CrazyFly Hyper 9m 2019
Reviews / Kites
41,705
At A Glance
An entirely new kite for 2019 from CrazyFly, the Hyper sits in their range as a high performing freeride and big air specialist. This seems to be a new big trend within kitesurfing, and it is great to see brands moving with the wants and needs of the riders.
The Hyper is a 5-strut kite, with a high aspect ratio delta bow design. In simple terms, it is designed to be efficient both into the wind and up into the sky whilst maintaining usability. There is a small bridle that stays cleanly out of the way with no chance of any unwanted wraps around the struts or such like.
We are becoming familiar with the high standards of construction, and CrazyFly have gone one better again with the Hyper. Utilising the latest developments in their European factory, the Hyper features firstly a Dacron frame which ensures the rigidity of the kite through those loops and boosts without compromising on weight. Next up, the canopy is made with CrazyFly’s exclusive Triplex Ripstop. This 3 yarn fabric is not only incredibly strong, it has been triple coated to protect the fabric from the abrasive elements it may be exposed to through kitesurfing. And finally the key bumper areas have been reinforced with the plush Arptex material for incredible abrasion resistance.
The Hyper also houses the more standard features such as high volume inflate/deflate valve, 1-pump system, multiple back line tuning options, and a practical bag to transport the kite in.
Sizes: 7,8,9,10,11,12,13,15,17m
The Bar
The Sick Bar is CrazyFly’s bar choice for use with all their kites and is a stylish and simple affair which works fantastically. There is an uncannily soft leather grip which coats the Monocoque full carbon bar. Integrated floaty bar ends keep everything simple and clean, with elastics ready to secure your lines once they’ve been wound up at the end of a session.
There is a great simple cleat system in use for the depower, with handy Velcro to keep everything tidy should you be fully depowered. The centre line itself is coated in long-lasting and durable PU. This provides a very smooth movement through the bar, the insert of which is made with hardwearing stainless steel.
The release is an industry standard push-away, and is definitely one of the easiest we’ve had in terms of reassembly; something very important when wanting to get back into action quickly. A moulded donkey stick means it will always be in the correct place, and the safety leash can be connected to either ‘release’ or ‘suicide’ both in a clean and simple way.
The bar has been entirely manufactured in Europe, and the push-away quick release conforms to the French safety norm AFNOR NF S52-503, so you know it has been tested to the highest standards.
“The Hyper lives for big speeds into big sends”
In The Air
As a high aspect ratio kite, you could be forgiven for thinking the Hyper may be somewhat unstable. It is not however anything of the sort. The kite has a very solid feel in the sky from the moment of launch, a responsive yet light feel through the bar reassures you as to the kites’ position, and there is good feedback through the harness as to the power on offer.
The Hyper flies forward within the window at all points; the initial dive bringing the kite remarkably far round to create an epic upwind angle. Pushing through your board here allows this angle to increase to an impressive point whilst maintaining a lightning quick speed across the water.
There is an incredibly smooth power feel through the bar, with constant but light feedback at all times. As the wind increases there is a noticeable increase in the pull through the bar, but in no way is this uncomfortable or heavy. Once the wind picks up even more, the cleat depower system is smooth and provides a big range for the kite.
The Hyper lives for big speeds into big sends, and it was here we had the most amount of fun in a range of different conditions. Astronomical lift thanks to the high aspect design, you stay hanging around for quite some time before slowly drifting back down to earth. Even in the lighter winds you can attain impressive height and airtime thanks to the speed of the wing. Throw a loop into the mix and you will be experiencing some of your highest ever jumps. The Hyper doesn’t produce quite the same aggressive loop as some kites on offer, but it will take you high and produce enough heart pounding adrenaline to keep going back for more and more. On this note, we were impressed how even in the lighter winds the kite caught us every time and not once did we feel unsafe looping; a great choice to learn and progress with.
Of course you can’t push yourself and your kiting without the inevitable crash, and the Hyper drifted round with ease to wait for some input through the bar or leader line. In very light winds it can sometimes be preferable to reverse launch using the 2 back lines, which the Hyper does very well.
Though not a freestyle kite, the Hyper did prove to be good fun for a little bit of unhooking to mix up your session. The bar is easy to change onto a ‘suicide’ setting for this, and we enjoyed the constant and stable pull throughout the moves.
For
The Hyper is an incredibly fast kite, with a huge jump, controllable loop and fantastic build.
Against
We were incredibly impressed with the Hyper and are hard pushed to find anything we didn’t like!
Overall
Not often does a new kite impress this much, the Hyper can surely be referred to as a classic when it comes to fast speeds and big airs. Built to last and packed full of the latest in kite design technology, the Hyper is a solid choice for riders looking to get those top Woo scores and work on your big loops in big winds.
Videos
This review was in Issue 72 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit CrazyFlyRelated
By Robin and Sukie
With years of kite sport experience combined, you can be sure you’ll be receiving the highest quality of knowledge on the best equipment the industry has to offer.
