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.