Here is Matt (Sol-flyer)Thames our Pacific NW team rider who is in La Ventana for the next 30 days, if your there look him up and demo the new kites!

Had a quick sesh on the 10m Ltd. Screamer today, Winds were light (10-13knts) but the kite has more low end than i expected. I did not get enough time to give a review, But i really like this kite so far.

If anyone is in La Ventana during the month of january come flag me down and try it out.

What people are saying!

From the Kite Forum:

I haven't dealt with every kiteco out there by any means, but a few now.

So far, I could not have asked for more from EPIC. Under-promise and over-deliver is my motto and it seems to be theirs as well. Prompt, polite email responses to technical and other questions. Timely notices about shipping and delivery and a most importantly (after other experiences in recent years); product delivered as projected and promised. No excuses or stories.

I realize that they may not be the only company out there that behave like this but count them among the ones that do.

p.s. And yes I'm affiliated and glad to say I am.

To read more of what people are saying go to:

http://www.kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2360987

Epic has landed in Australia!
Thanks to Tony from Ral Kiteboarding for getting the kites to Sydney before Christmas.
No thanks to the weather for a miserable Christmas with no wind and new kites !

Well yesterday was my first chance to try the Epic Ltd Ed Screamer. I was only able to get out for a short afternoon session in light wind conditions. (11-14kts) Hence this will be a brief report only.

First impressions, the 10m Ltd Ed is definitely a powerful kite for it's size.
I was able to jump with some good height and was also able to easily going upwind in the sketchy conditions on my 129x38 Nobile 666.
There were only 5 of us at our local as the conditions were not great. Most had 12 or 13 metre kites and bigger boards. I was only able to ride for 1 hour from 6pm.

I can confim the following about the Screamer:
* Bomber construction with well thought out features
* So many points of protection and reinforcements without making the kite heavy
* Stable and predictable flight
* Light to medium Bar Pressure on the factory settings.
* Lofty jumps and good hangtime even in the light conditions.
* Kite felt familiar and allowed me to feel comfortable on my first flight.

First impressions are good and I hope to report more back soon.
A fellow rider who initially questioned my choice of size when I arrived was impressed enough with the flight characteristics from shore that he approached me to confirm the kite size. His comments "I was suprised at how powerful your 10 was". So was I.

I should have more to report in the next few days as conditions improve.

Rider - 75kgs wet with 129x38 board

From the OBX via the Kite Forum:

I recently had a chance to test the Renegade 11m in what I had hoped would be a low end test. I am about 210 lbs with gear on and the wind was blowing 15-17mph when I rigged up. Unfortunately I ended up testing the high end wind range. As soon as I got on the water the wind increased to a solid 22+ mph with gust up to upper 20's low 30's. Honestly I did not know the wind was blowing this hard while on the water. The kite handled the high winds beautifully and all I needed to do was depower the kite slightly. Had some very nice jumps on the kite in the high winds and was pleasantly surprised at the height and hang time. Kite remained very stable with the gusts coming through and bar pressure never felt like it was to much. A little flutter in the kite when I dived it but this was probably from the fact that I had the kite depowered. Overall was impressed that this kite could easily handle winds into the upper 20's for me. Now if I can ride it in 14-16mph winds and it works this could be an amazing kite for me. One kite that covers 14 to 28 mph comfortably would be a huge plus to my quiver.

Nice job Dimitri and company!

More feedback:

WOW Dimitri..the Screamer 10 LTD is a powerful kite! Had it out in 14-17N , hell of a pull. Took a little time to tune @ first because bar was set up for the 14, @ least I thought it need tuned , shorted bar, sheeted in the center lines. What is stock on the bar for that kite?

We had the 14 Screamer up first and we liked it a lot!

Going to hopefully get another day around the 1st..Then get them back to you

Also do you have a Renegade you could send me to try?

Would the Renegade be a better teaching kite? More stabile?

