Snow Ranger 12 Meter

To speak out against the 1st review, I would say this is a comparable flying kite to most foil kites at less than 1/2 price, and this is a great way to come and participate in the kiteboarding scene. I have seen pros spend all day riding this kite, hitting rails and boosting equal to or better than any other kite. Some reasons to fly this kite. 1. The price 2. All controls below the bar 3. Bar stopper (that my Ozone doesn't have) 4. More depower than my Access 6M 5. Very nice to fly, and nice power to go uphill. Probably one of the best cross-country snow kite - super safe, lot's of depower (easy to handle gusts), rides in the sweet spot effortlessly, tons of power when you want it. My 2007 model came with all new and improved bridles, as well as packback (innovative, and large), and bar & lines. Did I mention the price? This thing cost 1/2 of most other kites of the same size.

Slingshot Ranger...it's cheap!

The Slingshot Ranger is an ok kite if you're looking to get into snow kiting cheap. Be aware that the 12m has a limited range (from 8 knots to about 15), and tends to suffer from wingtip fold in low winds. So, when the wind is low, the kite performs poorly, and when the wind is picking up, you quickly overpower. I fly the Ranger fully sheeted out, otherwise the kite tends to dangerously backstall. If you did not understand this last statement, this kite is probably not for you. The bar is nicely featured - the quick release from the chickenloop works well, and the sheeting system is placed under the bar where it is easy to get to. The stopper ball system works well, but if left out too far will tend to overfly the kite which then backstalls. I would recommend flying leashed to provide maximum safety, as your main safety is the quick release on the chicken loop. When engaged, this leaves you disconnected from the kite, which then heads downwind and is either lost forever or takes out a truck full of kittens. The Ranger does not offer as much lift as more recent foil designs, but does have excellent glide. The kite flies slowly for its size, making your timing critical if you're looking for big air. However, if you can dial in your timing, this kite will produce nice hang time. I would not buy a Ranger unless I needed a big foil and couldn't afford a more full-featured kite. Foil designs have come a long way since the Ranger. They are cheap, but you get what you pay for.