The Fanatic Bee Crossoverboard on land:
The trained eye immediately recognises that the Fanatic Bee with its rather thin swallowtail and three small wave fins was primarily designed as a SUP for waves. The edges are therefore rather round, rather than the bevelled edges that are common on pure wingboards("Bevels") is deliberately omitted here. The board is only available in one size - 120 litres of volume are spread over a length of just under 234 centimetres. This ratio of volume to length makes it clear just how big the compromises are that designers have to make with crossover boards like this: At 234 centimetres, the board is already quite short for a wave SUP, but compared to pure wingboards in the same volume class, the Fanatic Bee is significantly longer.
Foil mounting is possible thanks to a double rail, loop plugs for windsurfing foiling are installed quite far inwards on the large soft deck, but there are no plugs for wing use. A large handle in the deck helps when carrying the board, but the position is optimised for equipping the board with SUP fins - with the foil mounted, the Bee is not quite balanced on the arm.
This is how the Fanatic Bee rides on the water:
As a wave SUP, the board leaves nothing to be desired, as you would expect. Experienced wave paddlers can slash real turns on the wave face or ride a few waves with the windsurf sail in light winds and swell. Equipped with a windsurfing foil, you even benefit from the longer length compared to other concepts when starting off, as this guarantees stepless acceleration to take-off speed, even without major pumping and sophisticated technology. The position of the front straps is ideal for leisurely cruising with typical freeride foils, but the setup is less suitable for slim foils optimised for performance, where boards with wider tails and straps further out have noticeable advantages, e.g. in terms of smoothness and control. Nevertheless, the Fanatic Bee crossover board is great fun for windsurf foiling and forgives the occasional involuntary touchdown with the nose.
You can also get a taste of wingfoiling with the board if you mount the appropriate foil in the box at the front and remove the straps completely. As there is no loop position on the deck for wings, you have to ride the Bee "strapless", but this doesn't have to be a disadvantage for cosy cruising. Due to its length, the Bee also gets up to speed really well with a passive riding style, i.e. without pumping the wing or using the foil, and the right standing position is quickly found. The rather long nose catches involuntary touchdowns quite well even without the presence of bevelled edges and gently sends every wingsurfing novice back into the air. It's only when you try to get your first wingfoil jibes into the water that you start to miss the loops. For ambitious wingsurfing with jumps and freestyle tricks, the concept is clearly too long and, at 120 litres and a weight of just over ten kilos, also a little too powerful. However, it is precisely the aforementioned length that ensures that the Crossoverboard Bee can also be used as a board for leisurely light wind cruising with the wing - for use without a foil, however, a retrofittable centre fin such as the Add on Drift Stopper to keep lateral drift in check.
Conclusion:
Whether paddling waves, gaining your first wingfoil experience or leisurely cruising with a windsurfing foil - the Fanatic Bee may not be a specialist in the individual disciplines, but it offers multiple benefits that are hard to beat. As a wave SUP, the Bee is really radical and challenging, as a wingboard tame and easy and as a windsurf foil something in between.
Wide range of use; passive start-up, suitable for wing beginners
Wingfoiling only without loops
You can find more crossover boards for windsurf foiling, wingsurfing and SUPing HERE
