Lonestar Thunderbird

The Lone Star Thunderbird Heel Rope is a one-of-a-kind four-strand rope, crafted from a combination of nylon and poly blend. It features a multi-directional, double-twisted core that enables the center core to counterbalance the rope's entirety. This unique construction provides the rope with an even weight, an exceptional tip feel, and an excellent horn bite. Patrick Smith collaborated with Lone Star Rope maker Guy Alford to develop the Thunderbird heel rope, which is Smith's go-to weapon. The two worked diligently to perfect every aspect of the rope, experimenting with different core twisting methods. Smith has praised the Thunderbird heel rope as the best ever made, and while he may change the lays throughout the year, he is enamored with the overall feel of the rope. Patrick Smith brought 25 new Thunderbird heel ropes to the 2022 NFR in Las Vegas, and surprisingly, he only used one for all 10 rounds. The other 24 ropes never left the bag. In previous trips to the finals, Smith had broken in several ropes to adjust to different weather conditions.  He claimed that it felt good each time, so he never felt the need to use any of the other 24 ropes. The Thunderbird heel rope proved to be so good that Tomlinson and Smith were the only team to stop the clock on all 10 head, setting a new average record of 53.0 on 10. Along with his partner, Tanner Tomlinson, Smith was crowned the reserve champion and overall average winner.