just had the first few first hand reviews onthe pair of these!!!! As expected awesome, as with the first. The noticable big difference is the build quality which every ones gonna love. The one pump is sweet and simple. The sonic is much the same flight wise as this years, with a slightly different bar. The trix however is a far more C like kite, Gruntier feel, more bar pressure, with a more C like on/off de power feel. Still with total de power!!!


So it looks like its gonna be fun fun fun!!!!!

Sounds great.

Have you any prices yet ?

No prices confirmed yet, although the trix should be cheaper than the sonic as its a 5 strut. Realistically availability will be November.

i bet cygnus sails are rubbing there hands with all those repairs coming there way..........................................................................JOKE

they do look good as did last years, hopefully it's be as good as last yeras and the prices are keen it's getting very competitive out there

You'd think that competition would be good for the punter.... good news all round, eh. As we all know, the kite manufacturers are paying a bowl of rice a day to their sewing machinists and if Argos can sell a tent for 30 quid, and a new bow can cost anything between 600 an a grand for their latest wears then somebody somewhere is getting well fat of us.

Anyway rant aside, when u gettin the demo gear shem an I hear that your on it with RRD too, any signs?

I just wont mention the problems with the new ss link hey COL!!!! At least there are plenty of s/h out there all ready hey!!!

Only joking Col, I know your only joking because you couldnt get a GK sonic, dealership.


Might have a mini demo weekend in 2 weeks, weather dependant. Might have a few toys from some new brands Ive got as well. Check out this years sky walker boards!!!

[Edited on 4-10-2006 by shem]

How sweet, and retailed and delivered to your door for under £400, ( not sure how much under yet). Awesome construction, and a massive range of board sizes and styles, here in 2 weeks. Think Ill be having the 130 x 40.

i knew you'd bite shem

Keep me posted on the demo Shem, im keen to try one.

I always bite, love a good debate!!!!! Especially with some one like you Col. sws mawr!

Where are these s/h Links Shem? Bloody good kite from what I've used. Fast as hell and so easy to re-launch it's un real.

Looking forward to trying GK's new offerings...

Check out all over kite boarder and flexi. Its massive, people are having real problems. Mark from rush extreme, wont even let people demo it as he thinks its unsafe!!!! For a dealer to say that it says a lot. Apparently a lot have got totally wrong bridals which prevent it from flying properly. Greame fuller has apparently even made a false user name to pimp them, but has been caught out!!!! Real shame, Ive always liked sling shot, but with the abuse the turbo diesel had and now this its real bad news.

Sounds like youve got a lucky one, Ive got a client bringing 2 for me to try out for him on Friday so Im looking forward to trying them out.

i like the look of those boards shem, nice graphic's..again this year with second genration bow's etc it's gonna be good, bloody typical i'm off the water for a few months, still give you a chance to catch up!!

Hope yar back on the water soon any way col, I wouldnt want to get to far ahead of you!!

You don't actually beleive all the crap on those forums do you?

Get out and try it for yourself.

Most reports I've read from those who have done that love it. Every new kite has it's issues when it first hits the mass market (Even GK sonics), when that market is bigger then more comments fly around. What makes the difference is how those issues are dealt with, something GK, especially Airjam and I think Slingshot are good at.

I'll ring Mark at Rush for an update of his thoughts.

all new kites had minor issues last year, trust me we deal 't with them at the shop, flexi had the kite go pop, i'm sure some off you saw that, sonic's had the sticthing error's as did slingshot, warroo's etc etc..

It's a new product mistakes happen you get back up what's the problem...i remeber buying a new car a few years back on driving it home the electric windows went up and down on there own..it got sorted

But then again if forums were around then i could have dissed the car as scum of the earth and death to all who sell them

Get out fly enjoy

We all know that every kite has had it problem, and as stated the most important thing is to buy a kite with a good back up service, Im not just talking about the shop but the distrubutors as well. Thats part of the reason that GK have such a great reputation and following.

Personally i dont listen to forum hype one bit, its all balls. But if I know the person and trust that theyre advice is worth listening to, then I will do just that.

Ive got two links coming tommorow, so itll be good to see how they go. The disapointing thing for slingshot is that after the turbo diesel mistakes, then mistakes on the mistakes, etc, theyre next kite should have been well switched on, and at the moment its not!! Which is a shame because s/s always was a great brand??

Keep us posted on the Link Shem. Will you have them all w/end? be good to see how well they are constructed, I'm sure SS will address any issues in no time at all as their reputation is on the line after the TD disaster.

Gutted to hear bout your Nobile issues, little sus that one! Well happy with mine, cant fault it. That Skywalker is lookin sweet though, sure you'll av no probs shiftin a few. Catch you on the beech dude

Ye will have the links down there for the weekend.

Really thought that with all of the knowledge, experience, technology and test pilots available to the manufacturers, that they would all get it right this time.

