Over the winter I purchased a 7m Epic Renegade from John at Windbone Kiteboarding. For several months I did not get a chance to use it and then in late March I took it on vacation to Cabarete. The first day my wife and I used the kite we had a problem with the kite that required a part and service. We were of course disappointed. We knew not much could be done while out of the country, but decided to email the dealer about the problem.

Within 10 minutes John had contacted Epic Kiteboarding and Dimitri was actively involved. He reassured us that the kite would be serviced or replaced promptly and made us feel really good. It felt great to have a company respond so swiftly and show such a passion for service. Dimitri even offered to send us a kite to Cabarete. Fortunately we had a few kites on us so it really was not necessary, but an incredibly generous offer anyway.

When we returned home we sent the kite to Dimitri at Epic Kiteboarding. He serviced and tested it. Sent it back with some bonus parts and even provided us with a personalized video to show that everything was functioning well.

Both Windbone Kiteboarding and Epic Kiteboarding both proved to have really impressive customer service. I think both companies are led by people who have true passion for what they do and it clearly shows.

Since then I have actually gotten to ride the kite and I have to say it is incredible. No bar pressure, absorbs gusts like a champ and turns on a dime.

I would definitely encourage anyone looking into new kites and wants to support a company that truly cares about its customers to check out Epic Kiteboarding.

I agree - the customer service is indeed *ahem* Epic!

Too bad you bought the Hype. Slingshots 8m Rally turns faster, absorbs gusts waaaay better and has a much bigger range. Also jumps better, and drifts well for wave riding.

Maybe Dmitri will take his kite back and you can buy this far superior one. That would be customer service!

Whaoooo Mr.skibum127 that was a nice post of you and once again I am very sorry about what happened to your kite especially on your holidays. I would hate this to happen to me especially on my holidays. But this is what EPIC is all about and this is why I am so strict on my dealers and schools. I choose my dealers very carefully so they can promote and sell EPIC kites the best way possible. This is the same customer service I am looking for when I do purchase something such as a camera, computer, phone, car, and so on..... I want the company and the dealer to stand behind the product I just bought. And I am always looking for the best performance product to buy.
On another note, I will be very happy to take that RENEGADE 7 back if you want as Mr.mo'wind mentioned above so you can get a chance to demo a Slingshot 8m Rally if you have not had the chance yet. Maybe you can get in touch with him or any Slingshot dealers, so you can see the difference.


P.S. This is the reason why I am not afraid of sending demos world wide because I know the results and I see it every day during the demos I do.

Mr. Mo'Wind,

I have friends who ride Slingshot kites and are very happy with them. I am sure they are excellent kites. I have also heard that they have good customer service policies. On the other hand I did not find your post to be appropriate at all with regards to my original post.

Clearly you are very happy with Slingshot and possibly have a personal issue with Epic. Hopefully you do not work for, nor represent, Slingshot on a professional level because I would have to believe that this type of post would not be the way they like to be marketed.

Though the Rally may also be an excellent kite I am very pleased with the Epic Renegade. Performance has been great so far and the customer service has clearly stood out for me. I think I will keep it and if it continues to perform well I will surely be open to buying more over time.

Skibum127

Kevin the kiter is back
@kevinthemo'windkiter
I had a guy testing the renegades a few days ago, and he rode the Slingshot Rally. Believe me his reaction on the renegade wasnt anything you would like to hear. He's even planning to buy a renegade next to his rally (different size ofcourse) so guess what they both really good.

@ skibum nice post!

The foldy tips on the SS Rally kites are a deal breaker for me, I would never put up with that.
One of the many things I like about the Epic Renegade kites (7M & 11M) is that the leading edge and strut tubes are the right sizes, and with the bridle structure and proper wingtip shape, it makes these kites feel really solid and especially responsive through the turn.
It's not just another copycat delta kite.
The wingtips don't give a hint of folding when you send the kite back and sheet hard for a boost.