I've been looking for a Splitboard for a while, but most of them (Nobile, Flysurfer, etc) are WELL above $1,000. I kinda suck at water kiteboarding,
so I couldn't really justify that expense. However, when the Kitelement Revolt went on sale for about $600 (no VAT here), I decided to pull the
trigger.
The reason I wanted a ReVolt is that my primary board is a little flat, square and doesn't really carve like I felt it should. I was looking for
something with a little more curve on the rails, a little more rocker and a little smaller in case I was overpowered on my kite.
Kitelement is located in the Czech Republic, so there were a few delays in communication and gettin the order all sorted out. For one, they say they
accept PayPal, but they didn't at the time of my purchase. They took a credit card, though. Communication about the order was a bit spotty. I wasn't
sure I had actually ordered the board through their web site because there was a bug with the order form. However, I sent them a note asking if they
got my order and they got back to me within 1.5 days, which was cool. I sort of knew this was going to be an adventure in kite gear ordering, so I
wasn't stressed about it.
There is surprisingly little good information online about the Kitelement boards, but the videos I HAD seen were really pretty and well-produced.
Their Facebook presence seems to be largely centered around riding and trips to train people to ride, so I kind of got the impression that these guys
make boards, but most of their time is spent riding.
After ordering, it took a while for the box to arrive -- about 6 weeks. I never did get good tracking info, and the site they sent me to for tracking
is on some known security watch lists (probably from being compromised so often), so it was a bit of an exercise in faith waiting for it to arrive.
Luckily, it was worth the wait.
It came in a nice clean box that was well organized with all the stuff needed to put the board together. The craftsmanship on the board itself is
really top notch. There are 5 screws that hold the board together. They included extra screws, which I thought was nice. The bindings are decent
quality and easy to adjust, even with one hand. The fins are really tough and everything has the the super cool Kitelement logo and the left/right
bits are all labeled as such, which I really like.
The screws appear to use a pozidrive interface, much like ski bindings. You CAN use a #3 screwdriver, but stop being a cheapskate and get a pozidrive
bit and you'll be much happier. The board took me about 5 minutes to put together and was rock solid once it was together. They also included a
handle, which is nice. Putting it together consists of 3 screws on the top and 2 screws on the bottom. They are short. I snugged them down and they
seemed to stay snug throughout my session. Overall, the board weighs a little more than my buddy's Cabrinha 136, but not a lot more.
One thing to note is that the bindings are kind of narrow. I couldn't easily get in and out of them with booties on while floating. I ended up
losing the booties for my inaugural ride, and they worked great. I have a size 8.5 foot and they were tightened all the way and they fit quite nicely.
Perhaps they'll break in before I need to use them with booties.
I got up and rode almost immediately (which isn't a given for my skill level) and immediately noticed how fantastic this board is. It's pretty
flexible, so it was very forgiving in the swells, but it also carved way more predictably than my Spleene Session. I felt way more stable and solid on
this board than any of the other 5 boards I have ridden. It planes well and carves well and I'm too much of a noob to talk about pop and landings and
such. I will say, however, that this will be my go to board this season. At 175lbs, this 136 is the perfect size for most conditions for. It's a
great price, the build quality is great, it splits in half for easy storage / travel, and it rides great for a beginner. In short, I would highly
recommend this board. indigo_wolf - 21-7-2015 at 07:58 PM
You CAN use a #3 screwdriver, but stop being a cheapskate and get a pozidrive bit and you'll be much happier.
Wait? What? We need an excuse to leave drool stains on the Wera catalog?
You're just talking crazy now.
ATB,
SamProletariat - 21-7-2015 at 10:14 PM
Fair enough... I don't really feel qualified to give much of a riding review, but I do have some pics and an unboxing video.
Proletariat - 21-7-2015 at 10:19 PM
Proletariat - 21-7-2015 at 10:49 PM
PHREERIDER - 22-7-2015 at 06:29 AM
very nice man , good score , shape looks good .
Proletariat - 22-7-2015 at 08:33 PM
So I wasn't going to mention this because it's embarrassing, but one of the screws wouldn't come out when I was taking apart the binding. I'm not
sure if I cross threaded it or if is a manufacturer's defect, but I finally had to take a vice grip to it and it sheared off.
I emailed the company a few days ago and still haven't heard back. I'm not sure I wanna go through the shipping fiasco, so I might just drill it out
and re-tap or helicoil it. Figured it was worth mentioning, even if it was my dumb.
Proletariat - 22-7-2015 at 08:34 PM
Moar!!!
volock - 23-7-2015 at 11:46 AM
I'd try broken screw extractors, if I were you. Retapping won't really work, they drill a hole then insert a thread insert with epoxy to further
secure it in place (and waterproof it). Or at least that's been my experience and what it looks like. You may be able to drill a small pilot hole, get
a broken screw extractor in and back the screw out, to save your day.Kober - 23-7-2015 at 01:35 PM
screw extractor will work for sure , make sure you read manual to rotate drill in in proper direction , you can get one for under 10$ in Home Depot
........PHREERIDER - 23-7-2015 at 06:49 PM
drill and ease out, they work. if not keep drilling . fresh bits, let the machine work for you. heat is always helpful
that screw may have bottomed out, maybe a fraction long.
