Slingshot Misfit Air Core 142 x 42cm 2018
Reviews / Twin Tips
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At A Glance
There are not many products in our sport which have held their own for over a decade. However, the Misfit is one of them, and there is a reason it has been a favourite for so long. The board is aimed at the entry level to intermediate rider looking for an all-round board that will grow with them on their kitesurfing journey while making riding easy every step of the way.
With three sizes on offer, there is certainly a board to suit everyone's needs. The deck is made with sustainably grown Paulownia wood and new for 2018 is the addition of the Air Core. The Air Core is the placement of Koroyd in the tip, tail and also underfoot in the midsection. Koroyd itself is a new material, not dissimilar to honeycomb, using thermo-welded tubes it creates a light, durable structure. To us mere kitesurfers, this means the board is super lightweight and harbours real response throughout the deck.
The Misfit has a mild rocker to aid upwind comfort, and channel detailing to really drive the board well through chop and grip to the water at all points. The Misfit Air Core comes equipped with Slingshots Dually strap and pad combo, which are hardwearing and will house a huge range of foot sizes with the adjustability it possesses.
Sizes: 136 x 40.5 / 142 x 42 / 146 x 43.5
On The Water
The Misfit Air Core has been designed to take you from your first few shaky runs in kitesurfing up to a point where you know which direction you wish to go. It does all this and more, and does it very well. Easy to handle and manoeuvre in the water, you would be forgiven for thinking you are on a size smaller than you are!
“Misfit Air Core is a joy in choppy conditions!”
Don’t be afraid of going that one size up, the nature of this board means you can ride a size bigger and enjoy all the advantages that brings, without riding a heavy board thanks to the Koroyd construction which keeps the board incredibly light and manoeuvrable underfoot.
The shallow rocker on the board keeps a large surface in the water at all times to get you planning as quickly as possible. Leaning back on those heels for that upwind ride is again easy with large fins and channelling to to push your angles.
The entire board has been designed to make things easy for you to learn and progress with. Sometimes with beginner and early intermediate boards, the width can make edging quite tricky as you constantly ‘skip out’, thankfully the Misfit Air Core has none of this, and it edges beautifully with minimal effort.
Once your confidence and skills grow, the Misfit Air Core is a joy in choppy conditions where you can hack into some lumps sending up impressive spray or simply cruise straight through them. Moving on to some jumping the Misfit Air Core is good fun. You can hold a lot of power down, and the board releases well to get some good pop. Landings are good; the board is quite stiff though so you need an element of control to keep the touchdown smooth.
Overall
The Slingshot Misfit Air Core makes its mark as a go-to board for those looking to conquer their kitesurfing journey. Smooth and predictable to ride, the slightly larger sizes makes everything that bit easier, but it rides as though you are on a smaller board. It’s a great entry-level board that will set you up with some solid foundations for your kitesurfing progression.
Videos
This review was in Issue 66 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit SlingshotRelated
By Robin and Sukie
With years of kite sport experience combined, you can be sure you’ll be receiving the highest quality of knowledge on the best equipment the industry has to offer.
