TEST TEAM NOTES
First, a word of warning. Don’t try weighing your kite down with this kiteboard! It’s so light – let go of it on a strong wind day and you’ll never see it again! The Elite comes with a special board bag – a case with custom-shaped foam inner to cradle your prized possession and protect it from the everyday bumps and scrapes that might occur in transport. You also get a certificate of authenticity stating that you own a board produced in only very limited numbers. Coming with three sets of fins and custom made foot straps, you are correct in assuming that it must be expensive: selling at a considerable £1,000+ / US$1450.
The stripped down appearance of the Elite without the added weight of a top-sheet gives the Elite a very unique look and weight. Just 1.9 kilos naked and 2.8 kilos with straps and fins on, the hype behind the carbon manufacturing process leads us to believe that this is a next level, ultra-technical carbon application and the texture is relatively matt to the touch. That stripped down workshop/racing car similarity is very apparent and all intricacies in shape such as the deep concaves on the bottom stand out like the detailed fairings on an F-1 car, begging the question of just how much performance the Elite produces?
Thankfully, and sensibly looking at the niche market this is aimed at, the performance positives in the ride are matched well to improving riders. The super-light weight mixed with the relative stiffness is unusual. The weight difference is so apparent that it takes you a while to recalibrate your riding for the board’s character. The Elite cuts very sharply into the water and provides an extremely fast ride. Although very sharp in its edge, the Elite also has quite a skatey feel and is easy to switch edge to edge. The most noticeable stand out element of performance is in the swing weight though. As soon as you leave the water on a jump, it’s very easy to manipulate the board in the air to bring it into grabbing positions or to manoeuvre back into position for landing.
The Elite is very flat though and, although not rock-solid stiff like an out-and-out wakeboard, there is a relatively high-stiffness for a freeride board and the lumps and bumps in heavy chop are apparent. Carving isn’t the Elite’s natural strength and when riding hard with your kite low you’re going to feel more underfoot than on a more regularly constructed board. However, that stiffness and flat rocker will make the Elite an exceptional lighter wind flat-water charger. If you’re looking for something to smoke your mates, the Elite won’t disappoint. The dynamic freestyle performance in terms of pop seems to come from the lightness rather than the subtleties in the core on so many other boards. We understand that CrazyFly have worked a special wood core in the Elite, but seasoned freestylers would want a more progressive pop that winds up and builds rather than gives you all or nothing. Intermediate riders will probably enjoy the sharper pop on the other hand as their progressive pop technique isn’t as good.
We cannot fault the craftsmanship that has gone into the Elite – it is a creation of beauty. If you don’t get as many sessions as you’d like, want the finest carbon materials, enjoy getting up to speed very quickly and would appreciate the benefits of having a super light board on your feet for jumping, then the Elite makes sense to slip into the back of your Porsche. However, rather than the framed certificate of ownership, we’d probably rather see a screwdriver included in the board bag as we still had to borrow one from the builder who had one in his Transit van.
SIZES
140 x 42, 136 x 41 and 132 x 41cm
ELITE BALANCE POINTS
Build quality: 8.5
Fixtures and fittings: 7.5
Speed: 8
Pop: 6.5
Drive: 8
Flex: 7
Comfort: 7.5
Looseness: 7
Grip: 7.5
Upwind: 8
Slider proof: No
Boots applicable: No
Freeriding: 8
Freestyle: 7
Ease-of-use: 7.5
More info at: www.crazyflykites.com
Here’s the official Elite product video from CrazyFly
CrazyFly Elite Kiteboard from CrazyFly Kiteboarding on Vimeo.
