I used to love my wrist rocket slingshot. The surgical bands stretched tight, all that potential energy ready to pop. The perfect rock mounted and ready to tear into some bark. I let go… pieces of weeping willow bark scatter. A piece of tree sits exposed, pale and wet. Those were the days in my backyard battleground. I reload, one more shot before my mother steals a glance out of the kitchen sink window. This possession was top secret, but why'd have to be? What harm could such a amazingly fun toy cause? The next shot found tree once more, then my cheek... just below the right eye. Half an inch higher and... I had my answer. Eye swollen, I placed my Wrist Rocket back into its secret hiding place. Never to see action again; left behind somewhere in the 80s. I hadn’t thought about it since, until…
Last Christmas Boogie Down bought his little brother, Big Deal, a Air Storm Fire Tek Bow by Zing Toys. Not a week later after the big day, Boogie Down was in line returning whatever it was Big Deal purchased for him, replacing it with his own Fire Tek Bow . Suddenly our house was equipped with two of these well made, fun and incredibly awesome toys.
These things pack power, without the threat of losing an eye with every shot. The stretchy bands aren’t quite the surgical variety my Wrist Rocket had years ago, but I’m a parent now. Somehow teetering on danger isn't quite as appealing. Though equipped with heavy foam shock absorbent arrows, a direct shot still packs a serious punch (one Internet reviewer clocked it’s firepower as high as 98 feet per second). Children 8 and up, for whom this product is recommended, need to take aim at non-human targets. I wonder if the makers at Zing imagined a 44 year old when they mentioned "and up".
The three arrows that come with this toy light up with the click of a switch and whistle as they rip through air.The harder you fire, the louder the whistle. This makes summer nighttime play especially fun. Bright red lights makes arrow location a snap, even in daytime. The bow itself lights up as well and seems to serve no real purpose other than racking up on cool points. My sons’ bows light up red and green respectively. But I did see that Zing has added pink to their selection.
This bow is for outdoor use only though I hear on occasion the arrows forcefully bouncing off of our basement drywall. No holes in our walls yet. In order to see it sail 145 feet or more, only the great outdoors provide enough real estate. Careful, the rubber launch bands apparently are not meant for Dads who want to stretch it to its limits to see how far it will really travel. POP! But we got a full year of fun out of it. And the other bow is still going strong. Santa will be bringing another to our house this year.
For time well spent away from the video game system and some good old fashioned fun, I suggest checking out Zing’s Fire Tek Bow . The Fire Tek Bow and Arrow set sells for around $25. Hold on to those glowing, whistling arrows, however. A Replacement pack of three runs around $18, you could almost just buy a whole new set for that (Perhaps one for Dad). After a year, we still have five of our original six arrows.
It is nice to spend hard earned money on a toy that actually works
Zing Air Storm Fire Tek Bow
Pros:
Super duper firepower for long distance shots and accuracy
Over sized foam arrowheads make it relatively safe
Light up arrows and bow
Whistle action
Comfortable
Easy to fire
Cons:
Extensive use will cause elastic to break
Costly replacements
