board models should suit you well Sask, again, especially due to the lightness, you won't be able to tell IF the board is a little larger than your usual ride size.
enjoy!

Thanks. I just looked at the humanoid boards for the first time. I see that they have the stiff and the flex boards. Are the stiff boards just a regular board? They also have the feel meter thing there. Is that just comparing the stiff to flex? Or something else?

Saskrider where do you live?

I've got an '07 142 Recoil with size 11 Drivers that I will let go for a good price.

only ridden once.

From what i can tell the humanoid stiffys will be more like a traditional board when it comes to stiffness or "flexness." but the construction is still different from a traditional foam core board and i am guessing it will be lighter too. the bottom features are very subtle on the humanoids (but more so than slingshot and company.) compared to many of the traditional ones now days; this is another difference.

little to no bottom features seems (at this point from my understanding/opinion) to be the best way to take advantage of flex for those leaning further to the "flex style." it makes for a more even/undistributed flex pattern. and its fun to be able to just slide and press things out. BUT again, this is just a preference and style thing.

the flex versions don't flex as much as the company or slingshot, one reason being is probably because of the simple bottom feature(s); i.e. the center beam/spine that makes the board vary in thickness

humanoid has yet to release their product to the general public into stores but should this summer (or earlier).

i would recommend emailing humanoid to get more (sure) info. Joel Hilliard is super nice and has answered several e-mails i have sent in the past.



(Message edited by wakerider111 on April 26, 2009)

Humanoid is releasing a stiff version that is still thin and light like the Slingshots. I think it is just going to be a little thicker but the construction is going to be the same. The main difference with humanoid is that it has bottom features, however they are still very subtle. It just a single to double concave. Much like the older liquid forces. Considering who is designing the shape of them I wouldnt expect them to be unlike that though. Again its all pretty similar, just different feels. I only have ridden a prototype of the humanoid and I know that the have made improvements over the version I have ridden. For now though Slingshot is going to be the easiest to get your hands on. I am 6 foot 210 and I really like the recoil 142 with the response short base fins. To me the difference was huge between the short base fins and the long, its all personal preference though. I really want to get my hands on the reflex, to me it sounds awesome for an all around everything board.

The thing that also changed my riding was I have really slowed down my approach and take a reallllllllly progressive edge. In other words, I roll onto edge slower and take longer to build the pressure under my board. Before I was taking quick progressive edges and wasnt pleased with my pop. The quick progressive edge worked great on my hyperlite premier and byerly's but not on the flex boards. I also found myself riding really really knees bent and really popping at the wake (only way I can describe it is to watch danny harf ride sometime)

I still haven't ridden my 139 Recruit and after reading this thread I am starting to think that it might be too small. I am 5'11" and I weigh 195.

I rode a Marius 140 last year and that board seemed way too big, so maybe I am wrong.

i think you'l still be fine justin.

there is no weight range suggestions that i can find for company... but the weight range suggestion for the '08 slingshot response 137 (continuous rocker) is 140 lbs. to 225 lbs. which is a slightly smaller board than 139. the 142 suggests 165 lbs. to 260 lbs. but the larger recruit is a tad larger than this at 143. just for some references

riding big seems to be the new increasing fad/style. and with the weight of these types of boards makes it even more possible to enjoy larger boards if that be your thing.

have not ridden the marius yet, but i think i have heard people say it rides bigger than it seems? because it has quite wide tips? someone correct me if i am wrong

i bet both size boards will fit within your weight range but if you are really thinking you want the larger i bet you could trade up a size especially since you have not ridden it yet. ask your shop or company and see what they can do if that is the direction you wish to take.

p.s. slingshot lists a few of the pros and their weights and the size and model they ride. http://www.slingshotsports.com/wake-team company doesn't yet (not the rider weights anyway) that i could find. again, this is just another reference to look at and not necessarily THE ANSWER

also, interesting to note, Tino mentions that he switches riding between two sizes of severance "depending on mood" http://companywake.com/#tino

Is the SS Reflex meant mostly for cable/sliders? What is the rocker on it? How is it compared to the Recoil?

I just went for a Response/D2 set-up to reflex/PB Floyds and love it. Super light set up, solid on sliders, ton of pop on the wake and cable. Highly recomended!!!!

Its half recoil and half response.

An in the middle board between the other two.

I've never heard anyone say anything bad about the Reflex, and on the wake it looks like it rides great.... I've never used one though so take it for what its worth

I love my recoil, it pops like nothing else on the water

this season i got an 09 recoil with 09 PB Floyds...just rode them yesterday for the first time this season and they are great...cased pretty hard on my first wake jump but really didnt notice it like iw ould have with any other board...i also feel like i dont have to try as hard to get a good edge and to get alot of pop...bindings are super comfortable...i just dont really like how at the top of the Floyds you have to lace it...it makes it hard to keep it tight but already after one day of riding i am figuring out the best method to put them on...overall i love the board and will stand by slingshot 100%!! There costumer service is also the best ever...sent them an email about getting the heel brace and within a few hours they had already shipped it(anyone that gets the 09 bindings they do not come with the brace but all you have to do is email them and they are more than happy to send you one)...you really cant go wrong with slingshot!!

