It's that time of year when new products are dropping left, right and centre! One product that has caught our eye is the all-new Savvy Bar, new to the CrazyFly lineup with some features that make it unique in the industry. We asked Juraj Bukovcak what makes this product stand out!

Juraj, thanks for joining us! Can you give us a brief introduction to the new bar? Where does it fit into the CrazyFly lineup?

It's always an exciting time of year when we release new products! As you pointed out, our most exciting product release this year is the new Savvy bar. With the Savvy bar, we had clear design goals: Safety, ease of use, simplicity, functionality, durability, and renewability. And we listened to our customers who were asking for automatic front line untwist, bar width adjustment, click-in safety and two chicken loop options. These features were all incorporated into the new bar. 

The new Savvy is a 4-line system without any 5th safety line, so one less line to worry about! No bungees on any lines make the Savvy lines more durable and eliminate potential safety hazards. Safety was a top priority, so we've put the Y front-line split six metres above the bar, the correct length needed for a 100% full flag out of all kite sizes. The centre of the bar allows for more angle resulting in a more pivotal turning of the kite. 

The Savvy bar comes in two versions, regular and XT. The regular Savvy has 24m lines, and the Savvy XT has 18m lines plus 4m and 2m extensions, so you can have 18, 20, 22 or 24m lines. Even though we have chosen the most durable materials, eventually, things will wear out on the bar—especially the moving parts and parts that experience friction. With that in mind, we designed the Savvy bar to be easily renewable. Nearly everything on the Savvy bar can be easily replaced in a few minutes if it gets damaged or worn out. 

Unfortunately, the Savvy bar is not fully backwards compatible with older CrazyFly kites because of the higher Y front-line split. On 2022 and older CrazyFly kites, we only suggest using the Savvy bar on sizes up to 12m. However, the Savvy bar is fully compatible with all kites of all brands that have a bridle with pulleys or sliders. It is also compatible with kites of all brands with a fixed bridle designed for bars with the Y split between three to nine meters from the bar.

The delta-shaped grip is something we haven't seen! How does this shape impact the kiting experience for the user?

Yes, the delta grip is a unique feature for control bars, but you have probably experienced this elsewhere without even knowing about it, for example, on a car's steering wheel. The delta shape of the bar fits naturally into human hands and is comfortable to hold. It increases grip and reduces hand fatigue as hands rest on the bar in a natural position.

The difference is mostly felt during long sessions and downwinders. The increased grip also comes in handy during handle passes and kiteloops. During the development of the Savvy bar, we tested various grip shapes and thicknesses in warm and cold conditions with gloves on. The Delta shape and the diameter we chose for the Savvy bar were the best combinations for all conditions. 

As the extremity of this sport increases, the safety considerations do as well. Tell us a bit about your new quick-release!

Yes, the trend is going into more extremity, so safety was a top priority when designing the new Savvy bar. The SCR push-away quick release is the most crucial function on the bar, as it guarantees safety for the user. The bright red quick-release part is always visible and has an ergonomic grip shape that is easy to trigger in all conditions and emergency situations. Reloading the quick release has never been easier; just click it back in. It is that simple. 

The Savvy bar has a single front-line flag out, and once the safety is triggered, the bar travels six meters from the rider. The safety line travels on its own only through about eleven centimetres of the swivel and quick release, which minimises the possibility of getting stuck. The safety line is never twisted due to the automatic front line untwist function and slides through first with the PU tube, which tends to be free of debris to ensure clutter-free sliding through the quick release. We also avoided knots or any other connection on the safety line until the point where the bar stops after the safety is triggered. The safety line is bungee free because the bungee may bulk up over time and cause the safety line to get stuck. So, our choice was to eliminate the bungee. 

We can not stress this point enough. The bar is an essential part of the gear when it comes to safety, and we see it so often that riders do not pay enough attention to the state of their bar and put themselves at risk. The bar has many moving parts, bungees in the quick release, friction on the centre lines and a ceramic bearing in the swivel. All these parts need to be checked often and maintained when needed. On the Savvy bar, such maintenance literally takes minutes. 

Another feature of the new Savvy bar is the Italian leather grip. What made the designer choose this material? Does a premium material like this impact the cost?

