Renegade "Infinity V2" light wind machine.

[Dimitri M]

This is a new video of the INFINITY V2. It was filmed here on the Outer Banks NC (USA), two days ago (September 30th). Lots of people from different part of the world where here in Nags Head because they could not get down to Waves/Salvo/Avon due to the damage the Hurricane did to these places. So most of them end up here. Which was perfect because they all saw the performance the INFINITY v2.
I think this video says it all...

Enjoy it.

VIMEO



YOUTUB

[Dimitri M]

Hello guys,
This is the way the INFINITY v2 will look in the December production.

[JollyGreen]

Unbiased new kiter here, kiting for only 5 months.

I had a chance to demo the cousin of the Infinity this weekend, the Blade Fat Lady 17m. I was very impressed. I'm 230lbs so I typically sit on the beach waiting for at least 12-13 kts to ride my 14m Switchbalde on a 148x46cm twintip. 12 kts is minimum and I'll probably end up downwind on that kite. This weekend the wind was too low, 9-12 kts all day. My friend let me try out the fat lady and I was able to ride and stay upwind with the kite fully depowered (went out depowered since it was my first time on a friends kite). I was very impressed with the turning speed, it turned faster than my 14m and was honestly more fun to ride. I have been practicing transitions the last few sessions and have been able to get about 5 out of 10 at best. The session with the Fat Lady I nailed all 5 in row. (only a quick 10 minute test of the kite) The kite just felt good. As I came in, some lady walked by and commented that it looked like I was having a blast out there! Hard not to buy it after that

So I totally believe the wind predictions Dimitri is claiming and really enjoy the enthusiasm he has in the videos! After testing the Fat Lady I was ready to buy one and really believe these companies have created a new class of light wind kites that perform well. I wish there was an infinity v2 owner here I could get a demo from, there probably will be soon

[sleepymexi]

I was finally able to test the Infinity v1 vs my Ozone Zephyr. The wind range at our spot (Lake Pflugerville in Pflugerville, TX) was 10-19mph at first, then later a remarkably steady (given our typically gusty inland location) 8-9mph. I didn't really get to test the kites at the absolute bottom of their range, but I was able to go upwind on both kites when the wind was at its lightest during our session. I'll do a quick review of the Infinity construction, bar, and bag, then review the performance of the kite and compare it to the Zephyr. Before continuing, I ask that the reader keeps in mind that the Infinity v1 was flown on the default 22m lines and the Zephyr is on 27m lines. Longer lines = bigger wind window, but slower turning.

Construction:
The construction of the Infinity is top-notch. The leading edge fabric felt tough and all seams felt very robust. The one-pump tubes are kept very close to the kite, and are neatly tucked away in flight. I was surprised to see that the kite only has 3 struts, which is great because it keeps weight low and makes bladder troubleshooting/repair that much easier. There were two adjustment knots on the trailing edge/steering leaders, and there's plenty of room to add more if the rider needs to. There are no pullies on the bridle, simply a ring on the leading edge bridle where a pulley would normally be. The service zippers at the top of each strut and the bumpers at the bridle attachment points were also a nice touch.


Bar:
The bar itself feels very comfortable. I'm a fan of above the bar trim systems, and more specifically pull-pull systems as opposed to cleats, so this was great to see on the bar. I liked how the power strap was a big ring making it easy to get at, and that it was connected via an elastic strap to the depower strap to keep it within reach at all times. However, the depower strap wasn't secured, was quite long, and it flew around a bit while riding. It even inadvertently wrapped around the bar and depower line twice while I was riding around. This could prove to be quite a problem if the rider isn't aware it's happened and attempts to sheet in/out. Shortening it or securing it to the depower line would remedy this. One other issue I encountered occurred whenever I looped the kite; the adjustment knots on the center lines would catch on the adjustment knots on the steering leader lines and slightly inhibit my ability to steer smoothly. Unspinning the bar remedied the situation of course, but this must be done immediately to ensure proper and 'stutter-free' steering. I can see the logic in having the adjustment knots near the bar as it saves having to walk to the kite (this scenario actually presented itself when another rider came in to adjust his knots; he landed the kite to another kiter at the edge of the window, adjusted his front knots while still hooked, and immediately relaunched his kite). An easy solution to this problem would be to move the adjustment knots on the steering leaders lower- perhaps under the bar floats. Another issue I found was with the spinning ring just above the chickenloop. When I tried to unspin my center lines using the spinning ring while riding, I found it quite difficult to twist under load - impossible, actually. I tried later when the kite was parked on the ground and it spun much more freely. My buddy who flew the Infinity encountered this issue as well. As far as the quick-release, it was easy to engage and *very* easy to reassemble.