Description of competitions for the 3rd Annual Georgetown Lake Open (GTO III)

1. Freestyle competition – Riders can choose between rails, kickers, or just plain big air to showcase their talents for the judges. Judges will be within the spectators and riders and will watch contestants throughout the day for the best overall freestyle rider they see.
2. Capture the flag relay race – 2 person teams, one rider for team races to get flag and return with 1st flag then 2nd rider races to get 2nd flag and return with it, all teams race at once, first team to collect both flags and return wins. This will be a longer race between 2-4 miles for each racer. 4-8miles total.
3. GPS Distance competition – Racer needs to have a GPS for this event. Each day the rider will log his total distance traveled with the judges. On Sunday afternoon the person with the farthest total distance rode over the weekend wins.
4. GPS Speed competition – Racer needs to have GPS for this event. Each day riders will log their fastest speed of the day. On Sunday afternoon the rider with the fastest time over the weekend wins.
5. Big Air Hangtime competition – Riders will jump and attempt to carry themselves through the air for as long as possible. Height is not a factor. Total time in air is what matters.

GTO III featuring demos by EPIC Kites

The GTO III is coming up fast. Located in Montana at Georgetown Lake the GTO III is one of the premier snowkite events of the season. We will have demos of the new EPIC kites for all to try. Come out and enjoy a great time. After party will follow on each day at The Brown Derby Bar. Live bands, raffles, kite clinics, demos, and comps.
January 8th - 10th call 406-546-2709 f0r more details or goto www.undergroundkitesports.com or https://event-manager.compete-at.com/Manager/event/home.do?eid=1801

From the Kite Forum:

WOW...What can I say...Our School was sent 4 kites to try out, 14m,12m,10m (ltd) Screamers, 9m Renegade, to see if We wanted to use them for teaching...Well I have to say that I was a little concerned about the Kites, hearing all the "This and That" about another kite company on the scene. We took out the 9 Renegade for it's test run the minute We got it. We started out doing a 12 mile downwinder in the Ocean with the kite right out of the bag. The wind was blowing 15 to 20, with some gust up to 25. To tell you the truth, the kite did not preform the way that We thought it would. We pulled the "Trim Strap" on the way down, and the kite still had to much power. We rode it all the way downwind like that, and it was pulling Us off the waves, and just setting to deep into the power zone for wave riding. So We decide to give it another try, and We are glad that We did. Here is what We did to make the Kite fly the way the Rider wanted it, not the way the Factory had it set-up.We took the inside lines, and moved them all the way down to the top of the Mickey Mouse ears, which meant down to the bottom knot. We did nothing to the outside lines, which would turn the kite. We did another 15 mile downwinder, and man, the ride was out of this World. The Kite set perfectly in the power zone, it turned with very little bar pressure, and it pulled Us down the line, like a Surfer would ride a Wave.After the second downwinder, We decide to do one more, to be on the safe side, to make sure that the set-up was right. Waves were 5 to 7ft, wind was still blowing 15 to 20 plus, and it was out of the Northeast. Now I can say without a dought, that We had an EPIC SESSION.....Now some of the Riders did not like the light bar pressure on the way that We had it set-up, so they decided to bring the outside lines down one knot, on the bar end. Now on the kite end, We put all the lines on the last knots, fatherest away from the kite.We have not had a chance to Ride/Fly the other three kites, and when We do, We will be back to tell everyone, Our True Findings....BTW, one of the Riders did drop the 9m into the surf/shore pound, and I was about to call someone to come and repair the kite. I was shocked to see that the kite took the hits over and over until the Rider re-launched the kite. The kite was in the impacked zone for a few minutes, until it uprided itself, and went to the side of the window, to be re-launched. We were all impressed on how it held up, and how quick it went over to the side, to be launched...We feel like this 9m Renegade is going to be Our All-Round kite for the Students and for Us when We go riding in the Ocean. The kite has great lift, turns very easy, and fast, re-launching the kite is So Simple. This kite will be very easy for everyone to just pick it up and Go Ride. On a scale of 1 to 5, We give it a 31/2, because We all know that there is not a perfect kite on the market, and there is some room for making things better on this kite, not much, but some.

Feedback from Florida:

Hi, Dimitri, this is Linda in Panama City. I love my new kite. I got to ride it in very light winds, and it showed me that this can be my biggest kite in the quiver!! I was on my tiny board (125x41) and riding upwind in 10-14 mph. Tomorrow, we are to have 15-30 mph conditions. I will then be able to get a feel for the top end of the kite. I wish I had my 7M!! Anyway, I wanted to say, "Thank you," I am very excited about these kites. The graphics and color schemes are great! Simple and clean and built tough. Do you think that a 9M Renegade would be a good one to fit between the 10M and 7M? I figured it may be a good kite for gusty conditions, when I feel overpowered on the 10M, but a little underpowered on the 7M.......would like your opinion...Thank you again. I love the T-shirts and tank tops. Great design, great colors, fantastic job!!

