Eleveight WFS Pro

Eleveight have built their reputation through evolving their products consistently and in going through more prototyping than pretty much any other brand we know. Designer Peter Stiewe has been designing wind-harnessing creations for many years and – carrying his extensive knowledge from kitesurfing over to the world of wings – has been responsible for one of the most consistent range of wings over the last few years. The WFS series has proved itself to be generally ahead of the curve (I recently had a blast on a WFS V4 from a couple of years back and it performed as well – if not better – than many of its contemporary modern wings).

Generally though, Eleveight have been focused on producing quality products at a reasonable price point, so when we heard that there was an Aluula-infused wing on the way, there were a few raised eyebrows at Foiling Magazine HQ and we were intrigued to see what would arrive…

The WFS Pro, straight out of the bag, has the look and feel of a premium wing. First up, it is supremely light – the full Aluula leading edge and center strut are of course at the heart of this, but the carbon boom also keeps the weight down and our 4.5m felt super light (it comes in at 1.84kg). Canopy material is a combination of Eleveight’s 4×4 Ripstop for the bulk of the canopy, with a 6×6 Ripstop employed at the trailing edge to improve canopy tension and to increase the durability of this part of the wing, which is generally the first part to begin looking a little tired.

Pumped up and the WFS Pro looks great – it’s gold so of course it’s always going to look pretty impressive – but on top of this the quality of the remainder of the construction really shines through. So, time to hit the water… We had several sessions on the 4.5m ranging from 10 through to about 25 knots. The first thing to stress is the versatility of the WFS Pro – the wind range is just insane. We have found this with other Aluula wings where the stiffness of the airframe enables you to pump and get going on light days, and the same characteristics mean that when you are overpowered you can ease the wing in and out super quickly and easily enabling you to handle conditions that on other wings would feel super overpowered. It is as close to a ‘one wing quiver’ as you can get (which is one way of justifying the price tag to your wife/husband).

Aside from the incredible wind range, the overall handling of the WFS Pro is excellent. The stiffness provides a very direct feel and you can really micro-tune the wing in steady conditions, lean back and pull the power on and it responds immediately enabling you to really turn the speed up: whether that’s doing speed runs at your local beach or heading out onto the race course. For wave-riding, the WFS Pro has a moderate amount of dihedral and this, coupled with the lighter weight, means that it sits behind you effortlessly – it also very rarely touches the water aside from after a super tight cutback, so you can really push your maneuvers without having to worry about where the wing is going to end up. Finishing your ride and the boom is easy to grab and the power is there for you immediately.

Through maneuvers, the WFS Pro cuts through the air and – however you are changing direction – the wing will swing around and get you going with no problem. If taking to the air is your thing then the WFS Pro is happy to do this, it is not a freestyle machine but the fact that you can probably go a size smaller means that you can work through your trick repertoire with less wing to worry about.

So, the big question: is it worth the extra investment? As we’ve stated, the range on the WFS Pro is incredible so you can definitely get away with a two-wing quiver, so that is worth factoring in. Aside from this, it really is a different experience to other wings – the tuned in feeling, the quick response, and the super easy flagging out just make the whole winging experience easier and more enjoyable. So, with that in mind we would say, yup, time to see about increasing that credit card limit…