Well it was a real treat to be able to fly this past weekend for the first time in over a month and a half, and it was the perfect opportunity to try out a new (to me) kite. I’ve had this kite sitting in my quiver for a couple months, with no real chance to try it out for comparative review purposes. I did manage to fly the kite for a few minutes while it had the original factory bridle installed, but really got a good feel for it this past weekend.

Construction and Build Quality

Not really much to say here... it’s Slingshot quality, bomb proof stitching, Slingshot one pump system and awesome graphics design. It’s the unique qualities of this kite that really give it the edge. Firstly, the kite is littered with small spars along the leading edge and a longer one near each wingtip for rigidity. You can see the black lines sprouting up from the leading edge bladder in the pics, these are the “spars”. There are also more struts than a normal SLE/ Hybrid. (Total of 9; 7 black struts and 2 white additional support struts in addition to the leading edge) Unfortunately, this means that the kite takes quite a bit of time to pump up, but it gives the kite a nice rigid frame. The other way that this kite shines is in its versatility. The Link can be set up in 4 line SLE mode or 4 line C kite mode by swapping out and reconfiguring lines in the bridle. So far, I have only tried the kite in 4 line SLE mode. The downside is that there is only one deflation point in the bladder system. I really wish that Slingshot would put deflation valves on each of the struts like Naish did on the Boxer SLE. It does introduce more potential for leaks, but it makes deflation much easier and more efficient. With the one pump system it is hard to get all the air out and pack it up nicely into the bag. The bar that came with the kite is the standard 4 line Slingshot bar with below the bar trim and online safety leash ring on one of the power lines.

Pics removed.

Flight Characteristics

Original Factory Bridle (Black)
The first time I set the kite up for an initial flight attempt the winds were anywhere from 5mph to about 7-8mph (inland and inconsistent) and finally shifting up to a more consistent 10-12mph. The most apparent quality of this kite is that it wants to fly in little wind. As anyone who has flown an LEI knows, 10mph is really the minimum you would ever want to fly in to do anything except static flying. Keep in mind that the following review was done from a static flying session. The low wind ability is where the rigidity in the frame from the struts and spars comes into play. The trick then was to keep the kite in the air, which turned out to be quite difficult. With the stock black bridle, the kite is very slow to turn (also a result of the lack of wind) and the power transition while working the length of the throw is a little twitchy. It also didn’t feel like it had as much depower as it should have and while depowering, the kite was sloppy. I expected a lot of of this kite right off the bat and it was fairly unamusing and a little disappointing.

Redline Bridle Upgrade

It really amazes me how much a difference a new bridle can make. There is a fix available for the standard factory bridle where you can undo a few bridles, tie some knots, and reassemble the bridle configuration, but Slingshot reworked a completely new bridle system and the upgrade should be covered under warranty. (it was for me) The new bridle is amazing to say the least and the kites performance capabilities really were recovered. My first test with the new bridle was done in similar conditions to the first flight with the stock bridle. Winds started off really low and then worked up to more consistent 10-12mph winds. My first impression of the new bridle can only really be described by one word; amazing. Slingshot really managed to fix this kite by reworking the bridle system. Instead of one pulley for each side, there are 2 and the length of the leading and trailing edge bridle system increased in length significantly. The low end seemed to increase a little, and the kite will now fly a little higher in the window. (meaning it will also attack the side edge of the window more as well) The kite is easier to work in the window to keep it up in lower wind conditions while still delivering a decent amount of power. The depower ability was improved and turning response (not necessarily speed) was improved. Because it has 2 pulleys per side, there is a lot of precision in the bar throw. Increments of a half an inch on the throw changes the flight performance significantly. More importantly, the power change is smooth. There is virtually no punch or shock while powering up or depowering. This was a really nice change compared to my Boxer SLE. While powering up or depowering, the Boxer SLE will hit a surge of power when you get to a certain bar position and it is often very punchy, but it has great depower so you can dump it almost instantaneously. I am not sure if that is a characteristic of the Boxer SLE specifcally, or a characteristic of a smaller SLE kite. The Link is smooth and predictable while still delivering the power. The power feels good for it’s size, delivering the power similar to a Fuel in those conditions, while increasing the depower ability and beginner friendly flight characteristics.

From my experience I would say that Slingshot accomplished exactly what they set out to do; create an SLE kite that would have similar characteristics to a C kite. I am impressed by the new bridle system and the ability to change over to a traditional C kite, even though I may never tap into that functionality of the kite. Flight characteristics in SLE mode were awesome, everything you would want in a kite. The kite is very beginner friendly and is easy to fly even if you are a bit rusty on your skills. (as I am right now)