Bag:
The bag is a long backpack-style and is very well-built and most importantly, it's easy to get the kite into and out of it. The face of the backpack opens up (as opposed to the top or side) pretty wide making it very easy to get the kite into/out of it. There's a side pocket for the bar, side buckles for a pump, a top pocket for misc items, and mesh on the bottom to let out sand/moisture. The shoulder straps are well padded and comfy.

Performance:
Now for my experience and opinions on the Infinity's performance... When I first rigged the kite up, the winds were blowing between 10mph and 19mph but usually hovering around the 17mph mark. Not knowing what to expect out of the kite and knowing I had a light forecast (10mph), I chose the knot closest to the kite in case I ended up needing that extra power, and had the depower strap pulled all the way in at first. The board I rode was my 2009 Cabrinha Plasma 146x46, and I weigh 155lbs. As I got in the water, gusts to 20 were hitting me and I could already feel that I was at the top of this kite's wind range with the settings I'd chosen, but I chose to ride anyway to test the limits of this configuration.

I dove the kite and immediately noticed the Infinity's *very* quick steering, light to medium bar pressure, and very smooth power delivery. The quick steering may have been attributed to the shorter lines (22m), but I'm fairly certain adding another 3-5 meters wouldn't have decreased the responsiveness that much. Given how much power I had, going upwind was effortless, and I noticed while riding that the kite didn't get as close to the edge of the window as I was used to (vs the Zephyr and my other kites) even though I had the bar sheeted all the way out and the depower strap all the way in. I knew that moving the steering knots down one position would probably help that and give me better upwind performance, but I decided to ride a bit more and adjust them later. It took a few tries to get used to timing my jumps and learning the amount of float I had, but I was able to get that dialed in rather quickly. Once I felt I was I'd explored that configuration, I came in and adjusted the steering line knot down one position, went back out, and the kite felt better. I wasn't getting overpowered like I was before (depower strap was still all they way in) and I was able to push the kite a little further forward in the window, giving me an even better upwind tack. Eventually I pulled the power strap in a few inches I and felt like I'd found the kite's sweet spot. Boosting in this configuration felt much more familiar and kite loops were pretty fast and felt powered. Throughout the wind range I was flying in, the Infinity felt fast, stable, and responsive. I started to come in to let another kiter fly the kite and start rigging the Zephyr and I didn't notice a hint of backstall when sheeting all the way in and riding almost directly downwind towards the shoreline. Overall I was impressed with the performance of this kite given the windrange I was flying it in at that time and its size. Of course, the Infinity turned MUCH faster than the Zephyr and as fast or maybe a little faster than my 08 Nemesis HP 14, which was my previous lightwind kite. Other kites I own(ed) to compare turning speed with are my 07 Waroo 15, which was too slow to compare, and my old favorite, my 07 Waroo 13m which similar to the Infinity v1.

By the time I'd rigged the Zephyr and my buddy came in with the Infinity, the winds had dropped significantly. Winds were now hovering at 8-9mph (measured) and I knew this was going to be my best chance at testing them both back to back in the lightest winds I could. I hopped on the Zephyr and thanks to the Infinity, immediately noticed the slower steering and heavier bar pressure. I was able to start planing on the Zephyr pretty effortlessly and going upwind was no problem. Given the lighter winds, and diminishing sunlight (the sun was already below the horizon, btw) I wasn't going to bother jumping. I just wanted to get a feel for my upwind ability and how powered I felt while riding. After a few tacks, I came in and immediately hopped on the Infinity.

