CrazyFly Raptor 2026 Review: The Board Most People Stop At

The Raptor is the board people buy most often in CrazyFly's range, and this is a case where popularity comes from fit rather than marketing. Medium flex plus carbon is the combination that covers most riding.

The short version

• Sizes: 135 × 41, 137 × 41, 137 × 43, 140 × 42, 143 × 43 cm.
• Weight: 2.8 to 3.0 kg.
• Construction: carbon, medium flex.
• Disciplines: freestyle and freeride.
• Season: 2026.
• Price: 573 € for any size.

Why medium flex is a specification, not a compromise

"Medium" sounds like the absence of a choice. In fact flex has two extremes, and both are awkward.

A soft board absorbs chop and forgives landings, but under edge load it bends and part of your energy goes into the bend rather than into acceleration. Pop is weak.

A stiff board returns everything you put in — strong pop, precise response. And it throws you on every piece of chop, because it absorbs nothing.

Medium flex means the board returns enough to jump and absorbs enough to ride for three hours. For anyone who is not competing, that is the optimum.

Carbon at medium flex — why bother

A fair question: if you want medium flex, why pay for carbon when fibreglass is softer and cheaper?

Because carbon delivers a target stiffness at lower weight. A fibreglass board with the same flex would be heavier and thicker. The Raptor weighs 2.8 to 3.0 kg at sizes up to 143 cm, which is a good figure for the class.

The second effect is consistency. Carbon fatigues less: the flex is the same two seasons in.

Sizes: five positions and the logic between them

Note the widths: they do not scale proportionally with length. The 137 comes in two versions, 41 and 43 cm.

That is not a detail. Two extra centimetres of width add about as much area as three or four centimetres of length, while the board stays short and manoeuvrable in the air.

• 135 × 41 — light riders under 70 kg, or windy spots.
• 137 × 41 — the middle option for 70 to 80 kg.
• 137 × 43 — same length, more area: for 75 to 85 kg and lighter wind.
• 140 × 42 — the all-rounder for 80 to 90 kg.
• 143 × 43 — heavy riders and light wind.

The rule: if you are torn between longer and wider, go wider. Especially if you ride chop.

Who it suits

Riders one or two seasons in who have outgrown a soft board. The main scenario.

Anyone who wants one board for everything. Freeride and freestyle in the discipline list is honest here, not box-ticking.

Riders who jump but do not spin. The pop is there, and there is no reason to pay for the LTD's grams.

Who it does not suit

Beginners. Carbon transmits mistakes, and early on there are many. Take the Acton.

Riders who spin. Look at the Raptor LTD: 2.4 to 2.7 kg rotates noticeably more easily.

Light-wind riders. 143 cm is not yet light wind. You want a Cruiser LW from 154 cm.

One price across five sizes

A detail people rarely notice but a useful one: you pick the size by weight and wind rather than by budget. That makes it less likely someone takes the wrong board to save money.

2026 or 2025?

Season-to-season change on the Raptor is evolutionary: weight, disciplines and sizes are identical, while panel layout, finish and graphics change.

559 € for the 2025 against 573 € for the 2026 is a token difference. Take whichever colourway you prefer and do not pay extra for the year on the label.

Common questions

Is the Raptor suitable for learning?

As a first board out of school, no — go softer. As a second, once you are going upwind, yes.

Can I jump high on it?

Yes, medium flex gives solid pop. For maximum big air there is the Raptor Extreme.

Which size at 80 kg?

137 × 43 or 140 × 42. The first if your spot is windy, the second if it goes light.

Is one board enough for a season?

On a steady spot, yes. A second becomes worthwhile when the wind regularly drops below 14 knots.

Does it come with bindings?

Yes, bindings and pads. Add a bag: twintips break in luggage far more often than on the water.

Where to buy

CrazyFly Raptor 2026 — 573 €, five sizes. The whole board range is in our range overview.