CrazyFly Sculp 11m 2014
Reviews / Kites
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At A Glance
The CrazyFly Sculp has undergone some changes this year, you can still recognize the traditional Sculp DNA, but it is a very different kite. It still has the simple 3-strut design with the scalloped trailing edge that makes it so distinctive. The sweptback wing tips have been replaced with a more squared-off design. The profile has been tweaked and this year it has quite a deep profile to offer good low-end power. The delta shape remains, and the legendary relaunch capabilities of the previously models is still here. Build quality has stepped up once again, the guys have things pretty much sorted at the factory these days and the quality is definitely showing through. There is reinforcement in all the right places and the overall package is very polished.
The Bar
The Sick Bar is really impressive, I think it is one of the best bars on the market and it’s 100% made in Europe. This one-piece carbon bar is solid, lightweight and incredibly comfortable to use. The bar is simple, clean and safe, but delivers a high standard of performance. Depower set-up uses an above the bar cleat system and is very easy to use. The quick release is a straightforward push-away trigger, and it’s one of the easiest to put back together quick releases on the market. Integrated bar ends and floats finish off what is a very clean package. New this year are the top quality, almost zero elongation Dyneema lines made in Germany. The depower lines are specially coated plus the centre hole of the bar has been polished and enlarged to prevent wear and tear. Size options for the bar are 40cm, 45cm, 50cm and 55cm
In The Air
The low-end power of the Sculp 11m is instantly noticeable, the deep draft developing lots of pull in even the lightest of airs. We rode the Sculp frequently when other riders were on much bigger kites and never felt like we were lacking anything. The kite feels a lot more polished in the air than in previous years, it’s more stable and refined and even more responsive to input from the rider. The bar pressure is just about right, we never felt like we were getting fatigued but equally always felt like we had good feedback as to where the kite was in the air at all times. Kiteloops and jumps were where the Sculp impressed us the most, for an 11m it loops exceedingly well and we kind of wished we had one of the smaller sizes so we could really let it rip. Upwind is good, the kite sits a little further back in the window than some kites, this makes it stable and predictable with a smooth power delivery. When the wind gets up the wind range is excellent and the kite has plenty of depower, we were riding comfortably in over 20knots and enjoying the hangtime and jumping characteristics of the kite when it is overpowered.
Overall
This year the Sculp is more refined, more responsive and altogether more fun to ride than the previous version. The low-end power is great for larger riders or beginners and intermediates without expert kite skills. Jumping and kiteloops are where this kite really excels, we can only imagine that just gets better the smaller the kite gets…
Videos
This review was in Issue 44 of IKSURFMAG.
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By Rou Chater
Rou has been kiting since the sports inception and has been working as an editor and tester for magazines since 2004. He started IKSURFMAG with his brother in 2006 and has tested hundreds of different kites and travelled all over the world to kitesurf. He's a walking encyclopedia of all things kite and is just as passionate about the sport today as he was when he first started!