I had my friend (a recently new Infinity owner) immediately take my Zephyr for a spin to get some video of both kites being ridden in the same wind. He was on a 2010 Spleen Rip 141x43 and weighs 170lbs. I was able to go upwind on the Infinity while he was holding his line, but not going upwind, and then later ended up going downwind and walking back for a landing. When I saw that he landed the Zephyr, I came in, put the Infinity down, and hopped on back on the Zephyr. It took a little effort to get up and riding this time, but I was able to get going, then going upwind. At the end of my first tack away from the shore, I transitioned and immediately noticed I had a higher upwind tack than when on the Infinity but needless to say, I was also on longer lines and had 2m more of surface area on the kite to work with. In short, I was able to go successfully go upwind on both kites in the exact same wind, which was 8-9mph, but the Zephyr giving me a slightly better upwind angle. I'd say the only advantage that the Zephyr had over the Infinity v1 was a higher top end. I've ridden the Zephyr up to 26mph (measured) and I somehow never felt overpowered. The Infinity v1 felt like it topped out at about 20mph.

All in all, I can say that the Infinity was able to perform just as well as the 2010 Zephyr with respect to lighter winds we had. Where it shines is in its turning speed making it more fun when the winds start get into and above the low teens. I wish I could have flown the Infinity on 27mph lines for a better comparison and if I get the chance to do so, I'll post an update to this review.

I do have video footage but I have yet to edit it all together. I'll make an update to this post or include it in another once I get it finished.

I'll see if I can get my buddy to post his opinion here, but after riding it, he said was very impressed with the Infinity's performance overall as well (he rides 2011 Best Kahoona V3s, 9.5m & 13.5m).

Thanks to Dimitri for letting my crew and I demo this kite! He's been very patient while we've waited for the best winds to test it!

[Dimitri M]

I was finally able to test the Infinity v1 vs my Ozone Zephyr. The wind range at our spot (Lake Pflugerville in Pflugerville, TX) was 10-19mph at first, then later a remarkably steady (given our typically gusty inland location) 8-9mph. I didn't really get to test the kites at the absolute bottom of their range, but I was able to go upwind on both kites when the wind was at its lightest during our session. I'll do a quick review of the Infinity construction, bar, and bag, then review the performance of the kite and compare it to the Zephyr. Before continuing, I ask that the reader keeps in mind that the Infinity v1 was flown on the default 22m lines and the Zephyr is on 27m lines. Longer lines = bigger wind window, but slower turning.
Construction:
The construction of the Infinity is top-notch. The leading.......

Whaoooo...that was a great review and very honest. This is what I like to see. Thank you very much "sleepymexi" for taking your time to right this kind of review. It is good for few other people that don't have the chance to demo the kite and want to know the truth.
Now if you guys like the INFINITY v1 then you are going to be very impressed with the INFINITY v2. We were able to gain at least 3 knots on the lighter wind and better upwind ability and amazing pop. But some people that have been testing back to back with the INFINITY v1 they say that the v2 is faster then the v1. But personally I think the turning speed is the same.
Again thank you for your great review. I am sure people love to read the truth.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unbiased new kiter here, kiting for only 5 months. I had a chance to demo the cousin of the Infinity this weekend, the Blade Fat Lady 17m. I was very impressed. I'm 230lbs so I typically sit on the beach waiting for at least 12-13 kts to ride my 14m Switchbalde on a 148x46cm twintip. 12 kts is minimum and I'll probably end up downwind on that kite. This weekend the wind was too low, 9-12 kts all day. My friend let me try out the fat lady and I was able to ride and stay upwind with the kite fully depowered (went out depowered since it was my first time on a friends kite). I was very impressed with the turning speed, it turned faster than my 14m and was honestly more fun to ride. I have been practicing transitions the last few sessions and have been able to get about 5 out of 10 at best. The session with the Fat Lady I nailed all 5 in row. (only a quick 10 minute test of the kite) The kite just felt good. As I came in, some lady walked by and commented that it looked like I was having a blast out there! Hard not to buy it after that
So I totally believe the wind predictions Dimitri is claiming and really enjoy the enthusiasm he has in the videos! After testing the Fat Lady I was ready to buy one and really believe these companies have created a new class of light wind kites that perform well. I wish there was an infinity v2 owner here I could get a demo from, there probably will be soon

Hello "JollyGreen",
If you liked the FAT LADY then you are going to love the INFINITY v2 because it has more power, faster turning, better hang time and very easy to relaunch. Plus the construction is amazing.
So email me and once I get a chance to get my INFINITY v2 back you can give it a test to see the difference. This is my email: dimitri@epickites.com


P.S. TheSBC KITEBOARDINGmag is testing it as we speak and told me that one day it was blowing 3 knots and they wanted to do a photo shoot of the kites in the air and the only kite that was able to stay up in the air was the INFINITY v2.

