Slingshot I-Fly Inflatable Foilboard Review

When the family made plans to head to Florida for Spring Break, the first thing that popped into my head was "winging!!!!". This past Michigan winter was especially brutal and it had been since the Fall that I had been on foil with my wing. This Spring Break however, I had a new set of challenges. In previous years we drove and I could finagle a board in the car somehow. This year we chose to fly and I knew getting a board down there was going to be almost impossible. This is where the amazing guys at Mackite (Lucas and Tucker this time to be specific) stepped in. They suggested sending down an Slingshot inflatable I-Fly wing board (120L) down for me to give it a shot. Instantly I was stoked!. I hate borrowing boards or receiving shipment of boards because of potential damage. This solution alleviated those concerns immediately.

The first day I took it out was a 16mph wind day. We were down in Marco Island and the wind had a somewhat side/offshore component so the gulf was still calm enough. As I started inflating the board and my wing the crowds on the beach were staring at me and I could feel them thinking "What the heck is that?". A few people even came up and asked. The first thing I loved about the I-fly was how quickly it inflated. It took me about 1/3 of the time it takes to inflate my wing. Also, I was shocked at how stiff it got. The carbon fiber plate on the bottom made mounting my foil to it a breeze. It also has a handle on that plate making board transport to the water super easy.

As I got the board in the water, my first impression was how buoyant the 120L board was. Certainly more "floaty" than other 120L hard boards that I've tried. What a great benefit to be able to go down in volume a little due to the stable nature of the board. On take off I did notice a small difference from a hard board in terms of take off speed. However, I anticipated this and must say it was less than I thought it would be. Once up and flying I really noticed almost no difference in performance from a hard board. I couldn't believe it. What an amazing concept! I spent two full hours flying around and having a blast in the warm southern florida conditions.

When it was time to be done, I was able to deflate the board and return it to the easy carrying backpack case and I was off. Talk about portability! Two days later I had an epic two hour session on the inner waterways at Marco. From the time I pulled the gear out of my car to being up and flying I would estimate it at less than 10 minutes. That's insane! The convenience of having such a compact package to show up and blow up and be flying in minutes is certainly something I think every avid winger and traveler needs. I know I'll be adding one to my quiver.

Special thanks again to the rad guys at Mackite. They personify what good customer service looks like. They fuel my stoke by how knowledgeable, kind and gracious they are. Can't wait to fly again! See you out there friends!!!! Yewwwwwwww!!!!!!

-Matt Hassenrik ( Local shredder)

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