Howdy Ho - Dimitri:
Just to let you know, and I realize that you've heard this more than you care to think about, however today I finally had a chance to see one of your kites in action. It was a 14 metre screamer, last years model, and actually the guy that owned it was doing very high jumps in 10 to 12 MPH winds (est only and could have been lower) - although he was about 130 lbs it was more than impressive. When I pulled up he was just getting suited up and I pumped a lot of questions his why starting with, do you really expect to kite in this low wind. He was more than impressed with the kite and had nothing but positive comments. I had a chance to get a good look at the kite and couldn't believe he was actually going up wind - against a heavy current.
There is no question that my Cabrinha 14 - switchblade would not have pulled me upwind even with a large board. I really doubt that I would have been able to kite actually.
I am certainly hoping to get rid of my Cabs and switch over to Epic, and this is without riding them. It actually is surprising that there are nay sayers on the forums with accusations of pimping and negativity. At the very least your kites are well made, well thought out, jump like there's no tomorrow and service is second to none. "What the hell more could anyone want".
Anyway hoping to purchase in the next couple of weeks. Will probably go with a 9 - 12 screamer ---- or maybe the 10 LTD and the Infinity - will be waiting to see how much equipment I can sell then figure it out from there. I like the idea of the 10 LTD ---- oh well lots to figure out but I'm sure that whatever I end up with will keep me happy.
Again thanks for you input it is very much appreciated.
Bob
Monday, March 19, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
New customer with the Infinity
Hi Dimitri,
I received Epic Infinity kite yesterday and headed straight down to beach to try. Unfortunately there was too much wind to test this kites light wind performance. Feels strange wishing for less wind. I measured 10 - 14 knots on the beach which wouldn't have been a problem to fly fully de-powered but that wasn't what I bought this kite for. I put my Airush Lithium LW14 up instead, perfect.
Today the wind was ESE around 6 - 8 knots measured on the beach before launching kite. It looked too light and i was the only one there, not a good sign. I pumped up the kite anyway and gave it a try. I easily self launched and headed up wind riding my Airush Sector directional board. Amazing! This kite moved very fast and I am impressed by it's ability to stay in the air in such light wind.Very stable kite. My Airsuh kite is great to fly but would have fallen out of the sky in these conditions and would also be very difficult to re-launch.
With this kite I think I can sail most days, or at least 4 out of 7 this time of year. Before I was lucky to get out once or twice a week. You did offer me a money back guarantee, minus freight if I didn't like kite but you also insisted I'd love it. I had my doubts but you were right. Fantastic kite! I'm keeping it.
There are quite a few people lining up to test my kite.
I received Epic Infinity kite yesterday and headed straight down to beach to try. Unfortunately there was too much wind to test this kites light wind performance. Feels strange wishing for less wind. I measured 10 - 14 knots on the beach which wouldn't have been a problem to fly fully de-powered but that wasn't what I bought this kite for. I put my Airush Lithium LW14 up instead, perfect.
Today the wind was ESE around 6 - 8 knots measured on the beach before launching kite. It looked too light and i was the only one there, not a good sign. I pumped up the kite anyway and gave it a try. I easily self launched and headed up wind riding my Airush Sector directional board. Amazing! This kite moved very fast and I am impressed by it's ability to stay in the air in such light wind.Very stable kite. My Airsuh kite is great to fly but would have fallen out of the sky in these conditions and would also be very difficult to re-launch.
With this kite I think I can sail most days, or at least 4 out of 7 this time of year. Before I was lucky to get out once or twice a week. You did offer me a money back guarantee, minus freight if I didn't like kite but you also insisted I'd love it. I had my doubts but you were right. Fantastic kite! I'm keeping it.
There are quite a few people lining up to test my kite.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Sebastien Mailloux - 3rd place on The Racer
Sebastien Mailloux(far right) won 3rd place in the La Coupe Wax Team race in Canada on the new Epic race kite called THE RACER. They were 52 participants in the race. Way to go Sebastien!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Texas Screamer
Sorry to hear about the surgery Dimitri. Hope it heals up ok.
Warning - Don't try a Epic kite unless you're looking for a new one.
I made that mistake last weekend. Dimitri was nice enough to send my buddy a handful of kites to demo. He offered me up a 9m Screamer to go out on. I said sure not really looking for "another" 9m. From the get-go I was friggin amazed with that kite. My buddy knows me pretty well and I'm sure he saw the look on my face every time I cruised by. That kite is fast, has amazing lift, and fit right into my riding style. I'm usually a pretty mellow kiter even after 6 years but I was sending that kite and getting some of the biggest jumps and smoothest landings ever. Totally Stoked!!