[kitingkt]

Another unsolicited review from a customer:

===================================

Interesting afternoon. Kited from 2pm-5pm. The wind chart does not
reflect what I know the conditions were so I cannot completely
substantiate my claims, I think conditions were 8-18. What I do know
was the when I arrived at the beach Mike and Evan were there and
neither would go out. Evan was doing A video (don't be
surprised if the v2 shows up in the background of a vid) and
had his kite in the air while they were shooting for the first 1/2
later when the wind picked up he did some demo stuff in the water
having to walk back upwind every time. This was partially because he
was pulling tricks that required that he use up the little wind power
that was there.

The changes I noticed with the kite which may or may not be correct are:

leading edge curves back more on the tips
deeper canopy
thinner leading edge
thinner struts
foam covering strut clips

The low wind beach flying of the kite seemed the same as V1. Launch
was the same. I even made a flying mistake that I know from V1 in
really low wind results in all 4 lines going slack and having to run
backwards to keep the kite from falling out. In the beginning 8-10mph
I took the v2 out with the light wave wing. Stayed upwind no problem
and I could feel more grunt and bottom end. I even made some small
jumps and getting the wing off the water is no small feat. I was
surprised I felt so much of a difference. The kite seemed a little
slower, more on this later.

Then it went to 10-12mph and I went to the LF concept DLX. Still
staying upwind no problem but now I started testing the jumping more,
no question it wanted to jump more and higher. Moved up to 15+ and I
depowered the kite and kept riding. It was very clear to me that doing
the same things I do with the v1 this kite jumps higher and has more
power. I let Mike demo the kite and he did same as I - small
jumps over every wave when normally it would just be choosing one wave
to jump off. Wind chart shows gusts over 20mph but I would be
surprised if that was accurate, I didn't feel that. I have used the v1
over 20 many times and it requires that I depower the kite one step
more than what I did today.

Now on turning speed. I was not as excited about doing rotational
tricks with kite loops. I have gotten to where that is what I am
working on with the v1 on 10-15mph days and I was not excited about
doing it with v2. Maybe that was just not being used to the kite. I
have a theory though that something has been happening with my v1 that
happened so slowly that I did not realize it. I think it is possible
that the leading edge now twists more than it did when it was new
making my older v1 faster than the new v2. It is also possible that
the new leading edge is more stable and the kite does not twist as
much and is just slower.

Also on the subject of kite stability, I pumped the kite less than I
do my v1 and the tips did not bend under extreme wind and pressures.
On the v1 the only way I can keep this from happening is to pump the
kite very hard. It is also possible that the leading edge on this v2
will soften over time and the tips will bend unless pumped very hard,
however the way the leading edge curves back harder may be making it
more stable.

If I go on the assumption that my used v1 and this new v2 will always
operate as they fly now then I would recommend the v2 for anyone that
wants to ride in lower wind and jump as much and as high as possible.
I would recommend v1 for someone wanting to do tricks involving kite
loops in low wind. If Dimitri can verify that the leading edge will
break in and the kite will turn faster v2 is superior in every way,
unless you don't like to jump.

Thanks for the opportunity to check out the kite I had a great
afternoon and tried to let as many people as possible check it out.
The kite is a winner in my opinion. I probably used v1 for 80% of my
kiting days since I purchased it.