Seasons greeting:

Greetings,
I’ve had a chance to fly both the Renegade and the screamer and I love them.
I’m quite impressed with the fine construction detail.
You’ve done a nice job. You should be proud!
Happy Holidays to both of you.
Warmest regards,
Phil

10m Screamer vs. 11m Nano on snow in Montana

What an amazing 2 days in the snow. I was able to get out and try the new EPIC 10m limited edition Screamer and I was impressed to say the least. With winds 4mph-14mph on Friday I was amazed at the fact that I was able to ride, boost, and make it up wind with ease. Rhett had the Eclipse 11m Nano and I wanted to put the two to the test side by side.

In the light winds the 10m Screamer was able to relaunch easier than the Nano which I wasn’t expecting. The power of the 10m Screamer in the light winds amazed both Rhett and me. I was still able to easily throw 10ft+ boosts on the Screamer while barely being able to leave the ground on the Nano. I expected the Screamer to be a bigger booster but not in such light winds. The reverse launch was a day saver for sure, working in such low winds. Anyone who snowkites with LEI’s knows that reverse launching is an amazing development in kiting, and the Screamer worked better than any kite I have used to date. After a while Rhett broke out his 16m North Rhino since the 11m Nano just didn’t have the power to ride and have fun. With the 10m Screamer I was able to still rock as well or better than Rhett on the 16m. This blew my mind. If it would have been any other kite I would have flown a 12m – 16m but was blow away by the 10m Screamer’s power.

On Saturday the winds picked up ranging from 14mph – 29mph. This gave us the chance to really get out and try the 10m Screamer in higher winds. The power it creates as a 10m is absolutely amazing. With just a slight flick of the wrist up I went. I was surprised at how long of a hangtime that the 10m had. I was expecting just a quick up and down and that wasn’t the case. I went up glided for a bit and then came down. It definitely had more power on the 10m Screamer than on any other 10m I have ever flown. After I was done trying it out for a while Rhett took it out and was throwing down some great boosts. Also the speed of the 10m was amazing while not being too twitchy. I have more Screamers on the way and I can’t wait to get out and try the other sizes. If they have the power of the 10m then I know some big air is the future.

Just got the new EPIC SCREAMER 14. Great kite, awesome graphics and design. Dimitri's new company is looking great, wish him, his family and the Epic team with good luck in future success.

www.vpkiteboarding.com

Steve

Post subject: Taken from the KITEFORUM: New Brand: Epic Kites

“Generous Dimitri sent me a screamer 12 for demo here in NY..got to try it yesterday in rather light but steady conditions. Winds were 10-15 mph..as light as i like to kite in colder weather.

I found this kite powerful, stable and very smooth in lighter conditions and feels like it should get more fun in higher winds but have not gone there yet..will report when i do.

Kite is plenty fast (for its size and power), nicely responsive to bar inputs, perfect bar pressure, at least for what i like.
Great relaunch and great recovery from extreme wind lulls, the kite is very well balanced.
Loved the loops, power remains very steady thru the loop and won't jank you off your straps...
I also noticed you don't need to move the bar much to go from fully power to depower, nice short throw and very effective.
I have no doubts that people who enjoy higher aspect and performing kites will dig the screamer..for my weight (170 lbs) this size is perfect as my light wind kite..i doubt i'd want anything bigger.
I would reccomend this kite for intermediate/expert kiters who enojoy a fast performing kite, loops, unhook...it's not a wave kite.
Good jumper, hang time is up there. Very good construction...tried to abuse the thing as much as i could, it held real well and noticed all the reinforcements are in the right place. Nice small, simple bridal, clean 1 pump system.
As for me, I'm a local instructor here in the NY area and have known Dimitri longer than i like to admit...in fact he was windsurfing back then... i'm glad to see him making such a nice product and i'm ever so impressed at his enthusiasm for the sport !
Thanks for sending the kite Dimitri, you and Momi did a very nice job.

Enzo.”