I'm hooked! Told my buddy I want the demo kite to add to my quiver even though I had no intentions of getting another 9m.
So a word of warning, stay away from Epics kites if you're not looking to buy a new kite. You'll be hooked like me to.
For more testimonials from different riders world wide please check this link: http://www.kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2371920&start=360
Warning - Don't try a Epic kite unless you're looking for a new one.
I made that mistake last weekend. Dimitri was nice enough to send my buddy a handful of kites to demo. He offered me up a 9m Screamer to go out on. I said sure not really looking for "another" 9m. From the get-go I was friggin amazed with that kite. My buddy knows me pretty well and I'm sure he saw the look on my face every time I cruised by. That kite is fast, has amazing lift, and fit right into my riding style. I'm usually a pretty mellow kiter even after 6 years but I was sending that kite and getting some of the biggest jumps and smoothest landings ever. Totally Stoked!!
I'm hooked! Told my buddy I want the demo kite to add to my quiver even though I had no intentions of getting another 9m.
So a word of warning, stay away from Epics kites if you're not looking to buy a new kite. You'll be hooked like me to.
For more testimonials from different riders world wide please check this link: http://www.kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2371920&start=360
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Infinity Testimonial
I had the occasion to try the Infinity V2 two times for now, once with 20m lines and once with 24m lines as I did to yet received my 5m extension to test with 27m lines which should give slightly more power.
As with all the Epic kites (I own a Screamer 12m and my wife got a Renegade 7m) the quality of the construction is top notch and on pair with the best kites on the market. The kite is beautiful, i really like this color. The kite is light weight even if it is well reinforced with good protection pad, etc. Three small struts only, one pump system. I personally don't like the valves on it, i much prefer the larger Cabrinha type valve mainly for our winter season here. The quality of the lines seem quite good, the bar too but the CL look cheap but is well functional and super easy to re-activate on the water which is the most important thing. The two power/depower strap are easy to reach and use, I like the large handle to grab them.
The depower is not as good as other kites like Cabrinha for example. I mean if you release the bar, the kite still pull and even if you pull on the depower strap you still have a light amount of depower compare to some other kites. So the high end is not as high as other kites of similar size. In fact, I can hold my Speed3 21m longer than this Infinity! But normally you will not take this kite when it's blowing above 14 knots but take care if you have gusty wind or remove the extension. If you activate the QR, the kite will go on either side of the wind window with a light residual force, nothing to worry. I was able to safely activate my QR on my Screamer 12m in 25 knots and the kite was standing on the side with little pull.
I did my test ride in snowkite with 164cm skis and I weight 192lbs. The wind was between 8-10 knots with a 30min peak at 12 during my test. The kite is super stable, very fast for such a big kite, very impressive. Nervous, good feedback when you ride make it for a really fun ride. The kite pull a little bit downwind so going upwind is not as easy as my Speed3. The power is impressive, this kite deliver a lot of power when you move it. Not as much as my 21m but a fair amount. My guess is I could loss 1-2 knots with it compare to the 21m S3. The relaunch is very easy for a LEI. I did good jump, maybe 2/3 of the height I can get on my 21 but only half the hangtime but I think this is just realistic numbers as I compare a much smaller projected area kite but I wanted to compare it to the 21m because for me it is the reference for LW performance. In term of stability, it can't be better than it is now, anywhere in the wind windows it is super stable.
The turning speed in my 9 knots average was very good, similar to most 12m kites. The bar pressure is medium.
Conclusion : I really like kiting with this Infinity, the fast turning, easy relaunch and great stability are his most positive points while the little depower is the main drawback. It is not as good as the 21m S3 in term of kiting in the lightest wind possible bit it is more fun to kite except if you are a big fan of huge hangtime and big air where it's the Flysurfer speciality. I honestly beleive that this Infinity is the best LEI LW kite and certainly a great option for anyone that want to kite in 8+ knots and have fun.
View more about other people testimonials: http://www.kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2372410&start=110
As with all the Epic kites (I own a Screamer 12m and my wife got a Renegade 7m) the quality of the construction is top notch and on pair with the best kites on the market. The kite is beautiful, i really like this color. The kite is light weight even if it is well reinforced with good protection pad, etc. Three small struts only, one pump system. I personally don't like the valves on it, i much prefer the larger Cabrinha type valve mainly for our winter season here. The quality of the lines seem quite good, the bar too but the CL look cheap but is well functional and super easy to re-activate on the water which is the most important thing. The two power/depower strap are easy to reach and use, I like the large handle to grab them.
