quick review: The 11m Turbo Diesel 2 is *the* kite

[Coach]

OK, OK, before the peanut gallery start's going off - no, I haven't abandoned C kites. I'm still in love with my Octanes. However, they now fall into a more specialized category. If I want to rage around in gusty/variable stuff without having to rig more precisely for the conditions, the 11m TD2 is unbelievable!

I've had the 11m TD2 out three times now in everything from 15-20-ish (yesterday) to 25-30+. Projected area-wise, it appears to be around a 14m C kite. On both ends of the range, the kite was fantastic. powered jumping and upwind in the lower winds, *insane* air and controllable in the windier stuff.

One of the most telling moments with this kite was when, under some big swinging jumps, I crashed with the kite upwind of me. I was head-first under water waiting for the big grab and pull that happens when a C Hindenburgs and loads up in the power-zone. But, after I stuck my head up, I noticed that the TD2 was just flying/luffing and drifting back in the wind without dropping out of the sky. The kite had great stability "flying on its own" and just gently powered up when the lines got tight.

It's pretty clear that the TD2 11m is going to be my bread-and-butter kite this summer.

-Coach

[Tighe]

Yeah I'm loving my 14 and 11 as well. The crazy thing is that Slingshot feels the 9m is the "money" kite of the range. Hard to believe it gets even better with the 9m. They said the 9m is like last years 12m (I won't bore you with my rantings on that one again). I think the 11m would be a great one kite quiver, and the 14/9m the perfect quiver.

Here's Real's review;
http://www.realkiteboarding.com/index.c ... em&id=1306

[gbgreen59]

Coach and Tighe,
The TurboDiesel has been getting a lot of bad press on Kiteforum lately. Would you not want to post a review there. It's likely to come under fire, but seems like a good idea to shed the positive light on it.

[Tighe]

Not seeing that Gary. The reviews on Kiteforum on the production T2s has been consistent with Coaches review, everyone is super stoked. Unfortunately there were a few preproduction samples that had some issues that somehow got out to the public and got ripped on. Slingshot's intention was to do a large scale test before production, by sending these preproduction samples into the hands of some key players who weren't pro team riders....i.e. what does the average joe think? One size had some issues and they fixed it prior to production.

a few of the comments:

http://www.kiteforum.com/phpbb/viewtopi ... =slingshot

http://www.kiteforum.com/phpbb/viewtopi ... =slingshot

If you're talking about the reviews of the TD1, then yes I agree there have been some negative reviews of that kite. Seems to be either a love or hate thing. There are probably an equal amount of people hating it as thinking it is the best kite ever...I was of the latter group.

[gbgreen59]

I see what you mean. There was another thread recently that seemed to go on and on debasing SS and their quality. Didn't seem to be many rebuttals. Maybe it's just me being too sensitive to the negatives.

[RobH]

I have to say that my impression of the T2 is much different from the T1. I had a chance to get back on my original TD1 yesterday after not flying it for over a year. I generally do not fly my TD1 as I have grown to dislike the bar presure, and prefer the buttery smooth and stable feelilng of the warroo's or SB2. Tighe gave me the chance to fly his T2 in padre and it felt much more stable, very predictable and smooth with more grunt than both the warroo and SB2 in the same size. Tighe's T2 still had considerable bar presure but I know he stated that there was still a new modification coming out to reduce the bar pressure on the production models. The thing I liked best about the T2 is how it turned and the predictability of the kite.

Has anyone flown the production T2 with this modification and if so how does it compare to the warroo's ?

[Coach]

Same sentiment on the turnability and predictability of the kite... Very nice, and I don't mind the bar pressure. However, there is moderate bar pressure compared to other kites. I think it's similar to the C's, though - hence not minding it.

As for a review on kiteforum, um... I don't read it?


-Coach

[Tighe]

Sorry Rob I must have been confusing, it isn't a modification, just a refinement prior to going to production. Like you, many felt it was a bit high and so they tweaked the bridle design a bit. All production kites should have less bar pressure, but I would imagine it is still there to some degree. Personally I like a bit of bar pressure. It tells me what the kite is doing, without me having to look at the kite.

You can dial in the bar pressure on the Links from almost zero to average amount, and I always ride with it maxed out.

Kiteforum is full of kite pimps and brand bashers. Hard to ever know what is real, from the reviews.

As always, if you're in the market for a kite, take advantage of all the Team Riders in the area, who have offered their kites for demo. A lot of great kites out there. Fly as many as you can and find one that makes sense for your style of riding.

