What's the difference between an Epic Kite and a Blade Kite?

[Dimitri M]

Poor kites weighed down by all that screen print.

No actually Mr.foilholio the balance of quality, performance and weight works incredibly well with all our EPICKITES. Just asked any one who owns one or had the chance to demo them. Or even better email me and will send you one for you to demo. So you can put your own testimonial.

P.S. As you can see I stand behind my product 110%

[UKSurf]

One thing I really like is the gfx on Epic kites - I cant imagine the gfx weighs them down. IMO they are probably the best looking kites on the market.

[foilholio]

Um screen print is only for image, and actually detracts from performance. The conundrum with those attracted to image is they like to believe they have the best performing kite, but the kite with the best image can't have the best performance by the very fact the image detracts from the performance. Somewhere in their heads must be a confusion on what the best of something should look like. Yes Mr D I have flown your kites and they are nice but they would be nicer without the screen print, the only problem is you probably wouldn't sell as many. Kinda like how some fishing lures are designed to catch the person buying the lure and not the fish.

[Dimitri M]

Um screen print is only for image, and actually detracts from performance. The conundrum with those attracted to image is they like to believe they have the best performing kite, but the kite with the best image can't have the best performance by the very fact the image detracts from the performance. Somewhere in their heads must be a confusion on what the best of something should look like. Yes Mr D I have flown your kites and they are nice but they would be nicer without the screen print, the only problem is you probably wouldn't sell as many. Kinda like how some fishing lures are designed to catch the person buying the lure and not the fish.

Great so you tried them. Very nice. Which one did you try? The 2010-2011-3G-4G-or 5G?
And yes you are right about the graphics. But what attracts the eye of the customers? It's the beauty correct.
This is the reason why I have these 4 major concepts:

1)-Make the nicest looking kite on the market (so people can see it from far and be attracted to them once they land on the beach)
2)-Use the best quality with out cutting corners and add some very nice features to the kite (so when people come close to it, they already want to buy the kite without even trying it. This happens a lot, even yesterday at the beach, I had few kiters commenting how amazing they look.)
3)-Make the kite to perform extremely well in different conditions (so when they first try the kite they feel at home and fall in love. This is the reason why I send the kites for demos world wide because I know that happens next.)
4)-Make sure to have the best customer service in the kiteboarding industry. (customers are part of the epic family)

Now these 4 major points makes us who we are in this industry today.

[FLandOBX]

Um screen print is only for image, and actually detracts from performance.

I agree that graphics are a significant part of the kite's image (so is the kite's name, which pros are riding the kite, marketing material, etc. -- all build the image of the kite). I also agree that image is a major part of marketing.

But I have a hard time believing that screen print significantly detracts from the performance of a kite. Since foilholio mentioned weight earlier in this thread, how much weight would be added in screen print to a 10 meter Renegade, for example? I think it'd be negligible and really wouldn't noticeably affect the kite's performance.

[PullStrings]

Any one tried the liquid force Wow compared to renegade or trigger? Do they feel similar?
Wow looks very similar to them

Hey you revived a dormant 5 year old Epic thread....smart advertisement stunt....how much is D paying you

Oooooops... i just did the same thing by posting this

[Dimitri M]

Poster: PullStrings
Hey you revived a dormant 5 year old Epic thread....smart advertisement stunt....how much is D paying you

yes that's a great stunt, like all my EPIC videos.
This is not brain surgery, no need to pay any one except for our advertisers. The EPIC product talk for themselves which goes to show you that we have a great product.


P.S. Hopefully you will enjoy this video stunt.
https://vimeo.com/162690606

[FLandOBX]

Nice video, D.

But just think how much better it'd be if you didn't have all those kite graphics holding you back.

[alfredo68]

Any one tried the liquid force Wow compared to renegade or trigger? Do they feel similar?
Wow looks very similar to them

Hey you revived a dormant 5 year old Epic thread....smart advertisement stunt....how much is D paying you

Oooooops... i just did the same thing by posting this

For your info , i have nothing to do with Epic,Bladde or Liquid. I am intermediate kitesurfer that only knows north rebel (which i like a lot but now i m looking for something more into waves) After reading lots of good comments about the renegade and also the trigger i think thats the type of kite i m looking for. More drift,faster turning.
I did not read much about the Wow (which i think looks simil) and i am interested also because i can go and purchase one at a store half an hour drive from where i live (and $200 cheaper)
I hope this clarifies your doubts

[foilholio]

Great so you tried them. Very nice. Which one did you try? The 2010-2011-3G-4G-or 5G?

The Screamer and Infinity. I think they were 3 or 4 G. Both quite nice. The screamer is a bit of a unique kite, very suited to your riding style. The infinity actually surprised me as it mostly met the hype you drummed up about it.

But what attracts the eye of the customers? It's the beauty correct.

True to most people I guess, but I am not one of them. When I first started I may have been swayed just a little bit by the graphics, but I actually prefer none nil nada, not even a pattern on the fabric. This is because I know it detracts from the performance and even strength with some sewn patterns. But graphics do sell. But I wonder if more pros were riding plain kites? what would sell then? It is already changing as most of the brands are dropping the excess graphics, probably to do with Ozone capturing so much of the market and gaining a name as the market leader for performance. Their designers probably have the same distaste for dead weight I do. I will say though one graphic design I do like on kites is to have alternate colours on the sides of the kite like the Neo or a single different colored tip like on the chrono. When I pop up from inside the white wash and the kite is going the wrong way it helps immensely. The same for the bar, 2 colors is great, or one and black.

But I have a hard time believing that screen print significantly detracts from the performance of a kite. Since foilholio mentioned weight earlier in this thread, how much weight would be added in screen print to a 10 meter Renegade, for example? I think it'd be negligible and really wouldn't noticeably affect the kite's performance.

I never said it was significant. Instead of using such a vague term it can be measured like you mentioned. For me a significant amount of weight is anything over 10grams, 100grams is a lot. I am someone who wishes the 5 gram ronstan kite blocks could be refined to weigh only 2 grams. 4 pulleys on a foil kite equals 12 grams saved. They are also less likely to tangle because they are lighter. Not something you could perhaps appreciate unless you ride at the limit of where kites fly. Which is a surprising amount of wind riding waves, with 15 knots for some of the better inflatables and 8-10knots for the some of the best foil kites.