t's taken me a while to post a review of any of the new epic kites because i like to multiple sessions on them before posting. so far, i've had sessions on the 10m, 12m and 14m Screamer. 9m Renegade.
I can't yet really review the 14m since both sessions were very short due to very little wind.
it's snow season here, and we have some fantastic conditions right now. to be honest, some aspects of kite performance (both good and bad) are easier to distinguish in the winter due to the speeds we get and apparent winds we generate.
1) 12m Screamer: love this kite.
rode this kite hard yesterday on the snow and this was my second really good session on the 12m. it was by far the best day on snow this year and even last year and that is a testament to how comfortable i feel with this kite. i broke my femur 2 years ago snowkiting, so jumping big tends to stress me out. not yesterday. felt right at home on this 12m. it turns fast, but i knew where it was in the sky at all times. very stable for a higher performance kite. the 12m handles the gusts with ease.
i didn't hold back at all with this kite. edge super hard and build up as much speed as I could, huck the bitch and enjoy the boosting. great hang time and loft. quite impressed with the jumping performance.
i also like to land by downlooping and on a few occasions, the kite would stall (pilot error?).
This is typical though of a higher aspect kite and similar to riding waves and riding towards the kite fast...it can stall out. It's as much pilot error or attention. foils would be even worse for aggressively riding towards the kite downwind and can cause collapses. This is one area were a kite like the Renegade is better where it sits deeper in the wind window.
the winds picked up even stronger close to the end of my session and it was like being on a 15 foot pogo stick. quite fun. felt like a jumping bean.
in the lighter winds, the kite turns over really easy for relaunch. i'd expect similar things on the water for relaunch. huge benefit.
2) 10m Screamer: another great kite.
Not much more to add here except that as a 10m that puppy is also quite comfortable to ride and for a guy my size, if it's blowing 10m, it's strong winds. i'm right around 205 depending on how many taco bells i've had during the week. lol.
other guys have been on the 10m also and really like the kite.
if the landings are soft, i'll have no problem riding fast and hucking big with this 10m. last year, my kite of choice in stronger winds was the 11m and 9m nano due to being easier to predict for me jumping. this year, the 10m screamer will probably fill that void.
3) 9m Renegade. Fun kite and very predictable.
I've only had one good session, but can tell it's a very easy to fly kite and is stable in gusty winds. I really need more time though in better snow before saying much more. I know what to expect and guess it will deliver, but will hold off on any firm opinions.
4) Areas for improvements:
most of these are very minor btw.
1) bigger pump
2) the little nipple that goes into the inflate valve is short. if the velcro is done correctly, this is OK, but a bigger nipple (haha) would help especially in the winter.
3) just a tad longer pump leash line. it's hard to get the ball into it from others pumps i'm using.
4) at the elbow on the LE of the Screamers where it bends, it might help to put a bump pad here. I'm not sure if this is a wear point, but it could be.
5) just got the bars, so will wait to review. seems like an OK bar. nothing special, nothing bad.
all in all, i'd give 2 thumbs up so far with the kites especially delivering kites on time in such a short time frame. well done.
bob
www.kiteridersllc.com
I can't yet really review the 14m since both sessions were very short due to very little wind.
it's snow season here, and we have some fantastic conditions right now. to be honest, some aspects of kite performance (both good and bad) are easier to distinguish in the winter due to the speeds we get and apparent winds we generate.
1) 12m Screamer: love this kite.
rode this kite hard yesterday on the snow and this was my second really good session on the 12m. it was by far the best day on snow this year and even last year and that is a testament to how comfortable i feel with this kite. i broke my femur 2 years ago snowkiting, so jumping big tends to stress me out. not yesterday. felt right at home on this 12m. it turns fast, but i knew where it was in the sky at all times. very stable for a higher performance kite. the 12m handles the gusts with ease.
i didn't hold back at all with this kite. edge super hard and build up as much speed as I could, huck the bitch and enjoy the boosting. great hang time and loft. quite impressed with the jumping performance.
i also like to land by downlooping and on a few occasions, the kite would stall (pilot error?).
This is typical though of a higher aspect kite and similar to riding waves and riding towards the kite fast...it can stall out. It's as much pilot error or attention. foils would be even worse for aggressively riding towards the kite downwind and can cause collapses. This is one area were a kite like the Renegade is better where it sits deeper in the wind window.
the winds picked up even stronger close to the end of my session and it was like being on a 15 foot pogo stick. quite fun. felt like a jumping bean.
in the lighter winds, the kite turns over really easy for relaunch. i'd expect similar things on the water for relaunch. huge benefit.
2) 10m Screamer: another great kite.
Not much more to add here except that as a 10m that puppy is also quite comfortable to ride and for a guy my size, if it's blowing 10m, it's strong winds. i'm right around 205 depending on how many taco bells i've had during the week. lol.
other guys have been on the 10m also and really like the kite.
if the landings are soft, i'll have no problem riding fast and hucking big with this 10m. last year, my kite of choice in stronger winds was the 11m and 9m nano due to being easier to predict for me jumping. this year, the 10m screamer will probably fill that void.
3) 9m Renegade. Fun kite and very predictable.
I've only had one good session, but can tell it's a very easy to fly kite and is stable in gusty winds. I really need more time though in better snow before saying much more. I know what to expect and guess it will deliver, but will hold off on any firm opinions.
4) Areas for improvements:
most of these are very minor btw.
1) bigger pump
2) the little nipple that goes into the inflate valve is short. if the velcro is done correctly, this is OK, but a bigger nipple (haha) would help especially in the winter.
3) just a tad longer pump leash line. it's hard to get the ball into it from others pumps i'm using.
4) at the elbow on the LE of the Screamers where it bends, it might help to put a bump pad here. I'm not sure if this is a wear point, but it could be.
5) just got the bars, so will wait to review. seems like an OK bar. nothing special, nothing bad.
all in all, i'd give 2 thumbs up so far with the kites especially delivering kites on time in such a short time frame. well done.
bob
www.kiteridersllc.com
