The REBEL SLS is the ultimate free ride and big air kite! Now loaded with SLS technology we chat to designer Ken Winner to get all the insights on the latest addition to the SLS range.
The REBEL SLS is the ultimate free ride and big air kite! Now loaded with SLS technology we chat to designer Ken Winner to get all the insights on the latest addition to the SLS range.
As with the Neo, there are three cohorts of Rebels: sizes 11 and smaller, sizes 12 & 13 and sizes 14 & 15. We have used different aspect ratios for those three cohorts in the past, with small sizes having the lowest aspect ratio (for easy handling) and the largest sizes having the highest aspect ratio (for power and solid bar feel). In the 2022 Rebel, we have somewhat expanded this pattern to other characteristics as well. In the smaller sizes we made changes in these areas: The leading edge below the tip strut has a slight rounder shape Profile station #4 was flattened a bit to smooth canopy entry at this point. The new cloth and construction that we use on our Flex Struts tends to make the strut overly straight in the back, so we tweaked the cloth tension settings on these struts to move the draft back. In the larger two cohorts, sizes 12, 13, 14 & 15, we made changes in these areas: In 2021 we had already given the leading edge below the tip strut a rounder shape and we found no additional benefit from increasing this for 2022. As with the smaller cohort we tweaked the cloth tension settings on the Flex Struts struts to move the draft back. How have these changes influenced the performance, handling and feel of the Rebel SLS? Quicker and more complete depower. Quicker, smoother turning with more vertical lift in jumps.