This test appeared in Kiteworld Magazine issue #81

 

 

TEST TEAM NOTES

The Addict has by far the most exaggerated rocker-line that we saw in our Cape Town tests, but compared to some out-and-out wakestyle specific boards, it’s not extreme. Typical of CrazyFly it’s built to exacting standards, the attention to detail and craftsmanship are very high, and the Addict is very robust.

It’s a myth that you simply can’t ride boards like this in straps. You can, you just need to work a bit harder to dig that very curved rail in without the added leverage of boots. The Addict comes with CrazyFly’s Hexa strap and pad system. Beautiful looking and certainly robust, they do take a bit of wearing in at first to soften up, but there’s good coverage over the foot and lots of grip from the pad.

 

 

The enhanced rocker is designed to prevent the rails of the board catching on hard landings and for forgiveness when landing to blind or wrapped. You have a higher success rate of riding away when you get to that level. The downsides are that it’s a much slower ride overall, it’s more technical to go upwind on, but if you’re a good rider, generating speed isn’t a problem, and once you’ve got speed, you can go upwind. You can’t just step on your front foot for more speed, though.

Along with the high rockerline the Addict has very generous channeling in the base and small fins. It’s going to feel very different if you’re used to a more regular twin-tip as it’s very loose because there’s always less rail engaged. You’ll be astounded by the ‘playfulness’, although possibly unnerved by what feels to be a lack of grip. It’s just a different kind of grip and needs a different technique.

 

 

On a flat board with big fins there’s no way that you have the freedom to ride on different corners of the board for presses, or  when landing slightly sideways coming down from a trick. The Addict releases and flattens off in an instant. For example, it’s a dream for surface passes as it’s almost as happy ridden flat sliding on its channels as it is on its edge. Intermediates will find it too slippy because it’s too easy to disengage a rail. On the flip side the benefits of the rocker help riding in and around waves as there’s less knee lifting to get over waves and foam.

As the rider you have to lock the board in, rather than the board locking itself in, because its default setting is ‘playful’. The negatives start to become positives when you’re powered and at a higher level you can unlock the extra aspects of the Addict, such as slashing waves thanks to the deep rocker which works well in the curve of a wave face, buttering in flat sections and of course the extra tracking you get on landings with the channels and the forgiveness in the rail.

In the wakestyle genre, the Addict has a good feeling of class. Although it’s a thoroughbred wakestyle shape, it’s not such a huge step out of the norm. Although heavier than a standard kiteboard, it’s not obscenely so and still feels like a ‘kiteboard’ rather than a wakeboard, but has a much increased rockerline and robustness for boots.

 

 

SUMMARY

Once you adjust to the stiffness after coming off something more freeride orientated and you can control the power in the kite that you need to ride this board with, then you can unlock the good aspects. It’s fun and loose in straps, but will be much more easy to lock in in boots. Get into your head that you need to kite a bit harder, and if you are ready to step up to a full wakestyle feeling, the Addict offers a logical step up with enough ‘kiteboard’ feel to not be too alien as it has some added comfort.

KW LIKED

CrazyFly’s high-spec attention to detail and 3D riding experience, allowing the board to be ridden at all angles!

KW WOULD CHANGE

The only reason we’d change things is because this board is a bit out of place in this test. It’s a good step up to full wakestyle riding.

ADDICT BALANCE POINTS

Build quality: 9

Fixtures and fittings: 9


Speed: 6


Pop: 8.5


Drive: 5


Flex: 4


Comfort: 7


Looseness: 9


Grip: 5 in straps / 8 in boots


Upwind: 7


Slider proof: Yes


Boots applicable: Yes


Freeriding: 5


Freestyle: 9


Ease-of-use: 6

SIZES: 142 x 43, 139 x 42 and 136 x 41cm

 

More information at www.crazyflykites.com