CrazyFly is now one of the few brands in the kiteboarding industry to manufacture all of their products locally in Europe where quality control and the build process on everything from their high tech twin tips to kites and all accessories are entirely under their supervision. Along with changes to the kite lineup and some design tweaks to their proven twin tip shapes, 2018 is an exciting year for CrazyFly with the introduction of a full line of foilboard products that incorporates their proven carbon construction techniques with legendary attention to detail and the highest quality products.
THIS YEAR THE CRAZYFLY KITE LINEUP CONTINUES WITH AN ALL INCLUSIVE THREE KITE APPROACH TO THE SPORT. WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHANGES FOR 2018, AND HOW DO YOU STEER YOUR CUSTOMERS AMONGST YOUR DIFFERENT MODELS?
CrazyFly’s own kite factory located in Slovakia has allowed for quick advancement in changing the way kites are constructed to push the limits of kite durability, weight, and rigidity. For example, the carefully-tailored canopies reduce the number of panels on the kite to save weight and also make a more rigid and unified canopy for better in-flight response. The struts of the kite attach to the sail with two parallel seams rather than a single attachment seam which noticeably improves how the kite holds its shape during flight and generates power during the turn. Unified seams run from start to finish without interruption, meaning less stitching needle holes in the canopy to increase durability. New for 2018, all CrazyFly kites have been made with Triplex ripstop sail material which is brand new and exclusive to CrazyFly. Triplex has three ripstop yarns running in both directions as well as a triple coating to give the canopy the best strength to weight ratio and protection against the elements. With only three models, the choice between CrazyFly kites comes down to the type of riding you mainly do rather than skill level or discipline since they have totally different shapes and designs that cater to different riders.
The Sculp is the most all-around model that is suitable for most riders. This kite is versatile for big jumps, smooth transitions and easy cruising with stability, consistency, predictable handling, easy relaunch and a great wind range. It’s a kite that will last you from the beginner stages all the way through advanced. For 2018, the Sculp has been re-designed with a new, more high-aspect shape that makes the kite much slimmer and faster. This new shape results in a more pronounced delta shape with progressive power delivery, smooth flight and amazing boosting.
Moving up from there is the Tango which is meant for the intermediate or advanced rider looking for a little more performance. The Tango has an open C-shape with shorter, more squared wingtips and a bridle without pulleys for more pull, power, pop, and direct feeling making the kite an excellent choice for freestyle and kite loops. It turns quickly, has excellent upwind ability and great boost with amazing hang time. For 2018, the Tango has been re-worked with slight changes to the shape and bridle to improve performance.
The Cruze is the dedicated light wind kite of the lineup, only coming in 15m and 17m sizes. The Cruze has a higher aspect delta shape with a deeper profile to give the kite plenty of power in light winds, but despite the large sizes, the kite is more agile and stable than you would expect. The delta shape and deeper profile also help make relaunch of the kite easier in the light winds. For 2018, the Cruze has only had a few minor tweaks from last year.
We can’t talk about kites without talking about the control bar, which for CrazyFly is called the Sick Bar. The Sick Bar is a state-of-the-art control system that blends safety, comfort, durability, and simplicity with abovethe- bar depower. It’s also one of the few bars that is made from a full carbon construction for a very light and durable package. The Sick Bar safety system operates with a push-away release and mini-5th front line flagout, so all four flying lines are attached directly to the bar while a short 5th line connects part of the way up one of the flying lines and runs down through the center of the bar to where you connect the leash. For 2018, the Sick Bar has several refinements including a new cleat, stopper balls, and anti-twist leash connection for improved basic bar use. The bar ends are also shorter and stiffer while the leather bar grip is softer for more comfort.
CRAZYFLY IS INTRODUCING TWO MODELS OF FOILS THIS YEAR. WHAT ARE THE PERFORMANCE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO SETUPS AND HOW HAS CRAZYFLY’S EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE WITH HIGH PERFORMANCE CARBON PRODUCTS SHAPED THE WAY THESE NEW FOILS ARE BUILT?
CrazyFly has long been a master in carbon construction in the kiteboarding industry, making the best-riding fullcarbon twin tips since the beginning. We are excited to announce full-carbon foils as a part of the 2018 product line. As with the rest of the CrazyFly lineup, the foils are also produced in Europe.
