Well along with some other things two poles stood out to me as competition to the sl-x. They were the Ionic Glyder and Facelift Fusion, 25-26ft poles and around the same prices as the sl-x.
The Glyder is a full carbon pole thats just over 26ft extended, and to begin with its super stiff ( as stiff as the sl-x ) and a bit heavier than the 25ft sl-x ( hardly noticeable when held imo ) its short when closed ( about the same as the 25ft sl-x ) and it feels brilliant to hold. It looked very tough, and very ready for a bashing. Overall, it was a stand out product to me, a real competitor to the sl-x. The clamps were VERY easy to use but the prototype version on show didn't have the final compound of plastic, so it was slipping a little, something that Reuben ( managing director ) I was chatting too promised would be rectified by next week.
Now onto the Facelift Fusion which is a carbon glassfibre mix 25ft pole. Again very impressive, its light ( I dont think it was as light as the Glyder ) and very sturdy like all Facelift poles. It was longer than a closed 25ft sl-x, reason being, it has an aluminium collar preventing it closing another 3-4 inches, this collar is an option though. Well it was also around as stiff as the Sl-x and Glyder. I believe it was a tad cheaper than the Glyder, but the final prices of these products aren't on their websites.
To top it off, I really liked both poles, especially the Glyder as its full carbon fibre slightly longer ( shorter closed too) and just looked the business , but the Fusion was up there too! When my sl-x needs replacing I think Im going to have a very tough decision on my hands!