Slingshot Sports, FIRST IN FLEX WORLDWIDE, is proud to announce we have signed Olivier Derome to a three year sponsorship agreement. He will hold a position on the Global Wake Team in the 2011 - 2013 seasons.

Canadian National, and the newest member of Slingshot Wake, Oli is the FIRST Pro Canadian Rider to ride true FLEX. "I'm very excited to be part of the Slingshot family! The vision expressed by the team and the company pushes in the same direction as mine, making me feel right at home with one of the industry's most progressive companies! I'm looking forward to the upcoming season and all of the new things that will be part of it!", Oli told us yesterday.

Already showing off his stellar wake riding talents on the 2011 Slingshot Recoil, Oli will without a doubt represent the brand well. Our Wake Brand Manager, Wade Wagley, smiled as he talked about the awesome news. "With a very impressive performance on the Pro Tour in 2010, and undoubtedly being one of the most stylish rail riders we've seen, Oli has had our attention for quite some time now. His passion for wakeboarding on and off the water and extremely positive attitude is inspiring, and we proudly welcome him into the Slingshot family". Oh Canada!

Stay tuned. There's more excitement coming from Slingshot soon...

Slingshot Sports, first in flex worldwide, is proud to announce we have signed Keith Lyman to a sponsorship agreement. He has instantly become an important anchor point to an already strong group of riders on our 2011 Global Wake Team. Our support for Lyman will continue indefinitely.

Even as a veteran pro of 11 years, Lyman is known for "huge air" off the wake and taking his riding to the extreme. His "badass" attitude and energy are very apparent in his style, and he sits among the elite when it comes to his professionalism as an athlete. Keith summed up his reasons for joining Slingshot with us as he signed his contract. "I am extremely excited to be working with Slingshot! I think with what you bring to the table in the way of concepts and technology, and what I bring to the table with my riding style and experience, we can produce the worlds 'next level' big wake riding board. I truly believe in what Slingshot stands for and am a HUGE supporter of an American based company building their product in America!"

Born and raised in Massachusetts, Lyman now resides in Orlando, Florida where he's currently shredding his massive wake on the 2011 Slingshot Hooke from the all-new Ballistic Board Line. Wade Wagley, our Wake Brand Manager, is confident Keith is the perfect fit. "Ever since Keith took the win at Blacktop Oasis 2.0, I've known he would be a perfect fit for Slingshot Wake. The way he boosts off the wake and charges rails is exactly why our boards are designed and built the way they are. I greatly appreciate Keith's professional attitude and energy, and have truly enjoyed getting to know him better over this last year. Now I can't wait to see what we'll come up with for his new 'Lyman Board!'" Welcome to the family, Keith!

Stay tuned. There's more excitement coming from Slingshot soon...

Its the best hits of Shredtown's Andrew Adams from 2010 all piled into 3minutes of goodness. Check it out!

The New 2011 Slingshot product line is far from the normal graphics companies are using these days. Can you describe the look that slingshot went for this year and who designed all the artwork?

No doubt the graphics this year are going to blow people away! We knew that 3d was hot, so we went ahead and incorporated it into our boards! You can literally see depth in the board because the graphics are printed in layers, so when you look inside, the core is the deepest part of the graphic (wood grain), then the first layer of ink is printed, and then every other layer goes on top of that so that the last layer of ink printed is on top of the rest and looks to be jumping off the board!

As far as the designers go, we went with Zach Johnsen of Zenvironments.com for all of the line apart from the "ballistic" series which was done by team rider Mike Ennen. We are stoked to offer two completely different styles of art within the line to ensure that everyone who looks at the 2011 line finds a board that they are dying to take home and tuck into bed next to them. haha.



Is it true that slingshot will finally have boots for 2011? They look pretty R.A.D whats the deal with them?

Yes. How R.A.D. is it that the new boots are here!? We switched to an entirely new boot platform for 2011 that allows the rider to literally stand on the surface of the wakeboard. I've never felt more connected and in control of my board than I do with the R.A.D. boot because it is 100% baseless. Obviously there is a soul on the liners to provide the proper amount of cushion under your feet, but that's it. When you remove the liners from the boot you are looking at the wakeboard graphic inside the shell of the boot. It's totally R.A.D.! Plus all the winch mobbers and cable rats can cruise the shorelines in their liners protecting their feet from the sometimes brutal surfaces you don't want to face with bare feet.

