Tech Focus - CrazyFly Pure Pocket Foil Board

Smaller and lighter are the name of the game. This year, CrazyFly releases their lightest board yet, which is about as close to 'light as a feather' as it gets. Click here to learn all about it!

While our cell phones seem to be getting bigger and bigger every year, our foil boards get smaller and smaller! Why do you think that pocket foil boards have become such a trend and how do riders benefit from the smaller board?

As the community of foil kiters progress, they have realised that they no longer need large boards. The level of foil riders is going up and up, and these experienced riders rarely touch down. When you’re already up on the foil, you do not benefit from a bigger board. Of course, smaller boards are easier to travel with and carry to the water. Our 77cm Pure pocket foil board and Cruz foil with a 70cm mast can be packed into a regular travel suitcase, and you can still fit a kite or two without any extra charges.

What sort of foil skills should a rider have before dropping down to a super light, super small pocket foil board like the Pure?

These pocket boards are nifty and stiff, which helps you feel one with the foil and get instant reactions. The Pure board is designed for advanced riders who already know what type of gear they want for their foiling style. These riders are typically already jumping and landing their tricks most of the time, and have water starts nailed down to a science. Riders will feel a clear difference between a 3.5 kg board and 1.4kg board when doing aerials and board offs. We do have larger boards at CrazyFly suited for beginners and intermediate riders, such as the Chill and F-lite models. 

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How did you come up with the concept of the Air Inside WoodCore? Can you tell us more about what it is and why it's an exciting development?

One of the key design goals on the Pure was to create the lightest possible foil board. The heaviest part of the board is the wood core itself, so we explored options in materials and technology to reduce the core weight. Approximately 30% of the board is hollow. We cannot share the secrets of how the Air Inside Core is done, but there are true hollow, air-filled spaces in sections of the wood core. This drastically reduces weight, while the strategic placement of the air sections ensures the Pure board has the same strength as any other foil board.

It is by far the lightest foil board on the market thanks to the Air Inside WoodCore technology. In its smallest size, the 77cm Pure weighs 1.4kg including the full deck footpad. The air also increases buoyancy, and the 88cm and 99cm sizes float, even when paired with our 3.5kg hybrid aluminium/carbon Cruz foil with the 90cm mast, which is quite impressive!

The Pure comes in 3 sizes: 77cm, 88cm,  and 99cm. Any advice on which size benefits which style or level of riding?

Style and riding level come into play when selecting the ideal board size, but the most important factor is rider weight.  Even an expert foiler may struggle on the 77cm size, so we suggest the 77cm size for experts only up to 80kg. Riders in the 80-90kg range should consider either the 88cm or 99cm sizes. Larger riders should avoid the Pure board, and take a look at the F-lite board instead. The F-lite also has a full carbon construction, but with more carbon reinforcements in the centre of the board. If your goal is to foil in the lightest wind conditions possible, grab one of the bigger sizes and a larger front wing on the foil.

The growth of the kite foiling community has also created a new group of gear geeks... do you think the CrazyFly Pure board will excite the avid foilers out there?

Looking at our sales of the Pure so far, it has definitely excited foilers looking for high-end gear. We endeavour to push the limits of technology, staying one step ahead of competitors with precise European manufacturing. The Pure is a standout board in all aspects. Designing and making such products is what we love the most. For us, it is almost a form of art. From beautiful materials through to sleek design and hands-on craftsmanship comes the Pure. Seeing riders rave about these boards drives us forward to the next challenge. We are addicted to this.

Where in Europe is the CrazyFly factory? Has having European production helped avoid the supply chain issues that are affecting the kiteboarding industry?

Our factory is in Nemsova, Slovakia. Those familiar with our brand know that Jozef, the main man behind the brand, has been designing and making windsurf and kite equipment since 1992. He founded CrazyFly in 1999, so there are nearly 30 years of experience leading to products like the Pure board.

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Our European location helped us a lot in these past several months. We have not had many issues with the supply of raw materials, as over 90% of these come from Europe. We have also been able to ship orders from our stock, so customers have not been affected at all. Still, the situation was far from easy to manage and it still affects us now. However, the future is looking good and we have some interesting new releases coming up including the Elite III twin tip, a brand new kite and one more foil, so stay tuned for CrazyFly news!