Slingshot Angry Swallow 2018

The Angry Swallow (still officially the best name for a surfboard) has had a few refinements for 2018. Aesthetically, there’s a lot of tech on show with carbon rails wrapping the rear quarter and a carbon reinforcement running along the stringer. It looks and feels exquisitely constructed and, for a relatively small price increase, there’s a crossover hydrofoil version armed with a track box aptly named the Converter. A two for one deal not to be overlooked for the multi-disciplined rider… The Angry Swallow’s outline combines the more parallel rails that we expect from this style of board (and which delivers the upwind performance and stability we like) but then shows that this isn’t a board that is going to settle for just cruisin’, as the tail steps in to the more high performance swallow tail. It looks funky and shows that Slingshot are thinking outside the box on this one…

Construction is robust, and this all-American party stick has an uncanny ability to stay where you want it to during strapless aerials, inspiring you to punt where you’ve not previously punted and, when you land on it, you can be confident that it’s not going to break…

In the surf and we found that when initiating a bottom turn, the board remains nicely planted and stable underfoot. For a short board there’s a deceptive amount of volume hidden in the right places but it at no point feels corky. The thruster setup and swallow tail combined with the aggressive rail shape provides an unexpected amount of grip. You can really chuck buckets like a hero on your top turn, and the tail obligingly slides out precisely when you want it to. The Angry Swallow is a benchmark for pure fun in mushy waves, making an ideal first crossover board for a capable twin tip rider, and provides a great deal of snappy performance for someone more wave experienced. But don’t count it out for decent side off conditions either – as long as you have a bit of kite power, the speed from the parallel rails and perky nature of the board translate well to amplified down-the-line riding. You can hold considerable power with control, which is something this board has absolutely dialed.

In a sentence: Solid construction and a well thought out and well executed design ensure that the Angry Swallow continues to be an absolute favorite of our test team…