Ozone vs Slingshot Kite

[markdbliss]

Given the choice of buying a 10M Ozone Frenzy or 12M Slingshot Ranger, both from 2007, what are the pros/cons of each? Thanks!

[JRN]

SS 4 newbies. OZ 4 boosts. You can usually find Rangers cheap...for a reason. It LOOKS like an OZ, but reports say it doesn't boost like one. I have also heard to stay away from '06 Frenzies due to some collapse of the canopy during turns, which they later corrected. Don't overlook other foils out there: closed cell Peter Lynns, HQ Montanas, Flexifoils, etc. Look FWD to snow season!

[Pete]

You are going to be able to ride in higher wind with the 10M. Check to see if the 12M Ranger comes with a reverse launch, if not you are going to want one added. I've flown both and own the 10 Frenzy. The 12M will get you out in lighter wind but will become a handfull when it gets above 18mph or so. Suprised others have not chimed in.

[macattack]

i have two Ozone Frenzy 07 for sale if you are interested. 9 and 13 barely used.
612-720-3622

[kenais]

Those vintage Ranger's are not all that good and there is a reason they are inexpensive. If I recall they were on sale new for $400 two years ago or so. I personally wouldn't buy a Ranger, even if it was free.

If you can find an odd meter Frenzy (9 or 11) that will suit you better, the 11m is a nice one kite quiver to get you started. IMO, Ozone made some significant changes when they went from even to odd sizes. Those even sized kites were a handful in gusty winds and as such not really lake friendly.

[John Rangel]

Slingshot Ranger Kite rocks! It flies in really light wind and has huge depower. The bar and lines that comes with it is very nice. Huge bar throw, below the bar trim, reverse launch strap on rear leader lines, color coded lines, and very user friendly quick release. I've beat the piss out of that kite with hard slams on the snow and Ice, it takes it like a champ. Wingtip fold down is somewhat of an issue until you learn to properly tune your kite, but never really seems to affect the way it flies even when it does happen. I talked to others that say their foils wingtips fold sometimes, they claim that it's just how most foils behave if not tuned or flown right. The kite boosts huge when you want it to, all you have to do is pull in on the bar and you're airborn. I baught it because it was cheap. 420 bucks for kite, bag, bar and lines. Cost is usually how I determine what brand of kite to buy. But overall, the ranger foil kite's performance does not compare very closely to any LEI kites I've flown. save your cash and buy a LEI, you can use it during both seasons. 5 lousy minutes of not pumping up your kite doesn't make up for the performance lost when flying a foil. But then again, Chasta flies ozone and some people claim the newer, nicer foils perform very well comparable to a LEI, in that case if you've got a fat wallet then what the hell, spend some money.