Awesome. I am thinking I am going to get the new Recoil. Just have to see if there is a shop near me to get one.

I use the reflex on cable and it's the best board ever, not yet tried it behind boat but I heard it's just as good there!

reflex is the most durable board we've ever used. Not indestructible, but definitely better than most. it survived quite a bit of concrete this weekend, and came out with a whole lot less scratches than any of our other boards.

Ya, the description on the Reflex is a little misleading or lacking or over emphasized in one area.

The Reflex design definitely has some things about it that work well for rails and such, but it was definitely designed for the wake too. Rob Jacques is known for being keen with rails and such and the board's description probably focuses too much on that. but rob himself has come on wakeworld in the past to clarify that it is great behind the boat too and described it as a blend of the other two boards as well.

also, all the 09 boards feature the dura base/ grind base and not just the reflex.

* i have not ridden the reflex yet either

Thanks for the help guys. I am really looking forward to trying one of the SS boards out. I am hoping the local shop will have them this year.

What makes the Reflex so much more durable and better for rails? I haven't seen one up close just on the ground at OWC last month.

I picked up an '07 Recoil 142 and Driver boots last month and have been out on the water twice so far this year. I'm really enjoying the feel of the slingshot board and boots. I ride finless and love how seamless it is going from hard edge to sliding/spinning on the surface of the water. There's no "breaking loose" required like my Hyperlite Motive, even though I rode it finless as well.

The landings are definitely alot softer as well. I had major reconstructive surgery on my right knee about 7 years ago due to a rugby injury with partical MCL/LCL, full ACL, and both meniscus' blown. While I feel I fully recovered in terms of mobility/strength, my meniscus' were replaced with teflon, and the shock absorption just isn't what it used to be. With my hyperlite, my knee would be sore for a couple of days after boarding. My slingshot has yet to make my knee sore, at least so far.

Also, I've progressed more in the two rides this season than I had in the 10 or so I had last summer/fall, but can't comment as to how much of that is the slingshot and how much is studying proper technique/dropping some weight over the winter. I can say that I haven't stopped smiling since hitting the water this year.....the slingshot just makes it more fun for some reason.

Disclaimers: I'm pretty noobish, only started riding late last summer, ended the summer barely casing wakes and doing surface fs 180's. I hit hs w2w and surface 360 my second day on the water this year. I'm 6'1" and down to about 180 lbs.

If anyone is interested in the slingshot board, would like to try one out, can get to Huntsville, AL, and can wear a size 10 boot, I'm more than happy to give you a pull to see how you like it.

All of our 09 boards come with the Dura Base. Its tough and made for a beating. Same kinda stuff that is on the bottom of a snowboard. I rode the Reflex last weekend. It pops a little smoother than the Recoil, and it transitions from edge to edge smoother more like the response. It rides a little faster on edge then the Recoil. It just felt like a smoother Recoil. Little less aggressive. It was rad! A real nice in between board from the Response and Recoil.

Are the Drama and the Recoil the same? It appears that way but then the description says womens specific or something like that.

I trashed my black pearl last weekend and I'm thinking about retiring it to a slider board and trying the reflex.

Kyle, Right now I ride an older Byerly, It has a 3 stage rocker, I have never ridden a continuous rocker board. I would like more speed than my byerly, but our boat doesn't have the biggest wake, it isnt a "wakeboard" boat, just has a tower. What do you recommend?

If you are looking for more speed, but you want a 3 stage rocker, I would say go with the Reflex 141. Its going to transition from edge to edge smoother than the Recoil. This is because the subtle 3 stage rocker is a little bit smaller then the Recoil. Its stiff in the center but real soft in the tip and tail so the landings are super nice. If you want something more aggressive, go with the Recoil 142. I think you will like either board. You can make the Recoil loser by using the 6in Response fins instead of the stock 8in Recoil fins. Hit me up tomorrow at work if you have any other questions! 509-427-4950x0023 I'm there 9-5 pacific standard time.

Hey Kyle, got to winch with the new reflex this weekend and it was sick! Held up on the some concrete jibs we found pretty well. I got to ride it at nationals and its a bada$$ board for the wake too, a little more pop than my response but still pretty fast in the water which is what I like. Anyways thanks for everything you do for us man! It's greatly appreciated.

Dude Davis I saw some of the footage! You guys are so legit! I gotta find stuff like that around my neck of the woods. We have more natural dams and things to winch off in rivers up here. I love the natural winch stuff, its so snowboard style! I was showing my friends your videos this weekend. Everyone is stoked on you guy's stuff! Keep sending it to me!