Here is a letter from the Epic Mail box.

Dear Dimitri, Sorry for intruding in your email box. I am not sure you can remember me; I met you in May 2009 at the South Padre round up. I attend your clinic on the beach and on the water. I was the only European (Italian) in the crew. It was a tremendous experience for an intermediate kiter like me and I practiced many of your suggestions even if only partially succeeding. A lot to learn in front of me. However the progression I have made after just those 2 hours is unbelievable, really. There are many things beside how to close a spectacular trick that fascinated me and that I have learnt from you that day. Those are now part of my kiting. Thank you!Now I see that you came up with another challenge (followed a bit), that’s great and I wish you all the best with Epic!I am happy with the kite I ride which are quite new expensive and great for waves. My old 12m that I use in light wind as a tractor (cab sb 08) has done is job and I was thinking about the Screamer 10m limited edition, the all black- I love that thing! Do you mind if I ask you where I could buy it? Are there any left?
Corrado
Corrado M. Cilio, M.D., Ph.D. Professor of Pediatrics

Well Epic kites is now fully operational, The first load of Production kites arrived in Oregon for distribution!. Epic Kites shipping and receiving is up and running!

Amazingly the first shipment is sold out! But do not despair; the second shipment is on the way!

Many thanks to all that have made this company become a reality!

A view on safety:

Hi Dimitri

Good luck with your new kite company!

I think you are in a unique position to take the sport forward.
First of all you are a "mature/older" rider... no offence.....
What I mean is father of two and old compared to most other team riders.

With your new brand I think you are in a great position to introduce safety products into the sport and make them COOL and MAINSTREAM.
This has happened in many other sports.
For motorbikes it is compulsory to have helmets for example. I know it's a different sport.
Anyway what I am saying is that I think there is a big segment of the kiters out there that would jump on cool signature Dimirti safety gear.
I think that it is also more than acceptable to kite with and without this gear.
Look at it this way.... If you wear the safety gear when you do the stunts you will highlight the stunt and put it in the right light, you can then also shoot some soul session stuff showing the other side of the sport.

I tell you one thing... if I was a helmet company I would jump on the opportunity of investing in a company like yours. There are several helmet companies that are very large and may be a good partner!

If you do get into the safety product thing I would like to help in any way I can.

Anyway good luck with everything.

Will I soon be seeing Traig Trumbo flying your new kites?

He is a real fixture here in the Malibu and LA area.

Cheers

Fred

From OBX Via the Kite Forum

Here is yet another testimonial from the OBX:

Last Sunday I was able to do an ocean downwinder here on the Outer Banks flying the Screamer 12m. Was on the kite for about 2 hrs in winds around 20 mph. I weigh about 200 lbs and was riding a surfboard. Here is my 2 cents on how the kite performed for those that might be interested.

Pros:
- Very good construction from the looks of it. Single pump with clips on the tubes running to the struts. Some heavy duty stitching on the leading edge which looked like it could take a lot of abuse.
-Short bridal system.
- Flatter kite than my current kites (pro or con depending how you look at it).
- Has significant power for a 12m. Honestly I would almost say it had the pull of a 13m to 14m. Was really surprised how much power this kite had.
- Wants to fly at the edge of the wind window which made it great for going upwind.
- While flying on the beach tried to send it over my head and make it fall out of the sky. Got close once but drifted back and recovered nicely.
- Stable! This kite is really solid in the air and doesn't jellyfish much at all. Handles gusts like they were almost not even there.
- Although I only did some small jumps off waves the kite seems to have great hang time. In the waves it was almost to much since a couple of times I floated longer than I wanted and missed the next wave. I think this kite is a serious jumper but didn't really test that to much on the waves.
- Bar setup seems very clean and efficient. Was very comfortable to use.

Cons:
- The kite felt heavy in my hands compared to my regular kites. Possibly due to the beefed up construction.
- Required more effort to turn the kite than I am used to. I honestly think a longer bar than the one I used would have helped but not sure.
- Bar pressure was a hair more than my normal 12m kite.
- Does not respond well when lines are slacked or turning towards the kite on a wave. Becomes very sluggish. Granted by changing my riding style a little I could compensate for this but don't feel I should have to change for the kite. My current kites do not behave this way, at least as noticeably.
- Pulleys on the bridal system like most bridal kites.

