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The Raptor LTD has always been a top-end board at the core of the CrazyFly range. It is also one of their best sellers, which says a lot about a board that is going to cost you a little bit more than your average priced twinnie. For 2018 the Raptor has had a full rework (the first complete revisit in seven years) and now has a new outline as well as a brand new Ellipse double concave and double V tips for improved grip when popping. The board also uses new CompFlex 4T5 Carbon – the very latest in Carbon tech – which has a new weave for improved flex without sacrificing strength…
We were testing the Raptor LTD Neon which has all that the standard Raptor LTD features and adds a vital ingredient: Neon! The images don’t really do it justice – the neon on the deck really does ping out at you and looks awesome. The Raptor LTD Neon comes with the Hexa Bindings (also in neon) which are well built, comfortable and have plenty of adjustments – including enough to ensure you can get your booties into them through the colder months. Which is important…
On the water the Raptor LTD Neon continues to impress. The first thing you will notice is the weight: it’s incredibly light! So be careful when it’s super windy as you may spend half your session chasing it down the beach… Getting going and it really is a fast board and, with the wide tips, it tracks upwind nicely. Even though it’s a super stiff board we found that it also really destroys the chop which we put down to the new channeling and the lighter weight of the board. The Raptor LTD Neon really comes alive when it’s powered up and we felt that it would be better suited to a rider who can really push it to get the most out of the performance that is on tap. With the ability to hold insane amounts of power and speed the Raptor Neon LTD boosts superbly and – coupled with its low swing weight – you can really get some height! The concave base then allows you to land with relative ease and comfort. If you’re an out and out wakestyle rider then you may think that the rocker line may not suit you, but let us tell you: the pop will surprise you! This board really can perform with the best of them and with its ability to hold power you can really kill your speed upon entry and load up for some kite-low explosive pop. Then for freeriding or for carving around in the surf, the concave base lets the board flow from rail-to-rail and you can really hold the power through the turns.
In a sentence: The Raptor has been a favorite board in the CrazyFly range so it is credit to them to give it a serious rework and mess with the formula, but we have to say that the gamble has paid off – this really is a superb twin tip.
