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i want to get the rpm for freestyle. from what ive read it seems to be good rated. i am 120 pounds and want a kite for next year ill probably weigh 10 20 pounds ore so i am thinking about getting the 8 meter 2012 is this a good freestyle kite and i usually ride in 18 to 25

do not buy slingshot the trailing edge is a piece of ...., it will broke in 6 month or less,
i have a rpm 2011 and i have to fix it.
now i am looking for a new kite because i dont want a frankie

I've been riding RPM's since they came out in "09". In fact I still have my '09 10m, it has several hundred sessions on it, I've literally flown the crap out of it, and the trailing edge is just fine. The key to longevity is DON'T LEAVE IT INFLATED AND FLAPPING ON THE BEACH. THAT IS DEATH TO THE TRAILING EDGE.

RPM's are wicked fast and wicked fun. Part of the reason they are fast and fun is they are light.
Do you leave your Ferrari out in the blowing sand and sun when you're not driving it? Hell no, you put it in the garage.

So get an RPM, better a 9 than an 8. Take care of it and you will get multiple seasons on it.

I know of what I speak, as I do kite repair for a living.

I heard it's pretty nice from a friend of mine, but I haven't ridden it personally. If you get one, let us know how it performs. Thanks!

sorry bro but never leave it flapping as you said and i never used at the sea, SS2011 have a very poor quality...

i love it, i love the backpack, i love the bar, but the kite have poor quality, and i love the kite design, i am very sad that i have to change the brand

Feel about the same as jousee, I love to fly my 6m rpm 2010 but I had to repair the trailing edge as well, I changed the bar for something with stainless steel for the depower rope passage so that lmy (selfmade) depower ropes last for a more than a few sessions. Also I had to repair about half of the one pump valves. Regarding trailing edge, my rev 9m's is still ok after about the same number of sessions (and that is quite a lot). So make sure to compare what is comparable... 30+ knots does not wear the same as 15+ ! Anyway, I wish SS would make a North alike trailing edge which looks very good. cheers.

I love the rpms, but also worth giving evy from liquid force a go and the price of them alot cheaper then slingy, also they are boom proof.

Wow, trailing edge problems are news to me. I have owned and flown RPMs since 2009 and have never had any trailing edge problems with my kites. However, I never leave my kites sitting on the beach, in a hot car or rolled up wet and sandy for any length of time. I believe in taking care of all things I own. I personally feel SS builds one of the very best quality products on the market and continuously improve quality and durability with each new year product release. Moreover, the RPM kite flys better than anything I've ever had in the air and as an instructor I've flown many different brands of kites. The RPM is a predictable and reliable kite in the air; it does exactly what the person handling the control bar tells it to do through input. Try it, you'll like it.

At 120+ lbs, you'll be loving an 8M RPM. Go for it.

I have a 7M 2012 and really like it. I haven't had a ton of sessions on it yet, but it flies very smooth. I've been on Slingshot kites for a long time and have never had a problem with the trailing edge. It has a reinforced trailing edge, shown in the picture below;

I'm not saying that the first reply left his kite flapping around, but if you have an extra layer of fabric flapping I could see it being a wear point...that's a little more weight. But that's a good thing. The reinforced edge will keep it from breaking down during normal use. Bottom line is that the after-sales support for SS is great. If you see any issues in the first year, just call them up, you'll speak to a kiter immediately and they'll take care of you! After a year, you'll still get support! (just maybe not replacement)

Buy it, you'll love it.