Also thought that they would have recognised that now is the time to be releasing the honed article certainly in this country. Those autumn gusts being munched up by the converted.

Ive been sat here waiting for them to prove to me that their product is the one for me for some time now, with $$ burning a hole in my pocket and other than yourself and, PKS and a few of d'massif/pikeys, I have only sailed 5 different bowkites, My personal favourites being the Sonic 8 and Ocean Rodeo 12.

Other than hyping through the media, they are not doing enough to convince me to part with the best part of a grand and a half for a 2 kite quiver.

Just wait till ya try the sonic2 Jon!!!

Having spoken to the horses mouth as it were (Mark from Rush), my guess is that as with all new issues of kit (depsite all our best hopes, I agree Jon) a few Links left the factory with the wrong or incorrectly set bridle. This only effects the four line kite, convert it to 5 line and I'm convinced it'll be great. Trouble is, with the forums one or two bad eggs spreads like wild fire. One thing I like about FON is we're all pretty honest and there's no room for dissing products, no adgendas and no bias. Lets try and keep it that way.

Here's an honest, unbiased review from someone whos actually flown a Link (me). If you look hard, you'll find plenty of similar comments from others who have flown one, so many in fact that the manufacturers seem to have been a little slow in picking up the above potential issue.

The kite I flew was on 5 lines and it was ace. Very light bar pressure, fast as you like (so fast to the edge of the window my transitions went a bit hay wire - Yes Col, more than usual!), super easy re-launch (either using traditional 5 line method or reverse launch bow style), bomb proof Slingshot construction. On 5 lines the kite flies just like a C-kite (similar power so don't assume the 9 or 10.5 will have the same power as a 12 C) but with a much much bigger top end. As standard the 5 lines has the wave grenade to remove the risk of cheese wiring your kite. I'm not usually a fan of 5 lines. The power adjustment is below the bar so no reaching up and forward when overpowered to make on the fly adjustments.

I haven't flown the 4 line version which apparently feels just like a bow, but then I don't like bows anyway. Too much depower too quickly. On 5 lines the Link depowered much more progressively but did fully depower when the bar was pushed away. Still has the Slingshot adjustable stopper which is the next big thing after one-pump. In 4 years time all the other manufacturers will be copying this too!!

If you join my Egypt trip I'm hoping to have some to play with...

I don't get my kit for free (No one thinks I'm good enough! Are they blind?) and I don't sell any so no adgenda or bias here. Get out there and try it for yourself. It's the only way you'll know for sure.

Good one guys, Look forward to that Shem. You gona have one for your demo day?

Love to go egypt with you dudes but I av other commitments besides, I'v been twice this year already. Hey you av a brill time though, i'll just av to make the most ov those beautiful dovey lagoons an take a trip out onto thems there waves mmmmm cant beat it.... well.... wouldnt mind Brazil.... an dat aint just for the surf man

C you all in the Dovey Hotel Fri night

PS agree wid your coments bout the majority of contributors to FoN. d'massif /pikeys rock as far as attitude goes, core and fringe included

Not having a go pluto but dont you effectively sell or recomend for extreme kite shop? Im sure the link will be a good kite once the issues are sorted, but its not a good advert when dealers slate it. Ill be out on one tommorow, so Im hoping I get one that works.

Ah, it seems sling shot have admitted theres a bridle problem on the 4 line version of the kite, and are busy sorting out a new bridle, which owners will have to send off for to get one, or go to your dealer I geuss. Then fit a new bridle.

Someone has one for sale on ebay 2nd hand 3wks old???

Not a good start.

shem ,pluto might be extreme linked (linked get it) but when they only sell three kites a year it don't really matter....tongue firmly in cheek

I think were gonna have to have a industry, fun banter section.

Isn't this it?

Mate, I'm freelance, always have been always will be(unless I get a better offer). EKS are one of several shops who refer enquiries for lessons to me.

The dealer wasn't slating the kite, more the lack of response from the distributor, in a not so direct way! Just like all those GK customers whose brand new kites ripped after one or two outings from the bag last year . . . .

this debate would be MUCH more fun if conducted face to face - lets say we convene in the Dyvi hotel tonight, there'll be plenty of spectator input too I'm sure

handbags at the ready, hey spook you could ref it

Its o.k. Ive just had a 30 knot sunny sesh with perfect waves, so have fully forgoten about all posts past. Didnt take out the link, didnt fancy testing it in 40 knot gusts.

Girl.........

cheek!! Come on pluto you know it isnt even safe in 10 knots let alone 40!!!!

After my weekend mate, is it ever safe?

That should open a can of worms in my direction........

Sounds scary, what happened????

I've u2u'd you

Ah, just checked my RNLI pager that I wasnt carrying today and see that I missed a shout!!!!!

Not one of mine this time!