Rider review Evo SLS

We are joined by RENO ROMEU, HANNAH WHITELEY and NOé FONT to get their impressions on the new EVO SLS for 2022.

Here the Full Interview

Here the Full Interview

Welcome guys, let’s start with you Reno, you rode the previous generation of the Evo SLS a lot, how does this new one compare.

Reno: Romeu: I prefer the new Evo SLS as the bar pressure is a bit higher than the previous one, the direct feeling at the bar is better. All of the tricks that I do, I like to have that better bar feeling as it helps me know exactly where my kite is and I can adapt to the trick I’m doing, I can pull the bar up or down at the time I want. Also, I was impressed with the hang time and the fact the kite shoots you up high, the hang time I think has been improved a bit, which is hard to believe, because the previous one was amazing as well.

I’m pretty stoked about it, it's an amazing kite for any discipline you want to do. Also for light wind, this new Evo SLS is amazing, especially with the addition of the 13 and 14-meter kites to the range allow us to be in the water with even less wind. With the Penta TX material it makes the kites feel lighter, the kite always feels quicker, so when you are riding a 14 meter it feels like an 11 meter which is great! It gets you going in lighter winds and for foiling it’s great as the upwind angle is amazing, so it's a really great kite for foiling also, it's a super all-around kite! It shoots you really high into the sky, you can even do handle passes. I was really impressed with the 13 meter, I could do all my handle passes on it, so overall I’m really impressed with it.

Hannah, you generally ride the Dice and Rebel models, what were your impressions and how did the Evo SLS compare?

Hannah Whiteley: The new Evo SLS really impressed me, I was surprised how much fun I had on it, especially as in Greece we had really gusty conditions. I really felt like this kite was the premium edition, it was super stable in the sky, managed the gusts really well and I felt the pop and hang time was awesome, so I definitely think I’ll be adding the Evo SLS to my quiver.

Noe, you normally ride the Vegas, what were your impressions of the Evo SLS
Noe Font: Yeah this was my first time riding the Evo SLS and I rode it quite a bit with the foil in light wind and found it really easy to fly and keep in the sky in really light winds. It’s really easy to know where it is and what it’s doing the whole time, without having to look at it. These guys love it for big air, it’s a great all-around kite, it’s great for anyone who is experimenting in which discipline they want to get into, or if they want to do them all the Evo SLS is the one to go for!

You also had a strong wind session out in Greece with some big airs, tell us about that.
Noe Font: Oh yeah! I had my first session with foot straps in about 20 years or I don’t know how long, it was great fun!
Hannah Whiteley: You had one insane jump, one jump you went so high!
Noe Font: Yeah I had one jump, one of those where you just keep going and you can’t get back down, so good boosting for sure!

You are all saying it has good feedback and feels quite direct at the bar, tell us a little more about that Reno.
Reno Romeu: When you are doing super technical tricks it's important to have more feeling in the bar as that feeling is the feeling you need to control the kite. The kite leads to where you go or what you are doing, so having a good feel in the bar is one of the most important things. The bar pressure on the new Evo SLS really fits me well. I like the loops more on the new Evo SLS, I can really rely on the kite and have more control on the positioning of the kite and this allows me to push more on new tricks and also bring the tricks that I’m super comfortable doing on the Dice SLS to the Evo SLS.

So it sounds like it had a lot of the attributes of the things you guys look for in a kite and your riding level and styles. Would you say it translates well for every level of users for this kite?
Hannah Whiteley: I think this kite is a winner for all levels. If you are just getting started in kiting, it’s reactive and feels really safe and in control and if you are pushing it at more the high end of the spectrum, you want that security and trust in your kite, especially in gusty conditions, so I think for anyone it’s a great kite.

Would you agree with that Noe?

Noe Font: Yeah, you saw Stacy, she wasn’t riding the SLS but the SLS is just an improvement of that, she’s only been kiting for a short time and she’s been progressing, it looked like the right kite for her and anyone that is looking for a safe kite that won’t get them in trouble.

Reno Romeu: I think also another point to mention is the range of the kite, with the very same kite you can get going in such light wind and as conditions pick up you can stay in the water with the same kite, you are just able to boost higher and higher.

Hannah Whiteley: The kite has a great wind range, I would agree.

Let’s talk about the settings, do you stick with the factory settings or do you change anything?

Reno Romeu: Sometimes on the small kites such as the 8 meter, which is a kite I don’t use so much, I would put it in the hard setting, but from the 9 meter up I use them all in the medium settings. I never put the kites in the soft settings as the kite moves too quickly for me and I feel the way it turns is not progressive, it spins too fast and I don’t like that, so I keep it all in the medium and 8 and below in the hard setting, if I want to push my loops. For people free-riding who like to do down winders and move their kite a lot and loop all the time, sometimes these people would like to have the soft settings, but the best way is to go out, don’t ride too long, go out for one minute in one setting then come in and go out straight away for another minute in the next setting and change and then go for another minute. That's the best way to try and then go for whatever feels best for you.

Do you have anything to add Hannah?

Hannah Whiteley: I ride it how it is out of the bag and for me that is a happy medium and I feel it as super reactive and turns really well, sometimes you never know how strong the wind is going to be so I keep it on the medium and this works best for me.

Noe Font: I would say if you put kites on a fast setting they do turn faster but sometimes they are not as efficient, you need to keep that in mind. If you want a 13 meter to turn like a 7 meter it’s not going to happen, no matter how big your bar is or which setting you have and secondly, the kite won’t be as efficient so when kiting in light winds the kite will be turning really fast, but the kite won’t be as good at generating power through the wind window.