The depower is not as good as other kites like Cabrinha for example. I mean if you release the bar, the kite still pull and even if you pull on the depower strap you still have a light amount of depower compare to some other kites. So the high end is not as high as other kites of similar size. In fact, I can hold my Speed3 21m longer than this Infinity! But normally you will not take this kite when it's blowing above 14 knots but take care if you have gusty wind or remove the extension. If you activate the QR, the kite will go on either side of the wind window with a light residual force, nothing to worry. I was able to safely activate my QR on my Screamer 12m in 25 knots and the kite was standing on the side with little pull.
I did my test ride in snowkite with 164cm skis and I weight 192lbs. The wind was between 8-10 knots with a 30min peak at 12 during my test. The kite is super stable, very fast for such a big kite, very impressive. Nervous, good feedback when you ride make it for a really fun ride. The kite pull a little bit downwind so going upwind is not as easy as my Speed3. The power is impressive, this kite deliver a lot of power when you move it. Not as much as my 21m but a fair amount. My guess is I could loss 1-2 knots with it compare to the 21m S3. The relaunch is very easy for a LEI. I did good jump, maybe 2/3 of the height I can get on my 21 but only half the hangtime but I think this is just realistic numbers as I compare a much smaller projected area kite but I wanted to compare it to the 21m because for me it is the reference for LW performance. In term of stability, it can't be better than it is now, anywhere in the wind windows it is super stable.
The turning speed in my 9 knots average was very good, similar to most 12m kites. The bar pressure is medium.
Conclusion : I really like kiting with this Infinity, the fast turning, easy relaunch and great stability are his most positive points while the little depower is the main drawback. It is not as good as the 21m S3 in term of kiting in the lightest wind possible bit it is more fun to kite except if you are a big fan of huge hangtime and big air where it's the Flysurfer speciality. I honestly beleive that this Infinity is the best LEI LW kite and certainly a great option for anyone that want to kite in 8+ knots and have fun.
View more about other people testimonials: http://www.kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2372410&start=110
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Amazed at Renegade 13 LTD
Hi Dimitri,
Just wanted to tell how amazed I am with your Renegade 13 kite, I managed to get some time off today and try it out.
Not the best conditions, 12 - 20 knots, with 2,5m waves.
But the kite was fast, responsive, thought it might stall when the wind dropped and the waves where pushing
me in, but no problems at all, didn't touch the water once.
Thanks
Ps: I now have to sell my Naish 10.5 to get another 9 or 11 renegade! and you need to promote more in Spain, some of the locals have never heard of epic kites, and they don't know what they are missing!
Just wanted to tell how amazed I am with your Renegade 13 kite, I managed to get some time off today and try it out.
Not the best conditions, 12 - 20 knots, with 2,5m waves.
But the kite was fast, responsive, thought it might stall when the wind dropped and the waves where pushing
me in, but no problems at all, didn't touch the water once.
Thanks
Ps: I now have to sell my Naish 10.5 to get another 9 or 11 renegade! and you need to promote more in Spain, some of the locals have never heard of epic kites, and they don't know what they are missing!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Review of the Infinity V2
Interesting afternoon. Kited from 2pm-5pm. The wind chart does not
reflect what I know the conditions were so I cannot completely
substantiate my claims, I think conditions were 8-18. What I do know
was the when I arrived at the beach Mike Boxer and Evan were there and
neither would go out. Evan was doing an airush video (don't be
surprised if the v2 shows up in the background of an airush vid) and
had his kite in the air while they were shooting for the first 1/2
later when the wind picked up he did some demo stuff in the water
having to walk back upwind every time. This was partially because he
was pulling tricks that required that he use up the little wind power
that was there.
The changes I noticed with the kite which may or may not be correct are:
leading edge curves back more on the tips
deeper canopy
thinner leading edge
thinner struts
foam covering strut clips
The low wind beach flying of the kite seemed the same as V1. Launch
was the same. I even made a flying mistake that I know from V1 in
really low wind results in all 4 lines going slack and having to run
backwards to keep the kite from falling out. In the beginning 8-10mph
I took the v2 out with the light wave wing. Stayed upwind no problem
and I could feel more grunt and bottom end. I even made some small
jumps and getting the wing off the water is no small feat. I was
surprised I felt so much of a difference. The kite seemed a little
slower, more on this later.
Then it went to 10-12mph and I went to the LF concept DLX. Still
staying upwind no problem but now I started testing the jumping more,
no question it wanted to jump more and higher. Moved up to 15+ and I
depowered the kite and kept riding. It was very clear to me that doing
the same things I do with the v1 this kite jumps higher and has more
power. I let Mike boxer demo the kite and he did same as I - small
jumps over every wave when normally it would just be choosing one wave
to jump off. Wind chart shows gusts over 20mph but I would be
surprised if that was accurate, I didn't feel that. I have used the v1
over 20 many times and it requires that I depower the kite one step
more than what I did today.