List of Riders and Brands:
Tighe, Chris B, Coach, Nathan, Denis: Slingshot
Kurt, Avery, Matt K. : Best
Scott Rideout: Liquid Force
Steve Blaine: Ozone

Have I missed any?

[Denis]

Tighe: additional rider - steveb: Ozone

gbgreen59: I noticed a couple of jabs at the TD1 on KF, but those are mostly from people on a vendata against SS, and the Link in particular. The Link is a kite that people either love or hate. If a person doesn't like the kite and reads a glowing review, of course there will be some suspicion. Haven't heard anything negative on the TD2 tho.

[Tighe]

oops my bad. So sorry Steve. I've editted my post above.

[TomG]

I rode the T2 11m also and found it enjoyable. If I don't get my 12 cab fixed, I may be in the market

[Rookie Renstrom]

When is the Midwest kite demo days??? @ reddy??

[steveb]

Tighe, no worries.
Denis thanks for watching my back, I owe you a beer.
I don't know about Midwests demo days but I'll have Ozone Sports at " The Gathering" make sure you ask for a ride if you want to try one.
Personally I'm stoked the TD2 is sounding like a good kite, Coach raves about it. Last time I heard him that stoked he'd just lost his virginity.
The more good kites out there the more toys for us.
On Sunday at Reddy there was cabs, liquid Force, Ozone,North, Best, Caution, Slingshot on the water at one time or another. Bows, SLEs and Cs .Weird thing was everyone was having fun regardless of what they were riding...go figure.

[Tighe]

I assume you mean the Midwest US Demo days, and not the Midwest Mountaineering Demo days. I think the gathering in July will be a great opportunity for that.

[steveb]

You know what I take it back , I think I was having more fun than anyone as I was riding an Ozone.
Then again Terry was grining a lot and going off, Oscar was amped as hell, Nancy was back rolling, Randy was throwing himself into the air figuring out jumping, Eric was kite looping enough to make anyone dizzy.
OK do me a favour...will everyone stop havng fun until they buy an Ozone, then you can have fun again...deal?.

[Tighe]

I rode the new Instincts for a very brief time in Padre, nowhere near long enough to give a decent review. One thing though that is very noticable is the lack of bar pressue. Those of you looking for the ride with minimal bar pressure, should definitely check them out. It's like power steering.

[Rookie Renstrom]

I just thought it would be cool to go to a place like reddy and have an organized demo day or weekend to try out a bunch of different kites. You would think at a thousand bucks a kite, that the companies would jump for an opportunity like this.
Gary ~.

[drknap]

Gary, this is a good idea.

xtremebig air puts on a kite expo every year at pismo beach that looks to be a big hit.

http://picasaweb.google.com/xtremebigai ... O2007May19

I don't know if we're a big enough market that manufactures would be willing to send gear and people this way. Seems we would be. I'd certainly be willing to talk with my contact at BEST (for what it's worth) if we had some formal plans for an demo days. Obviously I'm willing to demo out my own gear (within reason). You'll got to try a Crazy fly board!

[steveb]

It is interesting how hard it can be to get the manufacturers to send demo teams to the Midwest.
I think a part of it is we don't have the gorgeous location benefit for the magazine photos, and to be honest given the choice of doing a demo in maui or Milly.....
We have had companies here, Slingshot and Ozone have both attended events.But there's no doubt we're not on any companies regular promotion tour.
The companies do sponsor local riders and we're supposed to keep the community in the loop on the latest and greatest, we have kites you can try at the beach, so that may be as good as we get for now.
Tighe listed the various riders make sure you know them, if you want to try a particular kite "ask" .
At the moment Best has the new Bularoo,Slingshot has the new T2 and the fuze boards pretty unique. Liquid Force Assualts look interesting and are getting good reviews. The crazy fly boards are great and Ozones new Instincts are good well behaved kites. So just with the local guys there's lots of new to try and quite a lot of established but tweeked kites like the Fuel and Waroo. So a lot to demo and try just using your local resources. But you have to ask, as none of us like to push people to try stuff.

[Tom L]

It is interesting how hard it can be to get the manufacturers to send demo teams to the Midwest.

Steve, you have a good point there. The Midwest doesn't get the rep attention it deserves when you consider that we kite year round here, and many places ie; the Gorge, OBX, are only seasonal for the most part. I would guess that the inconsistency of our wind is a draw back, but I think places like Pismo have no wind days too.