[ym]

Ok. So I finally got to try the new Inifnity V2.
Despite all the hype I heard about the V2 being stronger than the Inifnity 1, I wasn't sure how it was going to perform. (I do own and fly the Original Inifnity)
Well, all I can say that the hype is true.
The kite really has much more power than the Infinity V1. It is so amazing that I was able to go upwind on 7kts of wind. (I do weigh 150lbs)
It was such a light wind day that I really wasn't sure if the kite was even going to stay up in the air but it sure did not just stay up but I had to depower quite a bit to stay still.
I think that the V1 is a bit faster but I think that was the compromise to gain more power.
It definitely surprised me on the performance...
Now I know what I want for Xsmas!!

[Dimitri M]

Poster: ym
Ok. So I finally got to try the new Inifnity V2.
Despite all the hype I heard about the V2 being stronger than the Inifnity 1, I wasn't sure how it was going to perform. (I do own and fly the Original Inifnity)
Well, all I can say that the hype is true.
The kite really has much more power than the Infinity V1. It is so amazing that I was able to go upwind on 7kts of wind. (I do weigh 150lbs)
It was such a light wind day that I really wasn't sure if the kite was even going to stay up in the air but it sure did not just stay up but I had to depower quite a bit to stay still.
I think that the V1 is a bit faster but I think that was the compromise to gain more power.
It definitely surprised me on the performance...
Now I know what I want for Xsmas!!

Hello "ym",
Thank you for your input about the INFINITY v2. The turning speed should be the same then the INFINITY v1, but probably since you had to depower the INFINITY v2 that would make the kite not responding as good as it should if it was full powered up. So probably that is why it was not as fast as the v1 INFINITY.

[JollyGreen]

I do have video footage but I have yet to edit it all together. I'll make an update to this post or include it in another once I get it finished.

Were you ever able to get your video up on the web? I would be interested in seeing it!

[ladomi]

Was down in Cape Hatteras for Thanksgiving and had a chance to demo the Infinity V2 the Monday after. Excellent experience dealing with Dimitri. We corresponded several times via email while he was doing demos all over Florida. Upon his return, I went up to Nag's Head where he is located. The wind was not cooperating so he let me take the kite to Avon where the conditions looked better and return it the next day. Was pretty amazed by that.
By the time I got to kite point it was 3:30 and one person was packing up a 14M. Sunset was only an hour or so away and there was not much wind (SE which is sideoff, with texture to the water but no whitecaps) so I figured I'd try and at least fly it on the beach. My friend helps me launch and it's a big kite so it took a second, but once up it was generating a lot of power. I was able to drag through the sand so I figured I'd suit up. I'm an intermediate kiter, 175 lbs. and ride a Mako King.
Second launch was much easier. Grab my King and I'm heading out. I need to sine the kite and I'm super impressed with the turning speed. I have had 2 15M's but gave them up as they are so slow. I think the turning was on par with my 13M in such light winds and light bar pressure as well. I turn around and start losing ground. Luckily my friend said he'd follow me, take some video (embed below), and pick me up wherever.
I ended up doing a downwinder all the way to just north of Avon. Along the way I hit some more consistent breezes (but still no whitecaps) and really experienced the pull of this kite. It was tremendous and I could hold my ground. I think if my technique were better I would have been riding upwind but the kite sits further back in the window which I'm not used to and it felt like it was pulling me off my edge. I was the only person on the water, it was chilly, the wind was sideoff, and it was getting darker, so I was tentative and just threw some small jumps but I think someone with good skills would have had a blast jumping that kite in those winds.
By the time I arrived at the turn out north of Avon the wind was really fluky in close. Unfortunately the wind lulled hard and it went down in the water not far from shore. The trailing edge ended up submerged 3/4 of the way to the LE. As I was able to stand, I thought I'd try and relaunch it so my friend could find me. Once it was clear of the water on it's trailing edge, I grabbed the center lines and on the first pull it relaunched. I was pretty astounded as the kite must have been heavy with water. Kept it in the air for a bit, but didn't keep the kite moving enough and it went down again. Shortly thereafter my friend finds me and my demo is done.
He ended up getting some footage that at least gives you some idea of the wind and how the kite flies. Unfortunately being the only one on the water, there was no way to compare it's performance but then again I was the only one on the water. Overall I was very impressed with the kite and dealing with Dimitri. Money is tight but I will consider the kite for next season. I just hope there are some left if I decide to pull the trigger.