Now on turning speed. I was not as excited about doing rotational
tricks with kite loops. I have gotten to where that is what I am
working on with the v1 on 10-15mph days and I was not excited about
doing it with v2. Maybe that was just not being used to the kite. I
have a theory though that something has been happening with my v1 that
happened so slowly that I did not realize it. I think it is possible
that the leading edge now twists more than it did when it was new
making my older v1 faster than the new v2. It is also possible that
the new leading edge is more stable and the kite does not twist as
much and is just slower.
Also on the subject of kite stability, I pumped the kite less than I
do my v1 and the tips did not bend under extreme wind and pressures.
On the v1 the only way I can keep this from happening is to pump the
kite very hard. It is also possible that the leading edge on this v2
will soften over time and the tips will bend unless pumped very hard,
however the way the leading edge curves back harder may be making it
more stable.
If I go on the assumption that my used v1 and this new v2 will always
operate as they fly now then I would recommend the v2 for anyone that
wants to ride in lower wind and jump as much and as high as possible.
I would recommend v1 for someone wanting to do tricks involving kite
loops in low wind. If Dimitri can verify that the leading edge will
break in and the kite will turn faster v2 is superior in every way,
unless you don't like to jump.
Thanks for the opportunity to check out the kite I had a great
afternoon and tried to let as many people as possible check it out.
The kite is a winner in my opinion. I probably used v1 for 80% of my
kiting days since I purchased it.
reflect what I know the conditions were so I cannot completely
substantiate my claims, I think conditions were 8-18. What I do know
was the when I arrived at the beach Mike Boxer and Evan were there and
neither would go out. Evan was doing an airush video (don't be
surprised if the v2 shows up in the background of an airush vid) and
had his kite in the air while they were shooting for the first 1/2
later when the wind picked up he did some demo stuff in the water
having to walk back upwind every time. This was partially because he
was pulling tricks that required that he use up the little wind power
that was there.
The changes I noticed with the kite which may or may not be correct are:
leading edge curves back more on the tips
deeper canopy
thinner leading edge
thinner struts
foam covering strut clips
The low wind beach flying of the kite seemed the same as V1. Launch
was the same. I even made a flying mistake that I know from V1 in
really low wind results in all 4 lines going slack and having to run
backwards to keep the kite from falling out. In the beginning 8-10mph
I took the v2 out with the light wave wing. Stayed upwind no problem
and I could feel more grunt and bottom end. I even made some small
jumps and getting the wing off the water is no small feat. I was
surprised I felt so much of a difference. The kite seemed a little
slower, more on this later.
Then it went to 10-12mph and I went to the LF concept DLX. Still
staying upwind no problem but now I started testing the jumping more,
no question it wanted to jump more and higher. Moved up to 15+ and I
depowered the kite and kept riding. It was very clear to me that doing
the same things I do with the v1 this kite jumps higher and has more
power. I let Mike boxer demo the kite and he did same as I - small
jumps over every wave when normally it would just be choosing one wave
to jump off. Wind chart shows gusts over 20mph but I would be
surprised if that was accurate, I didn't feel that. I have used the v1
over 20 many times and it requires that I depower the kite one step
more than what I did today.
Now on turning speed. I was not as excited about doing rotational
tricks with kite loops. I have gotten to where that is what I am
working on with the v1 on 10-15mph days and I was not excited about
doing it with v2. Maybe that was just not being used to the kite. I
have a theory though that something has been happening with my v1 that
happened so slowly that I did not realize it. I think it is possible
that the leading edge now twists more than it did when it was new
making my older v1 faster than the new v2. It is also possible that
the new leading edge is more stable and the kite does not twist as
much and is just slower.
Also on the subject of kite stability, I pumped the kite less than I
do my v1 and the tips did not bend under extreme wind and pressures.
On the v1 the only way I can keep this from happening is to pump the
kite very hard. It is also possible that the leading edge on this v2
will soften over time and the tips will bend unless pumped very hard,
however the way the leading edge curves back harder may be making it
more stable.
If I go on the assumption that my used v1 and this new v2 will always
operate as they fly now then I would recommend the v2 for anyone that
wants to ride in lower wind and jump as much and as high as possible.
I would recommend v1 for someone wanting to do tricks involving kite
loops in low wind. If Dimitri can verify that the leading edge will
break in and the kite will turn faster v2 is superior in every way,
unless you don't like to jump.
Thanks for the opportunity to check out the kite I had a great
afternoon and tried to let as many people as possible check it out.
The kite is a winner in my opinion. I probably used v1 for 80% of my
kiting days since I purchased it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)