CrazyFly Tango 9m 2014
Reviews / Kites
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At A Glance
The Tango is a new kite in the 2014 CrazyFly range, it is marketed as an all-in-one kite with some great features. With a 4-line set-up, open C-shape, squared wingtips and 3-strut design, the Tango looks like a great contender against other ‘all-in-one’ kites on the market. One aspect that sets this kite apart from the rest is the CrazyFly Nifty Bridle System that is unique to the brand. Designed by CrazyFly, this 3-in-one bridle system allows adjustments to be made on the bridle which in turn sets the kite up for either wave, freestyle, or wake style of riding. The Tango comes in sizes 7, 9, 11, and 13m. You will notice there isn’t a kite option for every size due to the adjustable bridle, giving different power settings. Teijin Ripstop material is used for the canopy and the construction is of a high quality with reinforcement where it is needed. The 3-strut design reduces weight plus increases the kites performance.
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, yet 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 straight forward push away trigger and it’s one of the easiest quick releases on the market to put back together. 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
With the 3-in-one bridle system I had to test the Tango separately on each riding style setting. When on the wave set up, the kite felt very smooth to turn and light in the air. Generally the kite is much more gentle and depowered on the wave setting. When sheeting out to depower, the kite still responds well to bar input and when bearing away the kite has a nice gentle pull. The kite becomes much more alive on the freeride/freestyle setting, it turns quickly and there is plenty of power. Upwind and jumping ability suddenly gets switched on and the kite becomes much more exciting. There’s plenty of depower range which makes for comfortable handling in gusty and overpowered conditions. I most preferred the wakestyle setting, the kite uses most of its open C-shape profile to gain huge amounts of power, the kite produces great consistent pull for unhooked tricks and holds its position well. The Tango is very easy to re-launch and feels very stable in the air. With such different feelings amongst the different bridle settings it is really hard to categorise this kite or to suggest a particular type of rider. It’s not a beginners kite, and if you are an intermediate to advanced rider then there will definitely be a setting that will suit you. Don’t be afraid to play around with the set-up to ensure the kite feels perfect for you.
For
The Tango really is for any style of rider due to the 3-in-one bridle system however the more experienced riders will get the most from the freestyle and wakestyle settings.
Against
Whilst the wave setting changes the handling of the kite considerably if you are a true wave rider then you might prefer to get something more specific. If you want a kite that can do a bit of everything very well then the Tango fits that bill.
Overall
The Tango is a very versatile kite that can be easily used for different riding styles. Whatever your riding style, everyone will enjoy the stability that comes with this kite. Oh, and did we say how good the bar was?!
Videos
This review was in Issue 43 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!
