Epic Kites 2011

[KiteCulture]

some great reviews here. I was able to ride and test a production proto for the Renegade 11, and I was really amazed. I absolutely loved the 2010 model and wasn't sure if they could actually improve it. On a well powered day (I'm 150 lbs, riding a 136 custom twin, wind was 17 knots). Compared to the 2010, I found that there was better low end, and improved upwind ability. And it's a kite that jumps really well too. Great kite for all levels. Beginners will appreciate the stability and easy relaunch while more advanced riders will like the wakestyle power, predictability and controlled lift. It's a super fun kite, and really makes me appreciate my sessions that much more! I finally found something that meets all my needs! Great job Dimitri and Momi.

[nikalaitzian]

We had great time in Greece on August testing EPIC but i must stand to the RENEGADE 11 for sure..
I tested the kite in various conditions such as 13-15 kts of thermal wind at Oropos beach.I have to say that the wind there is usually crapy because it is very 'empty' so your kite must have very good low end.Yeap that's the RENEGADE 11.I pushed the kite to the limit doing un-hooked moves and powerfulled hooked tricks such as pop to grabs like the famous nuclear.The kite delivered lots of power without stalling or chocking from too much edging .I landed all of my tricks there and i was amazed .Even unhooked kiteloops gave me power to land my first KL3!I didn't have the experience of the previous model but this one looked an ACE to me.I loved it in light wind conditions but the surprise came in 20-23 knots of clean North wind at Paros where the kite was even better without been overpowered Even a girl that weights just 52 Kg throwed unhooked moves without been a pro.My girlfriend also found the kite so light in the hands and so easy to fly and try new moves and feeling safe...A rookie friend of mine tried the RENEGADE 11 and now he got his kite.
Everybody loved that kite even in windy conditions!!Thanks Dimitri for giving us the opportunity to test that awesome kite.

[discojuggernaut]

Any size changes for the renegade for 2011? Would love a 14m Renegade to complement my 10m LTD Screamer. Great kite.

[Dimitri M]

Good morning "discojuggernaut",
The reason we don’t have a bigger RENEGADE then the Renegade 11 is because the Renegade 11 that we have now especially the 2011 is a very very very powerful kite and turns like a 9 meter kite but has the power of a 13 meter. (please check the RENEGADE video to understand more)
The RENEGADE 11 was designed to start kiting in 8 to 11 knots, but of course depending your weight. I use the RENEGADE 11 in 8 to 12 knots on a surf board and it works very nice, fast and amazing power. Cameron my son tested the Renegade 11 kite in 5 to 9 knots on a twin tip and was going back and forth while every body else on the beach was waiting for the wind to pick up.
But that doesn't count because he is only 70 lbs.
Actually yesterday was a big test for the RENEGADE 11. I did a down winder in the ocean with 4 other kiters. One of them had the SCREAMER 12 and the other 2 were on 13 & 15 meters from another company. It was blowing 12 to 17 knots when we first started but then the wind dropped from 6 to 11 knots. And I was still able to kite like every body else on 15 meter kite. It was not fun and of course we all went down wind.
So in few words you don’t need bigger then RENEGADE 11.
I designed this kite to be very fast so it generates power by moving the kite.

If you want a bigger kite you should go with the SCREAMER 14. Totally different kite but very fun and very powerful but totally different kite. Some of the schools uses the SCREAMER 14 for their light wind kite once the student is ready to get on the board.
But you have to remember in order to generate power on the RENEGADE 11, you need to move it up and down. But this is in light wind conditions. When the wind picks up to 14 knots, then all you need to do is dive it and park it.
People that leave in place with very light wind such as FL or in San Diego love the SCREAMER 14 because it has the power of a 16 but turns like a 13 meter kite.

I hope this answers your question.

[KiteCulture]

funny because I also dropped Dimitri a note on a larger Renegade, and that's when he sent me the prototype to try. Dimitri told me it was an 11, but another believed it was a 9 meter. I showed up at the beach and the wind was crankin and going to get stronger, so I decided to 'pretend' it was a 9, because I wasn't 100% sure. I took it out and right away noticed a power increase. It turns really fast, flys well and is just as stable as the 2010, or better. But what I really noticed is that I was going upwind better than I had before, and with less bar pressure. I had good wind, but when I started it was about 12 knots. I'm 150 lbs and this was plenty for me to be upwind on a twin. When the wind picked up, I discovered that this kite is a very jump friendly kite. What I mean by that is that it is forgiving... this will be great for riders that are just getting into jumps, or riders that wanna 'flick' the kite and get some great altitude.

