The GKA is excited to announce the addition of Slingshot Sports as the latest brand to join the Association as a member, to help work together as an industry to grow the sport of kiteboarding and its participation as safely and positively as possible. Let’s hear more from them here:
When was Slingshot founded and by who?
Slingshot was founded in 1999 in the windsports mecca of the Columbia River Gorge and you can still find the headquarters of the company in Hood River, Oregon. Brothers Jeff and Tony Logosz grew the brand from the ground up and remain at the helm today; Jeff as the CEO and Tony as the chief designer. Over the years, Slingshot has built and maintained a reputation for constantly pushing the envelope, both in the innovative products it produces and the athletes who continually push and redefine the sport.
Tony Logoz in his element | Photo by Richard Hallman
What is the focus of Slingshot within kitesurfing?
Slingshot has a long track record of pushing the envelope and bringing out innovative products that have redefined our sport. From pioneering new kite shapes and designs, setting quality standards and introducing many ground-breaking design features that are now industry norms, Slingshot has been at the cutting edge of the sport and the gear for more than 20 years.
Currently, Slingshot is the world’s largest hydrofoil manufacturer and a leader, not only in kite foiling, but also in wake foiling, wind foiling, SUP foiling and surf foiling. While we have leveraged our expertise in kiteboarding across all five sport categories, kite remains our passion and primary focus.
Slingshot is lucky to have a super talented group of riders, engineers, artists and craftsmen who take their jobs very seriously, but also enjoy them very much. We work tirelessly at our end so our customers can play tirelessly on theirs. Our greatest pleasure is in knowing that we create products that enrich people’s lives and connect them to nature and the elements. With that in mind, we’ve reinvested the last few years in our world-class kite product development team and are excited to release our 2020 Kite Line this summer, which is undoubtedly our biggest release in the last decade.
We have two new kites and a whole slew of new boards. Couple that with our industry-leading foil line and we are confident that consumers have a lot to look forward to this season!
What made Slingshot want to join the GKA and what are you looking forward to most about the new partnership?
The GKA is a strong voice and positive advocate for both safety and participation in our sport. Slingshot was drawn to the good work the GKA has done in that respect, and in ensuring that our sport can continue to be enjoyed by participants around the world. We look forward to working with the GKA to support these and other common goals for the good of our industry and participants.