DARIN SHAPIRO "I think Airsling is one of the greatest new learning tools for Raleys and doing great tricks and I've seen." Darin Shapiro...(click for picture gallery )

GY: So how's the AirSling been working out for you as far as teaching your students?

DS: The AirSling's been really helpful at the camp, especially teaching Raleys. I've had students who just were kind of scared of trying Raleys before and having the rope tied up higher and the kind of action that the AirSling has, it really picks them up and makes the tricks feel a lot safer for them.

GY: Where do you see the future of AirSling?

DS: I think the AirSling will make a lot of the more technical Raley-style tricks more possible - like double-S bends, S-bends to blind, anything landing out in the flats, the AirSling's been really helpful because it's a softer landing when you land way out there and that's another benefit is that it kind of sets you down so if you're landing something for the first time, you get to cheat at the landing a little bit, or it's just a bit more of a cushion. 

GY: What was your first impression of the AirSling and has your view of the AirSling changed since then?

DS: Well, you know, I get a lot of people offering different - maybe not gimmicks, but different types of equipment out for us to try and I think a lot of it is - it seemed kind of hokey at first, but we figured we'd give it a try. I mean, the thing looks so tech - it looked cool to try out anyway so we through it up on the Titan tower and the Malibu wake huge and fat and I went out to do some Raleys and I got so much float off it, I mean the thing was just such a blast to use. I also liked, you know when you're doing Raley tricks because when you land a lot of Raley tricks it starts taking a toll on you, like your body, on your joints - like the heavy impact. I just really enjoyed the way it kind of just set me down from landing a lot of those tricks. So my first impression seeing it was totally different than after I'd used it. 

GY: So you liked it better after you used it for a little bit? 

DS: Well, I wasn't sure what I was getting into. You know - bolting this thing on my tower and taking a look at it and going, you know, like, whatever! And then actually, you know, being able to adjust the pressure in a shock and everything. It was just so cool - even all the students who had never really done Raleys before, it was really cool to watch them strap their rope onto it and getting all kinds of killer lift and without taking really bad crashes. I mean, the thing ended up being a great tool, so my opinion totally changed when I heard about it as to when I saw them using it. 

GY: How much more air - like, I'm doing a Raley, or any of the high end really hard cut tricks - how much higher do you think that people will get?

DS: People will get, you know, quite a bit higher. Of course, they've got to cut. The harder you cut, the higher you're gonna get which isn't always true when the rope's tied down lower without using a shock because you're loading the shock up and the more you load it up, the more it's gonna pull you up so, it's actually, the more aggressive you get with it, the better it works where without it, you might get more aggressive, and you're just gonna crash harder. So it's been just really helpful in really getting more air. Like, I wasn't sure what I was gonna get out of it, but I ended up getting a little bit more air, but I would stay higher for so much longer. Hang time. 

GY: And as far as - when you look at the AirSling - right now it seems like it's working really good as a tool to learn new tricks, but as far as a permanent fixture on somebody's boat, using it all the time, do you see that ever happening? 

DS: You know, it depends on their style of riding really. If someone is looking to do all their tricks out in the flats, you know, hitting a lot of double-ups or or does a lot of Raley tricks - I mean, that's really right now what I see it as designed for is learning big tricks, how to go big and just a cushion for not maybe taking as hard of crashes because it is a softer pull at the end of the trick. 

GY: Could you compare it to when you first had a tower, you know, versus not having a tower? Or first having a pole as opposed to not having a pole? Is that a pretty good similarity? 

DS: I think that's a great comparison. Going from having the rope tied down low to using a tower - it felt like my rope was just tied up so high - I was figuring out how I was going to do spins and technical tricks but then after a while, you know, you did all the technical tricks, but they were just bigger and now, I'm kind of in that same position, you know, with the moving shock - I think it's gonna take a little bit of time before like I'm totally used to doing all the spins and things like that. But, yeah, the rope feels like it's pretty high up, but, you know, that's just a few sessions on it. I think I'm gonna probably be comfortable doing all my tricks on it eventually. 

GY: Now, is it easier on your body at all when you're landing?

DS: For sure. Even coming off the wake on smaller tricks I notice less pull on my shoulder. It's a softer pull up and off the wake and into the trick. 

GY: A lot of people have shoulder injuries and it's probably something good for them to use if they just can't ride without it.

DS: Yeah, I would say it's just - you get a little bit more play with the handle of the rope and your shoulders just kind of really enjoy that it's not - you know, that it won't get popped out of your hand quite so much - it's more of a slow release.

GY: OK. How 'bout just some quick like 10 second, instead of like - you know, something short to use - like something good and positive to say about the AirSling? So, what do you think of the AirSling?

DS: I think it's one of the greatest new learning tools for Raleys and doing great tricks that I've seen. The AirSling.

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