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In anticipation of Olympic kiteboarding and the growth of kite racing, Epic is releasing the Racer kite as part of their 4G line of products. The Renegade and Screamer 4G models are still being tested and tweaked and a next generation Xtend bar is expected to be released in January of 2013.

The company has been achieving some amazing results with the Infinity V3 prototypes and also modified its kite surfboards to be more reactive than the previous generation models. Owner Dimitri Maramenides tells us the latest happenings at Epic.

Epic does not release products every year but rather releases products according to generations. The Renegade kites are now labeled 3G II. What does this mean and did anything change in this line?

We release the kites whenever we think we have something better. So you can call it 2013 or 2016. Right now we could not find anything better than what we have but we did change the Epic font on the canopy. This is the reason why we called it 3G II. In the meantime we are working on the Renegade 4G and will release that when we find something better than the current model.

Epic Judge

The Renegade comes with extra 15m line set. Why?

Yes, all the Renegades come with an extra set of 15 meter lines in the bag. These lines make it better for teaching, wave riding, and extreme kite loops. If you are stuck and have no smaller kite for use in stronger winds, then remove the 22 meter lines and put your 15 meter lines on to make your kite less powerful.

Epic Renegade LTD

The Screamer is Epic’s more advanced kite. Can we expect any changes to it in 2013?

All the Screamers are currently 3G and 3G II. We have been testing the 4G Screamers but man, it is so hard to create something better than the 3G! Just like the Renegade, when we come up with something that we think is better than the 3G version, it will be released.

2013 EPIC KITES
Kite Name Sizes Stock Line Length Target Date Available
Tutor 2.5m 15m Trainer, perfect for teaching Now
Junior Pro 4m 17m Perfect for kids, comes with Junior Pro bar Now
Renegade 5, 7, 9, 11, 13m 22m + 15m in bag All-around for waves, feeride, teaching, wake, novice-experts Now
Infinity Infinity (actual size secret) 22m + 5m in bag Best light wind kite on the market. Check videos. Now
Screamer 7, 9, 10, 12, 14m 22m Freestyle big air, big kiteloops, big boards off, big handle passes Now
Judge 6, 8, 11m 22m + 18m in bag New school power moves, waves, wakestyle, freestyle Now
Racer 11, 14, 17m 27m + 5m in bag Racing Now

Epic releases a 10m Screamer Limited Edition kite and 13m Renegade Limited Edition kite. Both give riders a sneak peak at what’s to come when the next generation kites are developed. Why would a rider want the regular 9m Screamer or the Infinity versus these kites?

We use the Screamer 10 LTD and the Renegade 13 LTD as pilots for the next generation of kites to see if kiters like them. The Screamer 10 LTD is a mixture of the Screamer, Judge, and Renegade. We could call it another name but we get these ideas to make the next 4G Screamers.

Concerning the Renegade 13 LTD, this is also our pilot for the next generation of Renegades. Actually the Infinity V2 is the mini of the Renegade 13 LTD. So in a few words, the LTD kites are our test kites for the next generation models.

Epic Screamer LTD

When will we see the Infinity V3 roll out?

The Infinity V3 is still in prototype mode as we still need to do more testing in different conditions, but the results so far have been mind blowing. Check the video at https://youtu.be/DbTS32zkvrE. I wanted to find out the least amount of wind the Infinity V3 could stay up in the air. I tested the V2 in two to three knots on the water with the SUP and it fell out of the sky. Then I took the V3 and put it up in the air and went kiting in 2.7 mph.

People could not believe it. I am trying to push the envelope and see what its limit is. Right now the Infinity V3 prototype has been the most amazing kite I ever laid my hands on. Just check the video and you will see. I still need to test the higher end of the Infinity V3. I did test it in 13 to 17 knots and it was working very well, but not as good as the V2.

What’s going on with the Epic control bar?

We are almost done with the new Xtend bar. It will have an entirely new chicken loop and the bar itself will have small updated details to complement it. Check out this video of the prototype bar: https://vimeo.com/44135435.It can often take a longer time than planned to test a prototype in order to release it to the market.

I just want to be 110% happy with the new bar. This is the reason why it is taking so long but it should be out in January 2013.

Epic will soon release the Racer kite in 11, 14, and 17m sizes. How does this kite differ from others in your lineup and what else is it good for?

The Racer kites are amazing! They generate so much power, but people have to understand that they were designed for racing. The Racer is totally different then all the other models we have. The first thing you will see on the Racer is the high aspect ratio of the kite.

It is like a razor blade and that is one of the reasons why it is an amazing race kite. It goes upwind like crazy and its jumps are incredible, especially the hang time. If you are into racing, you definitely should check out this kite.

Epic Racer

Is this kite developed from the Infinity?

No, the Racer is totally different from the Infinity. It is much more high aspect and it generates power from apparent wind.It is very hard to explain the feel of the Racer. The only way to find out is to test it yourself and you will understand the difference and why I am so excited about it!

With kiteboarding getting into the Olympics we should start to see more kids get into the sport. You have a specific line for groms tested by your son Cameron. Any plans to make race-specific gear for kids?

Whoa, so much work! Yes, kiteboarding is going to the Olympics but it is such a new sport that we have lots of work to do. Cameron is training for the Olympics with the Racer 11m and a custom race board from Rogue Wave.

Were any changes made to your twin tip line?

People loved our twin tip line so we decided not to change anything except the graphics and added an extra insert. Now you have three different stance options instead of two.

How about your kite surfboards?

We have the new Reef V2 kitesurf boards. We sold out of the V1s and decided to make something better using well-known shaper Jesse Fernandez. The difference between the Reef 5’7″ ATV V2 compared to the V1 is the shape of the tail. We also made the nose a little rounder plus we changed the channels in the bottom of the board. Instead of six channels we made four channels and we added an extra batwing to make the ATV V2 board more alive in the turns.

For the Reef 6’0″ V2 we also modified the tail. We changed it to a swallow tail from the square tail we had previously. This keeps it consistent with the ATV model and also makes it much more reactive.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Make sure to check all the videos we have been making and please read the “warning” we have on all our ads.

2013 EPIC BOARDS
Board Name Sizes Type Target Date Available
OxygenV2 135cm Twin tip Light wind conditions 6-15 knots Now
Droid V2 135cm Twin tip Freestyle board, all around conditions 12-28 knots Now
Spartan V2 130cm Twin tip Freestyle board for 20-40 knots Now
Junior Pro 115cm Twin tip For kids or small riders Now
Reef 5’7”, 6’0” Surf Waves Now

Want 185 pages of 2013 kiteboarding gear info on 28 brands? Check out the TKB 2013 Buyer’s Guide.