Nak
Since 19 May 2005
4261 Posts
Camas
Site Lackey
CGKA Member
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 Mon Mar 17, 25 10:24 am Slingshot One-Lock Review. It's Now Available! |
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The One-Lock foils are now available for sale!
I got a chance to demo these last summer. Was I impressed? Well, I just ordered a new One-Lock setup.  As much as I liked the whole screw-less thing, I actually was even more impressed by the performance. The mast was extremely stiff while maintaining light weight, and the reduction in drag made the whole setup more fluid and easier to turn. There's pretty obviously a big reduction in turbulence, as the ride is remarkably butter smooth. Slingshot knocked it out of the park with this one.
Don't let me leave the impression that the screw-less design is unimportant. It is really, really nice the way the set snaps together. It's superbly engineered and should easily stand the test of time. It's just that, for me, the performance improvement overshadows the convenience. It is going to be nice though to be able to forego the Tefgell!
Last summer I demoed all of the kite wings, the 755, the 855 and the 1255. These are based off of the 657, 684 and 633 wings, respectively. The 755 and 1255 are similar AR and area to their predecessors, but both feel much improved. The 855 is a bigger change over the 684, and it's what I spent most of my time on.
When I ordered my new foil this morning, I went with the 855 front wing, which is an upgrade over the old 684. The 684 was 950 sq cm, the 855 is--855 sq cm. (The new naming convention for the wings is based on surface area, not wingspan.) The 855 has the same wing span as the 684, but a higher aspect ratio. The wing still has pitch stable stall characteristics--barely. It's right at the highest aspect ratio you can go, while still being pitch stable in stall. (Low aspect delta type wings sink when they stall, as opposed to nosing over sharply. High aspect wings nose over sharply on stall.) Anyways, the overall effect feels like the 684 slingshot/679 Moses on steroids. Quicker turning, just as stable, more nimble, faster, smoother. If you liked the 684/679 wings, you are going to love the 855. The 855 can be ridden hard or easy, it's a great all-around wing.
The 755 is a REALLY fun wing that wants to be ridden hard. I never rode the old 657, so I can't really compare it. I will add a 755 soon to my quiver. It's a ton of fun, and I was able to load it up in a turn far harder than any other wing I've ever ridden. For me, it's a wing for when I know I'm going to be lit all session.
The 1255 is a big improvement over the old 633. It does all of the things the old 633 does well, but it feels faster and turns easier. It has no winglets, yet it does not display the yaw instability the Moses 633 does. How Slingshot fixed that without winglets I don't know. I was using the Turbo 180 stab too--it has no winglets either. The 1255 is a great beginner wing, and would make a great ultra light wind wing as well. I may pick one up for that purpose, or I may try the new 1250 wing to see how it does for a light wind kite wing. It's similar in AR to the 855...
The new platform is full carbon, no more aluminum fuselage. That makes the assembled foil way easier to carry under your arm; there's more than a pound shaved off out at the end of the mast. It makes a big difference when you're carrying the board.
What's frustrating is that I left all of my kite gear in Baja, so when I go back in two weeks I won't be able to bring my new foil with me! 
https://slingshotsports.com/collections/one-lock |
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