Eleveight Kites RS 9m 2019
Reviews / Kites
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At A Glance
Eleveight have been on our radar for a couple of years, but it is for 2019 where they jump in with the big boys with a full line up of kites and boards. We had the all-round RS on test this issue and, as always, were excited to get our hands on gear from a new brand.
The RS is Eleveight’s do-it-all kite. Designed as a cross-over kite, it is for those who enjoy all sides of kiteboarding and need a kite to keep up with them. Its has an emphasis on big air and floaty jumps, but will feel at home with everything from foiling through to a bit of wave riding and freestyle fun.
The RS has a delta hybrid shape, which means there are long swept wingtips on the moderate to high aspect canopy, a supportive bridle system and an open C shape design. The RS has 3 struts, and also houses a one-pump system with large inflate/deflate valve for maximum efficiency in set up and pack down. The kite itself is made with the high quality Teijin Techno Force X4 Ripstop to keep things incredibly strong, and the leading edge seam has been triple stitched to ensure maximum longevity.
Sizes: 5,6,7,8,9,10,12,14,17m
The Bar
Eleveight have produced the 4-line CS Vary Bar for use with all the kites in their range. Coming in two sizes, a smaller 42/50cm and a larger 47/55cm, it has the ability to change the length between the two outside lines by using the Easy Line Adjustment mechanism in the ends of the bar. This feature allows you to fine tune your bar to your riding style and needs.
The main body of the bar has a great narrow grip, which is then coated with grippy anti-slip EVA Thermo-Foam for superior comfort and control. Moulded bar ends keep things neat, and it is here the adjustment mechanism is situated.
Eleveight’s chicken loop, the Quick-Matic, has been moulded, and the push-away release conforms to the French safety standards of 6kg pressure through the mechanism to eject. To reconnect the loop, there is no need to fiddle around with anything complicated, simply insert the end of the loop back into the release and it reconnects like a seat belt. The safety is attached to a single front line, which comes through the bar on a bungeed line to keep it clean.
The 4 x 22m lines are made from high quality thermocoated spectre. Manufactured in Germany with a breaking strain of over 200kg you can be sure they will last a long time. The connectors have been designed to be easily identifiable between front and back lines to avoid any wrong connection too.
The double centre line is then connected to an effective cleat mechanism with a big depower range, whilst the safety line bypasses this and connects above. A stopper ball is situated on the centre lines for those who like to customise their bar throw.
“Great floaty jumps, a huge range, and masses of versatility”
In The Air
The 2019 Eleveight RS immediately fills you with confidence as it holds its shape well from the get-go with good feedback through the bar and harness. There is a moderately light bar pressure, but you are still able to feel where the kite is at all times. As the wind picks up, so does the pressure, however it is manageable throughout.
The RS likes to fly relatively far around the window, and maintains a good pull at all points. Going up wind is a doddle, and the light feel through the bar and harness keeps things effortless. We had both the 9m and 12m out to test, and were very impressed by the continuity between the two sizes. They felt very similar to fly, which is incredibly confidence-inspiring for those just starting out or learning new skills.
The wind range is impressive, with the power difference through the bar being good. Add in the large amount of depower available through the cleat and the RS will extend way above what you would be thinking. Even when completely trimmed, the kite flew well with only minimal loss of feedback through the bar. At the other end, the low wind capabilities were excellent, the forward flying light weight nature of the kite lending itself to these conditions and made us think how good this kite would also be for foiling.
The forgiving nature of the RS allows you to make some mistakes with your riding, and certainly once we became airborne we took this to the extreme to see just how far we could push it. Of course, we started falling out of the sky, but it took a lot longer than we thought and proved to us the incredible ease of use of the RS. Jumping is great fun, the kite providing massive floaty jumps, and when you start to push it, some serious height and hang time. Due to the moderate to high aspect, the RS is a kite that will drive you higher and higher for quite some time, and keeps you flying forward in the air too. Great for old school tricks, the float and support offered with the feedback through the bar allows you to concentrate on yourself and styling out those moves. A good pull through the loop, the RS is not necessarily going to win you a wild card to the King Of The Air, but it will pull you out of big jumps well and provide a decent loop to keep your adrenaline pumping. We found the RS to be a really fun kite, and for those who are into their boosting and looking improve here, the RS would be a brilliant choice.
As always, we wanted to test the unhooked capabilities, and though not a big slack-producing kite, we were impressed by the stability and continuous pull throughout a few basic moves. The CS Vary bar felt very comfortable here, and the ability to tune the length of the bar was beneficial.
Relaunching was very easy - the Delta shape made sure the kite rolled round to the edge of the window every time we crashed.
For
The build quality of the RS is very impressive, and Eleveight have clearly put a lot of thought into this. The kite is fun, fast and powerful, all we would expect from a 2019 kite.
Against
We found the bar a little sticky with the double bungee cord. Though a great idea, we did on one occasion have a slight jamming of lines when the bungee bunched up through the bar when fully depowered.
Overall
A solid performer from Eleveight, the RS does exactly what it has been designed to do and more. Great floaty jumps, a huge range, and masses of versatility all within one kite. If you are looking for a new kite to progress and have fun with, without any gnarly experiences, the RS could well be the one for you.
Videos
This review was in Issue 72 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit Eleveight KitesRelated
By Robin and Sukie
With years of kite sport experience combined, you can be sure you’ll be receiving the highest quality of knowledge on the best equipment the industry has to offer.
