Will Slingshot Wakeboards be the Future of the Sport?

If you haven’t heard about Slingshot Wakeboards yet, just be patient, you will. After years of manufacturers claiming to have the next BIG thing in wakeboard technology, Slingshot may actually have a shot at making good on that promise. First and foremost is their radically different wakeboard design which creates a board with a flex pattern similar to a snowboard. The second unique product in their offering is a stiff closed toe wakeboard boot, which is also influenced by the snowboard industry. Both wakeboard and wakeboard boot are rich in technology, and the resulting riding experience should be quite interesting.

Sure, some of their ideas have been tried before, and both Hyperlite and Ronix offer a snowboard inspired board, but the originality of their products is obvious. If you spend any amount of time on a snowboard, the unique construction method and resulting flex pattern of Slingshot wakeboards will reward you with a very similar feel on the water.

Wakeboards
Slingshot uses a completely different design and manufacturing process to create their wakeboards. The flexible yet stiff design is a result of traditional fiberglass and foam materials, in a new configuration that makes use of wood stringers to store energy. Overall, the design process is very similar to that which you would find in a snowboard.

The result is a unique riding experience that forces the rider to rely on the edges of the board. Together with the completely smooth base, this edge centric design results in a board that is incredibly fast into the wake, and stores energy very well for maximum pop. The flexible design also results in a board that absorbs the majority of the impact on re-entry, which results in a very soft landing.

Wakeboard Boots
Modeled after a high-end snowboard boot, the Slingshot approach to wakeboard bindings features a stiff closed toe design, with heat molded liners, interior and exterior laces, and a unique 4×4 mounting paradigm to better connect the rider to the board. Although Slingshot wakeboard boots can be used on any board with a traditional mounting disc that is included with each pair, for the best performance, this stiff binding should be used with Slingshot’s unique wakeboard designs.

Slingshot has been heavily involved in the kiteboarding industry for quite some time, and that experience is what led them to the wakeboarding segment. Here’s the their story, as detailed on the Slingshot website:

Over 25 years in the making.We’re into making cool stuff. We are not about boards for the masses.

Slingshot is passionate about style. This passion drives our R&D, our innovation, and technology. We are looking to the future and building the first board and boot combination that re-defines high performance riding. Our focus on high end materials and construction technology produces a board where the flex, rebound & light-weight work with the rider to create a sensation not felt in wakeboarding before… A feeling that you already understand if you surf, skate or snowboard.

The Design Team

We started with Tony Logosz. He has over 25 years of shaping and composites experience. Then we built a team of the most talented developers and designers to surround him. We added the expertise of West Coast wake boarder Collin Wright and his crew to do the testing. The result: New innovative boards and bindings that will make your riding more fun and progressive.

We’re building the future. Take a ride, you’ll never look back.

Slingshot. The Art of Power.

Sounds like a lot of marketing verbage to us, but we still can’t wait to give these new wakeboard and boot designs a try. With the weather warming up every day, that experience is drawing near. Look for a full review after we get on the water.