We are also proud to announce the release of our "Option" boot for this year which is an open toe velcro boot for ultimate simplicity, comfort, and support all offered at an affordable price. Your feet are gonna be stoked this year! Mine are so happy they finally stopped sweating and smelling when I wear boat shoes.

What board will you be riding in 2011?

Well the Response has always been my baby because I am hooked on the continuous rocker, but you may see me dable a bit with the Newton as well (part of our ballistic line) because it's also a continuos board with a similar shape to the response but a bit more rigid. It might just come down to whichever board matches better with my vest. haha.

All the slingshot boards are built for wake riding but the new Ballistics line seems to be even more tailored for boat riding. Can you give us the scoop on that line?

Yeah the Ballistic series is all new and features 3 different models in 2 sizes each for a grand total of 6 boards all with custom artwork designed my our newest team rider, Mike Ennen. They're the most explosive wake riding boards we have ever built. They feature solid wood cores with carbon capped rails running throughout the length which make them super rigid. They're definitely the stiffest boards we've built while still falling into the "flex" category. The ballistic line is ideal for the the "weary" ones who are used to stiff cores. They're basically like the gateway drug to bring everyone into the world of Flex. haha!

The new track system that slingshot is using looks interesting what are the benefits over traditional mounting?

For 2011 All of the Slingshot boards feature our new "Fastrack" mounting system which basically allows for endless stance options when it comes to mounting the boots. It's super sleek looking and outperforms any other system I've used. We used to be hooked on the four hole pattern because it eliminated toe and heel lift, but the new RAD boots have such a rigid plate (from toe to heel) that we don't have to worry about it anymore, so endless stance options was the best choice. Plus now it's SUPER easy to mount up the boots...just 4 screws and your ready to ride!



The overall build quality of the new 2011 boards seems even higher then already high quality boards from the past. Are there any key features like sidewalls and things that potential customers might want to know about?

Yeah well first off all of our boards are made in the USA which means we have total quality control over each board we make. As far as the sidewalls go we switched to full urethane sidewalls for 2011 that are 100 % seem-less. They feel much like a skate wheel does and offer full protection for the core of your board with no worries about them ever cracking!

What do you tell someone who is afraid to take the plunge into riding a "flex" board behind the boat?

Ride a ballistic board. There's only one way to find out if it really is "the future" so stop worrying about who said what and just ride one. Then send us an email describing your first experience. At Slingshot we love hearing from the riders themselves!

Anything we can look forward to from slingshot in 2011 other then boards and boots?

Yeah check out the arcane wakesurfer. It's a REAL surfboard, not a corndog shaped skimboard for old slugs. Take some turns and feel the burn cause the thing rips! I have one in a custom 5'8" size and it's the only board I take to the beach anymore. If it rips in the surf you know it will rock on the boat too. Also look for some new accessories such as ropes and handles to hit the market in the near future.

Slingshot Sports is proud to announce the signing of professional wakeboarder Mikey Ennen to the Global Wake Team. With over 10 years of experience at a professional level,Ennen Has made a name for himself as one of the top freeriders in our sport as well as a creditedartist on the rise! He will be riding the new "Ballistic" series of wakeboards set to release inOctober 2010.

With input from Ennen along with the rest of the Global Team, this new line willfeature the hardest hitting wake specific boards Slingshot has ever produced. With carbon cappedsidewalls, molded channels through the tips and tails, and custom artwork designed by Ennenhimself, this new line is sure to turn heads!"I'm excited to finally work with a brand that is pushing the limits of wakeboard technology andusing the highest quality materials available while doing so. I feel strongly that Slingshot has the tools to produce the best wakeboards in the industry. Also, their process for printing graphicsis off the hook! Wait till you see these boards in person. They've literally made my artworkdimensional!" - Mikey Ennen.

Look out for Mikey, and the rest of the Slingshot team as they continue to push the limits in the 2010 11season. Here at Slingshot it is our promise to deliver the most innovative and highest quality productsto our customers and riders, so be sure to check out the entire 2011 line offered by theFIRST IN FLEX: WORLDWIDE.