When I got back to the beach, I knew this kite was an 11 meter for sure. I took a break and went to go back out, but the wind was not pushing 25 knots, and even with the kite fully depowered, it was too much for little old me to handle, so I didn't try. In 25 knots, a 9 meter would have been awesome.

I've tried other 13 and 14 meter kites in the bow style and they output as much power as this 11 meter. It has really good low end so it will pull you out of the water quickly and get up to speed. Plus it's faster, so you don't have the lag time with the larger sizes.

You'll just have to try one. They did a great job of packing power into a smaller kite!

[crash&burn]

how does the junior pro hold up to adult riders. I am finding that as the wind starts blowing 35 + I am overpowered on my renegade 6 and was wondering if the pro would fill my quiver.

Not trying to bash or anything but I was in super shifty gusty wind last week and the renegade 6 did not behave well. Granted the wind was gusting to 45 but I also rode a slingshot rally 6 and it had no problem with the range. The Rally 6 appeared to have less canopy surface area then the renegade?

I love my 6 renegade, it doesn't love me

not the kites fault it got mauled by a huge set and still was able to fly me back to the beach.

I need a smaller kite, will the junior pro work for me

[Dimitri M]

Hello "crash&burn",
I am very sorry about what happened to your kite, but like you said it was not the kite's fault but huge waves. Things like that happens and you are one of the non lucky ones and I am very sorry about this.
This is an easy fix. You can send it to AIRTIME and they will do a great job fixing it. And from what I see on the picture this is the 2010 Renegade 6. For 2011 we did add more reinforcement on the struts in order to make it even stronger then before.

Now concerning flying the RENEGADE 6 in 45 knots. This is too much wind for the RENEGADE 6. The Renegade 6 has tons of power and in very gusty winds like you mention up to 45 knots it will play you around because it has more canopy then the kite you are use to fly and it is a lower aspect kite.
This is the reason why I came up with the JUNIOR PRO 4. This is the kite I use in wind from 28 to 45 knots +++. This kite will behave way better then the RENEGADE 6 in 45 knots and gusty because it has less canopy and higher aspect ration, so it won't jerk you around. Yes it was designed for my son Cameron who is 8 years old but what makes this kite special for Kids is because of the BAR. So if you are interested in a smaller kite, then the JUNIOR PRO 4 will be the call for winds from 30 to 45 knots, but get the kite only not the JUNIOR PRO bar. This bar was made for kids. Use the "XTEND BAR" for the JP 4 kite.

P.S. I have used the JUNIOR PRO 4 on a surf board in 18-22 knots and was working good but had to work the kite a lot while other riders where on Renegade 9 & 6, Screamer 9 & 7.

I have used the RENEGADE 6 in 38 to 48 knots but had it on 20 meter lines. I was way over powered and it was not that gusty so the kite was not jerking me around like it did to you. The 20 meter lines helped. That is why for 2011 we will add an extra set of 15 meter lines in the bag but only for the RENEGADE kites. So you can use these short lines if you get over powered on your 22 meter lines and don't have a smaller kite to use. By using 15 meter lines on your RENEGADE kites it will reduce the power and will feel like a way smaller kite. So my recommendation if you want to save money will be to invest in 15 meter lines first. But it won't be a bad idea to get the JUNIOR PRO 4 kite either.

If you need more help please do not hesitate to contact me at dimitri@epickites.com

[crash&burn]

Thank you for the response, the 6 is repaired and in the mail on its way back to me.

I am flying it without the extensions and look forward to trying the new one on 15m lines.
Regarding the Junior Pro, that is pretty much what I wanted to hear. I will be in Hatteras in Oct. and hopefully will get an opportunity to try one out,

[Dimitri M]

Hello crash&burn,
I am on my way to the Gorge for a big event for demos called the AWSI and will be back on September 23rd.
Then I will be back in Hatteras for 5 weeks. We are having a bid demo from October 1st to the 15th.
So get in touch with me once you get down to Hatteras NC. But you can always test the 2010 & 2011 gear at Kitty Hawk Kites in Waves. They do have the JUNIOR PRO 4 there you can try.
The KHK instructors love this JP4 kite.

[kitingkt]

New video on youtube of the Screamer LTD 2011
YEAH!!