Overall the kite is a good first attempt by Epic. I think the kite is primarily for someone who likes to do freestyle and jump a lot. The power in this kite is really impressive and I think individuals that want to soar will be a perfect match for this kite. For me personally I would not use this kite for wave riding. It just doesn't turn the way I want on waves and requires line tension all the time in order to be responsive. I will have to try the Renegade next in the ocean since that is the one that should work better in the waves.

- C

Epic on the snow in Montana

Well once again we had another great weekend out on the snow here in SW Montana. Georgetown Lake proved to be thick enough with ice and had a couple of inches of fresh snow on top of the ice. It was still a little slick with a board though. Skiers had it made holding an edge with no problem. With winds ranging from 10-20mph I was able to take out the 11m Renegade and had a great time with it. I was amazed at the speed it had without being twitchy. It was amazingly stable in the gusts which for us snowkiters' is a definite advantage. I had one mother already asking about getting her son one for a Christmas present after she saw how stable they are. I can't wait for my whole new quiver of Epic Kites to arrive. It is going to be an amazing season!

This is taken from the Kite Forum:

Well Last week was a EPIC day. Wind was just right and the terrain was insane for the launch of these epic beauties.
Setup was a snap and riding up and down the mountain was effortless with the new Epic Screamer and Renegade.

Several of us hardcore montana kiters showed up at the Norris hill last friday and took advantage of 1 foot plus of pure sugar.

After several hours of climbing and touring around on the hill. It was time to get out the glider (i mean kite) Reviewing the Screamer I found the jumping progression insanely smooth unlike some rocketships i've been on before. Once you pull the trigger its hard to say when you touch the earth again. This kite was a smooth elevator ride that even if you make a mistake it was so smooth getting down, safely was NO problem. Climb the hill glide it then go back and do it again. I did this for about an hour an half. My body couldn't take it anymore.

I don't know whether to call this kite a kite or a glider. It was so smooth.

I'd like to thank Cole with underground kite sports, Noah, and Epic kites for this magical day!

Epic Screamer

Here is another Testimonial on the Epic Screamer from our friends at Bellingham Kiteboarding!

The most notable thing about the Screamer, is that EVERYONE that has tried it really likes it. Girls, Guys, Young, Old, Skilled, Unskilled... EVERYONE. Jumping on this kite is a dream, with a hard yank up, and a smooth glide down. Kiteloops were crisp and easy to initiate. Great low end in lighter winds, and very solid in the upper ranges. No funny flutters, wobbles, or anything, even when really overpowered in gusty conditions, and backstalling this kite is nearly impossible Relaunching is a breeze, and it reverse launches without hesitation. Bar pressure is moderate, and the direct connection of the steering lines makes the response immediate and direct. It is one of the fastest turning kites I have tried, although you always have the option of slowing it down. Take Dimitri's advice, and try this kite and see why EVERYBODY loves EPIC.

This is from a rider out in the OBX:

“What can I say, the kite fits like a great pair of shoes or gloves..The Renegade 9m was a very fast turning kite, had a lot of steady pull, and was the easiest kite that I have ever re-launched in all my 10 years of kiting..I fill that the Renegade, (in my personal opinion), will be the best all-round kite for anyone who is getting into kiteboarding for the very first time...It is very simple to use, easy to re-launch, very nice “safety system”, and very simple to “set-up” right out of the bag...I have very short arms, and it was hard for me to reach the “trim strap” when I had the kite in my hands for the first time...I was shown that could be made shorter with just a simple adjustment on the “chicken loop line”...Very fast and very simple to do, but the system does come standard from the factory, so you will have to adjust it to your riding style...I also like the “one bar” fits both kites, any size, from 6m to 14m...45cm to 55cm....That to was a very simple adjustment, even with someone holding the kite, you can change them in seconds...So My over all rating of this Kite, from 1 to 5, 5 being the best, and 1 being the worst...I am going to give it a 4 1/2...The reason it is not a 5, because I think that there could be some improvements down the road, even if they are just simple things...No one has a prefect kite on the market, if they did, then everyone would being riding that Kite Company...To be continue, after I get to ride the “Screamer”...

More great images coming in from Aruba. Dimitri is just barely able to get out onto the water because of the popularity on the beach with all the kites. Thanks to Aruba Kitesurfing School for helping out. Those guys are great on the beach and you should stop by on the next trip.