The Italian leather grip is a proven material we kept from the previous Sick bar. It was a clear choice for our designers mainly because the leather grip is better than any other material in three key aspects you look for in a bar grip: non-slippery dry or wet surface, comfort, and durability. The leather grip is less slippery, more durable, and more comfortable to hold than any other material we have tried. We used it on the previous bar since 2015, and even today, we see bars from 2015 with a fully intact grip. 

When the grip gets wet, it soaks up a bit and gets even softer, grippier and more comfortable to hold, unlike other grips that tend to get more slippery when wet. Of course, such premium materials negatively impact the cost, but the user benefits ultimately outweigh the cost disadvantage. Our philosophy has always been to bring out the best possible products from the highest quality materials. To offset the higher material costs, we designed the new Savvy bar to be produced with more automation and less handwork and labour overall. By having our own factory, we are lucky and proud to be able to set up new production processes and technologies in a way that can bring premium materials in and offset production costs by optimising the manufacturing process.

There seems to be a split in the industry about covered or uncovered power lines. The Savvy bar has heavy-duty PU tubes to protect the power lines. What does this offer the user? 

The covered power lines last much longer than uncovered power lines because there is constant friction between these lines and the centre of the bar when riding. The friction becomes even more intense when you add sand into the equation. With PU-covered lines, sand tends to get washed off when the bar gets wet. We suggest dipping and rinsing your bar if it is sandy before you start the session. 

On the other hand, sand gets stuck into the weave of uncovered lines causing the lines and the centre of the bar to wear out much faster. Another important aspect in the centre of the bar for the user is how the bar slides when sheeting in and out. Based on our testing and experience, we believe the sliding ability, feeling and kite control are much more precise and smoother with PU-covered lines. 

Our designers have chosen a high-tech polymer called Delrin in the centre of the bar to minimise friction and create smooth sheeting. Even during extreme kiteloops and bar angles, the Savvy bar does not stick and sheets in and out very easily. I must add to this point, please always visually check the state of your power lines and bar centre inserts. If you see wear on the PU tubes to the extent that the line inside is getting exposed, make sure you replace these lines. Replacement of the lines or centre inserts takes only a couple of minutes on the Savvy bar. 

You've chosen low stretch Liros lines for this bar. What made these lines stand out for you?

Liros is a proven kite line supplier, as we have been working with them since 2011. Over the years, their lines have gone through many improvements. We have been working with Liros closely and pushing their limits to have lines with minimal stretch, smaller diameter, but at the same time, higher breaking strength. Current Liros lines used on the Savvy bar stand out because they have the best result by far in all three key parameters: low stretch, small diameter, and higher strength. We could not find lines with better key parameters in the Liros product range nor from competing line suppliers. Through our thirteen years of experience in manufacturing bars, we also conclude that Liros line coating is the most durable one. 

CrazyFly bars are the only bar in the industry that are made in Europe. What does buying a European-made product mean for the consumer? 

Yes, we are extremely proud and happy to be the only brand manufacturing bars in our own European factory, next door to our head offices. First, this allows the designers to build prototypes quickly and be present during the initial phases of serial production to ensure everything is done correctly. At the same time, it allows us to constantly check the quality and improve the production process immediately should anything go wrong with the product. 

In Europe, we are lucky to have highly educated and skilled staff and, in our case, to have water sports enthusiasts who understand what type of product they are making and how it is used. This gives a much better understanding of why we have such strict bar manufacturing protocols and why every detail matters. Manufacturing in Europe is more automated, resulting in higher precision and consistency of the parts produced, lowering the risk and percentage of flaws and, therefore, delivering a better-made product for the user. Thanks to reduced costs with automated manufacturing, we can work with higher quality materials, and I believe the user gets a more premium and longer-lasting product. 

Lastly, our manufacturing plant is the most modern one worldwide in kiteboarding and follows and exceeds the strict European Union's environmental and waste legislature. Consumers often overlook this, but buying our European-made product supports an environmentally cautious brand.

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By Crystal Veness
Editor at IKSURFMAG, Crystal Veness hails from Canada but is based in South Africa. When she isn't busy kitesurfing or reporting on the latest industry news for the mag, she is kicking back somewhere at a windy kite beach or working on creative media projects.

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