The CrazyFly foils are made with the most advanced composite technology available today: prepreg autoclave. In layman’s terms, prepreg carbon fiber is woven carbon fiber fabric that has already been mixed (”˜preimpregnated’) with the perfect amount of resin spread evenly through it. These sheets of prepreg carbon are ready to use without adding any extra resin and result in the best strength to weight ratio for carbon fiber. The prepreg carbon is placed into molds and then cured in the autoclave which is basically a very fancy oven that applies the correct heat and pressure to remove any empty spaces in the carbon/resin and solidify the carbon. These materials and process are essential for creating the most high-performance foils.
In addition to the advanced materials and construction, the foils were also designed with travel and storage convenience in mind. The foils are easy and quick to assemble and disassemble and come fully apart (separate pieces for the mast, fuselage, and both wings) to make packing for a trip where you want to take your foil easy. The CrazyFly Master foil is a high-performance freerace foil aimed at intermediate to advanced riders. The front wing is a high aspect wing created for low water resistance and fast top speeds, superior stability, and incredible upwind drive. Advanced riders will appreciate the speed for boosting and anybody looking to get into foil racing should take a serious look at this foil. The Master is made from the highest-quality carbon prepreg and is lighter and more responsive than the Up foil.
The Up foil is an all-around foil aimed at intermediate to advanced freeriders. The larger front wing is shaped to provide lift at low speeds for ease of use and smooth cruising. It also has great maneuverability, medium top speeds, and great stability. Riders looking to start jumping will appreciate the larger front wing since it will be easier to get back on foil after landing.
IN ADDITION TO A FOIL SETUP YOU HAVE ALSO DEVELOPED A TWO BOARD LINE OF FOILBOARDS. HOW ARE THESE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT ELSE IS ON THE MARKET AND WHAT CAN FOILBOARDERS EXPECT FROM THESE DESIGNS?
We are incredibly excited about the new CrazyFly foil decks. CrazyFly has applied our fabled twin tip construction methods to build the perfect deck for foiling. The twin tip style construction offers many benefits to the foil rider. The decks are about as wide and a little shorter than most twin tips on the market so they’re super easy to pack and travel with compared to a foil deck with surfboard construction that’s more prone to damage. The boards also make water starting easier because you can tilt the board over to get your feet in place on the deck, compared to a surf-style deck which wants to stay flat on top of the water. Similarly, when crashing, the foil won’t get as far away from you on the CrazyFly decks compared to a surf-constructed deck. The system to mount the foil is very quick and simple too; it’s compatible with other foils with a 4-hole plate and the foil is bolted directly to the bottom of the deck with several choices for placement, forward or more back depending on your preferred stance.
The CrazyFly foil decks are packed with lots of features, are great travel companions and offer amazing performance on the water. Both decks feature a rail-to-rail concave to provide easy maneuvering on the deck as well as feedback on where your feet are placed. The decks are padded with a comfortable diamond grip deck pad. The board rocker and high nose help you generate speed quickly to get on foil and keep you on plane if you touch down. The F-Lite is like the Elite of the foil deck world. It is a full-carbon, feather-light, low-volume foil deck masterpiece. Riders who already know how to foil will appreciate its size, low weight, and dynamic transfers of energy into the foil. The Chill provides more surface area than the F-Lite and is geared more towards beginner or intermediate foil riders who are spending more time touching the water. The Chill is constructed with a fiberglass layup and carbon fiber stringer to keep the board at a great price point.
THE CRAZYFLY LINEUP NOW INCLUDES TWO SURFBOARDS. WHAT IS YOUR APPROACH TO FOAM BOARD CONSTRUCTION AND WHAT KIND OF SURF WILL EACH MODEL EXCEL IN?
CrazyFly has simplified the surfboard lineup a bit this year, removing the Strapless and carrying forward with the ATV and Strike models. Your choice in surfboards will largely come down to the type of riding you do and your location since they have totally different shapes and designs. Also like everything that CrazyFly makes, the surfboard production is based in Europe.
The ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) is the most versatile surfboard in the CrazyFly lineup. Its design has a medium rocker for early planing, faster speeds, plenty of grip and ability to handle waves from small to large. If you’re looking at getting started with a surfboard, the ATV is a great first choice. For 2018, the ATV continues with the ultralight construction from last year that is about as close to a traditional construction as you can get for kiteboarding with lightweight PU core and Polyurethane resin construction. The tip-to-tip bamboo layup has been removed for this year, resulting in less weight and more flex for a smoother ride. Carbon fiber reinforcements have been added under the back-foot heels so the tail can hold a lot of pressure. The CrazyFly Strike is designed for small to medium surf and strapless tricks. The truncated nose has less weight in the nose of the board which means quicker turning and it also puts the volume of the board underneath the rider for more precise control. The Strike’s straighter outline gives the board as much volume as a traditional surfboard and allows for more control in choppy conditions. For 2018, the Strike has followed in the footsteps of the ATV construction-wise.
CRAZYFLY HAS LONG BEEN KNOWN FOR ITS EXTENSIVE LINE OF HIGH PERFORMING TWIN TIPS. WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHANGES FOR 2018 TO YOUR FREESTYLE OFFERINGS?
At the top of the CrazyFly twin tip lineup is the Elite. The Elite blends the most advanced technology and materials to create what we believe to be the lightest and best-possible performance twin tip on the market. There will be a new Elite model releasing this winter but I’m not allowed to talk about the details yet.
It’s hard to improve on a great board, but after seven years of hard work CrazyFly has improved the Raptor LTD with a new shape and construction. The 2018 LTD retains all the characteristics that make it our most popular board: featherlight full carbon construction, dynamic feeling for high end freeride and the ability to cut through chop with ease. The bottom of the LTD is made with the latest type of woven carbon fiber to provide better flex without sacrificing strength while saving weight. The bottom shaping has changed from a gullwing double concave that ran from tip to tip to an ellipse double concave in the center of the board and double-v shaping in the tips. The ellipse double concave helps drive the board upwind and aids in softer, stickier landings while the double-v tips will give better grip when jumping. The Nano-Glide skin technology on the bottom of the board makes its reappearance from last year to provide more tracking, upwind ability and resistance to scratches due to the micro-channels on the bottom of the board. This year we introduced the Raptor LTD Neon. The LTD Neon has the same features and construction as the LTD, but with brighter bindings and colors on the board to help it stand out more in dark water.
The regular Raptor model is back for another season as our second most popular board. The Raptor’s shape features a multi-channel bottom with double-u concave channels in the center section of the board for better upwind ability while the tips of the board have v-shaped channels for plenty of grip when loading for jumps. The Raptor also has a 3D-shaped or step-cap deck that makes the board thicker in the center around the footpads to hold more energy for jumping and thinner rails which translates to a more precise edge for better tracking and upwind. The Raptor also has the Nano- Glide skin on the bottom of the board with micro-channels for better tracking, upwind, and resistance to scratches.
Following closely behind the Raptor in popularity is the Allround, a board built to fit a wide range of riders from beginner to beyond. Last year it received a full redesign with both a new shape and new bindings. The shape features a single concave bottom for a smoother ride and squarer tips give the board a larger surface area for better upwind performance. The Allround bindings feature dual-density EVA foam padding, arch support, toe grip and a proven single footstrap design. It’s hard to beat the Allround for design, construction and price. The Bulldozer received a full makeover with a brand new shape and construction for 2018. The Bulldozer still is designed for the aggressive rider who wants a board that will deliver amazing power to push their freestyle and wakestyle tricks to the next level. The new shaping of the 2018 Bulldozer features a deep center concave with split v-channels in the center and is supported by additional double concave for a triple concave tip shape. The construction of the Bulldozer is composed of Kevlar, carbon and fiberglass for the perfect combination of stiffness and response.
The Hexa bindings that come with the boards are one of the most comfortable and adjustable bindings on the market. The Hexa bindings are aptly named for the six directions of adjustability: the pad can be moved towards toeside or more towards heelside, clockwise or counter clockwise for toe-in or toe-out, and left or right for changes in stance width. The straps can be moved up or down to be snug with the foot or accommodate booties, as well as forward or back to position the toes on the toe ridge. The angle of the strap can also be changed to a steeper angle for a shorter foot or flatter profile for a longer foot. The Hexa bindings feature a 6-inch insert spacing so they will work on most boards on the market and this insert spacing also means wakestyle boots can be used on just about all of CrazyFly’s boards this year if that’s your thing.