Here is a report from Wally!

Hi folks! Wally Gator here... Was with Eclipse from the begining and now a rider for Epic. Rule 1 - Read thread before making rediculous comments. Facts- I have been testing the 10m L.E. in Maui for the past week. The kite is as good or better than any kite out there. I wont mention brands but if your a competition freestyle rider riding C's, you are about to shit your pants! This kite is super smooth with a ton of power for their size and maintains perfect attitude with minimal attention to bar input. The turning speed of the Screamer is just barely noticable from the Thruster but a hair slower inwhich is a great thing for the majority of kiters. Still a superfast turner! But most of all, this kite is one of the smoothes flying kites in the air regarding stability that I have ever flown. Its rock solid and the bar pressure is perfect! As far as unhooked load and popping, it is similar to the Thruster only smoother ( this kite does not jelly fish). The trigger point for loading up the edge and releasing on boosts is a tad different and takes a day or two to get the exact feel for the sweet spot. But once you find it, hang on and get ready to fly like an eagle. This thing will set you down like butta because of the amount of lift it attains!Remember, this thing has a ton of power! So when intiating a really powered loop, get ready to feel the steel baby! Kite gets around nicely but enables you to swing nicely back up under the kite and whip it in the opposite dirrection for warm fuzzy feelings. BOTTOM LINE IS: TRY KITE FIRST, THEN MAKE COMMENTS ON THREAD. Now everyone get out there and put the FUN back into the sport! BTW: Epic is here to stay folks! Whether you like it or not, these kites will be hard to beat in 2010!

Norris Hill, Norris, MT 11/13/2009

What a day. Blue skies, 12+ inches of fresh pow., killer terrain, great winds, good friends, and of course the new EPIC 14m Screamer and 11m Renegade to top it all off.

Several friends showed up riding 12m Ozone’s. Having to show that LEI’s are just as capable, I busted out the 11m Renegade. I was a little underpowered but still able to climb the steep hills, glide and boost with ease. The stability and the relaunch of the kite were amazing. After getting used to the new kites they handled the variations in wind from terrain great.

Being my 2 time out since knee surgery I can’t complain one bit. With winds of 17-25mph and gusts up to 27mph I was amazed I held out for 2hrs. At that point it was time to sit in the snow and take some pics.

Rhett took out the new EPIC 14m Screamer and was throwing down some great boosts. He said that the kite handled great in the winds. He never felt over powered and thought that the kite floated amazingly.

I was never able to get out today on the 14m Screamer since my knee was done for by then, but I am hoping to get out in the next day or two and give it a try.

A Epic day on the Oregon coast, we had the Screamer 7m, LE Screamer 10m and 6m Renegade.

Conditions were perfect, NW winds clear sky's.

Rob R. who rides 2009 Kimas rode the 6m Renegade and came off saying the Renegade is a big improvement, most notable was a lighter bar pressure, He say's the relaunch was better also!

Rob also rode the 7m Screamer, he really like it, but the Renegade was more suited to his style.

Great day to have the new kites out!

Aruba Nov 2009

Have a look at some of the photos coming out of the latest trip Dimitri and crew are doing to show off all the new kites. This looks like a tough life eh? If you knew Dimitri’s travel schedule and talked to him while he was in China, it actually is work. Looks good though, eh?

There are more in our media section

Epic kites

Epic kites from the snow of Montana to the warm beaches of Aruba!

How Epic!

Here is what people are saying after a ride on the new Epic kites:

Bob N and I joined Tom V and a few of the Bellingham crew for a stellar session at Locust late this afternoon. I got to ride both the 12m and 9m prototype/demo Epic Screamer kites (I guess I should have said an epic session at Locust ). Boy are they nice! Especially the 9m!! I was never a big fan of the Eclipse kites, but the Epic - what a responsive, extremely fast turning kite. But super smooth and stable - it's fast but not twitchy. And I don't know how it does it but its got huge boost and hang time - I hate to admit it might even be better than my 2009 Nemesis HP.

Epic Kites in Montana

The 14m Screamer and 11m Renegade arrive here in Montana today and I am looking forward to getting out and riding them this week and weekend. The forecast calls for snow so we are hoping to get the first pics. of the kites in action on the snow. If anyone is interested in checking them out this weekend get a hold of me and we can set up a demo for you.

