A password will be e-mailed to you.

SLINGSHOT Glide
Sizes Available: 151cm x 41cm, 161cm x 40cm
Sizes Tested: 161cm x 40cm

Slingshot Says:

The Glide is a light wind master and has been a staple in the Slingshot range for over a decade. Not only has it saved sessions for thousands of riders but it has also taught equally as many people to be kiteboarders. For 2020 we redesigned the Glide to save even more sessions and teach even more riders. The 2020 Glide features a new Trapezoidal tip and tail, which increases the effective edge of the board in the water without increasing the overall size and cumbersome nature of a longer board. This will help riders in light wind keep their upwind position as well as teach more riders how to effectively ride upwind when a smaller and more traditional twin tip simply couldn’t do it.

Visit for more info: www.slingshotsports.com/2020-Glide

Tkb Says:

The Glide has always taken its own approach to the light wind twin tip ”” instead of adding extra width, the Glide gives you a long and narrow template that delivers a fast and efficient ride that will take you wherever you want to go. The rehashed Glide template has stuck to its straight and narrow template for 2020 but features a new subtly pointed tip design that replaces the square stubby ends of the previous versions. The glide has straight rails with a subtle amount of curvature in the mid-section with a bottom shape that features a super subtle concave and 1.76-inch fins at each corner.

The Glide does exactly what its name implies; it glides through the water with a super fast and semi-skatey feel that helps you keep the light wind ride going. The narrow template doesn’t offer you quite as much surface area under foot for waterstarts, but the length makes up for that once you point the board and get going. The Glide feels really efficient and allows you to accelerate up to speed easily which is a key component with a lot of light wind kites that want apparent wind to generate the most power in the lightest conditions. The other aspect that stood out on the Glide’s template is that it feels fairly light in your hands and on the water without the use of expensive carbon that drives up light wind gear price tags. The Glide likes to set an upwind rail which is easy to manage and edge, turning your kite power into upwind gains. The flex pattern feels soft and forgiving which helps the Glide dampen bumpy conditions and cut upwind through the chop without annoying tip spray or a ton of attention from the rider. With its long and straight rail, the Glide is a bit challenging for carving; you have to throw your weight in the back seat and work hard to force the straight rail and long tips to turn, but jumping as it turns out is really fun. The board’s fast efficient speed and softer flex works quite well for casual load and pop, while the lighter weight feels good in the air for small to medium jumps. The length makes rotations a little slow, but the flex makes landings feel soft and forgiving. The Glide may take a different approach to light wind, but it certainly gets you out in the lightest conditions with a forgiving ride for beginner kiters with potential for small and medium-sized jumping fun.

The Glide comes with three insert options that are mounted down the centerline of the board for adjusting stance width and was mated with the 2020 Dually pad and strap system that has undergone a complete redesign for this year. The footbed frame is completely new and offers a slightly wider range of duck stance adjustability. The cushy part of the pad is now built out of triple density foam layers. The top layer has a firm rubbery feel with concentric ribbed circles for good lateral traction and is combined with a softer base layer EVA that incorporates swappable foam inserts to dial in your personal heel firmness. You can choose between two options; as medium weight riders, we preferred the softer insert, while bigger riders might choose the denser insert. The footstrap mounting points can move forward or back (like the previous version), shifting the strap’s position over your toes or more over your arch for perfect positioning. The new strap offers four Velcro adjustment points, all secured with a protective enclosure that makes it easy to adjust the strap to accommodate the contours of your arch. This year SS has softened the foam under the strap making it feel extra plush and grippy compared to years past. The footbeds feature a fair amount of contour around the heel and under the arch with a substantial toe bump that your toes can really sink into and with the concentric rubber grooves, you get a really solid locked-in feel that is also very plush and comfortable. The handle is a combination of plastic and rubber which makes it a little more forgiving if you get raked over your board during a wipeout. Overall, the new Dually pads and straps have received some great upgrades to materials and function with testers giving the redesigned system a thumbs up for adjustability and comfort.


Want to view all our 2020 Freeride, Light Wind and Wingsurf Gear Reviews in one convenient digital guide? Get free access HERE. If you’re already a subscriber, thank you for your support! Log into your account to view our 2020 Freeride Gear Review Guide.