Here is some reviews from our friends up in Bellingham.

I have been able to get out on the Epic Renegade 9m, and the Screamer 9m and 12m.

I made a video yesterday of the 12m and 9m in action

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaKgUhffThI 12m Screamer 20mph

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vtWJSd99jM 9m Screamer 25mph

(Note, I am no Dimitri, and weigh in at about 220lbs)


Several others have been out too, and the feedback has been nothing but positive on the kite, even from the most critical riders. The screamers have similar jumping characteristics to the thruster, but with better hang, and a softer landing. Turning speed also seems very similar to the Thruster as well. the two biggest differences I see from the thruster is that the Screamer is more stable in strong gusty winds, and it seems to be easier to relaunch.

Not joking when I say that everyone who has tried it (except for a devout C-kite rider) wants to get one or more.

I spend only about 10 minutes on the Renegade, but to me, it seemed like the 2009 nano, except more solid in the air. Relaunch was easy, bar pressure light/moderate and it was more responsive than another "delta" kite that I flew back to back. Low end power seemed higher on the Renegade, but honestly both the 9m Renegade and Screamer had enough power to get me going upwind as the wind was dying. The difference is that the Renegade seemed to pull right from the get go, wheras the Screamer seemed to develop more power with more board speed.


Below are reveiws that were sent to me after riding the screamers.

#1 Major approval of the Epic, stable and turns fast like a Thruster.
I'll have to be adding the 9m to the collection of random kites in my
garage. T said the 12m was also lots of fun, looking forward to that
one next time.
B


#2 Definitely a thumbs up for the Screamer. I rode the 12m yesterday at
both ends of the spectrum. It was super stable and easy to handle at
28mph and still had enough pull to keep planning in the mid teens at
the end. I think Andy described it best by saying that it's a blend of
the best characteristics of an 09 Thruster mixed with an 09 Rise.
-Perfect turning speed, both initiation and across the window
-Very stable in the gusts with very little movement unlike the
Thruster.
-Very backstall resistant (the kite will deform well before it
backstalls giving plenty of notice, however, if properly trimmed you
won't even get that)
-GREAT jumping kite with incredible hangtime and soft landing (only
problem is that it loops with very little input and somtimes without
even knowing it but that's my problem, not the kite.
-The kite moves way forward in the window with agressive edging making
for stellar upwind performance.
-Easy relaunch when well powered (didn't get to try it in the lighter
winds)
-Lots of depower with a relatively short bar thow
-Construction and build quality second to none. Very nicely made.

I'm definitely sold on it, and that's after years of riding Best.
Andy, it's ALMOST as nice as a Nemi HP!!!
(it's actualy better, but I can't admit that to Andy)
Looking forward to trying the 9m

T


You can check out more footage as we get it put together at www.bellinghamkiteboarding.com

Thanks,

Andy

Hey guys, We are in full swing trying to get everybody a spin on the new kites, the kites are spending as much time in the mail going from dealer to dealer as they are on the water.

I have been able to fly the 14m Screamer as well as the 7m Screamer very very nice!

Going to try and get out in the next few days,

Much more to follow!

Thanks for visiting us!

La Ventana Kite Expo

Tickets are booked and everyone at Epic is ready to converge on La Ventana for a good time. We have lots of kites lined up to demo and will be out on the beach everyday ready to ride.

Kevin

Kites in the NW

Our Northwest rep, Dale Johnson, has the kites in hand now and is out testing the the cold SW winds on the coast. Hopefully, he will report back soon with the news on how they fly in the strong coast winds.

Kevin

www.epickites.com is LIVE

The EPIC web site is now live. We will be doing constant updates with improved technologies and more and more content.

Here are the first images to come out of the factory.

D playing basketball with the factory guys.

Dimitri is hard at work in China with the guys at the factory. He is working day and night to make sure the kites are perfect and all the elements are in place for a smooth launch.

Here are some photos of him.

Welcome to the Epic Kiters Update Site

In this space, you (the kiter) will be able to be kept up to date with what is happening with Dimitri and Epic kiters all over the globe. Our new products will be on display shortly.

Stay tuned. It is sure to be EPIC.