My brother and I are looking to add back into our mix a dedicated big jumping kite, now that we have the waves and freestyle kite sorted. Hence it would remiss of us not to get on the Epic screamer kites as a good starting point for comparison (obviously we need no introduction to the edge which is ultimately our starting point).

Bar: Not much to say, its a bar in the end with lines that attach to a kite. I see Dimitri has opted for the same lines as ozone, wise choice. Quick release all good, normal suicide setup. He still insists on a very large depower strap, which was hard to reach for us two 5 foot 11/9 lads but hey we still could get to it to trim. Not that I trim a great deal anyway so not a concern. Good solid bar setup that does the job nicely. Inflate still the old style, dont rate it personally and dont concur with some of the so called issues crew are banging on about with the large inflate valves, so hey it pumped up just fine! A couple of things I did like was the very simple way to change bar length (knots on each side of the bar end with larks heads), the back lines (knots under the floats) and knots on the front and back line pigtails when line stretch occurs. It's got some simple, concise solutions from a real rider, not some gadgetry that seem it was designed by anemic nerd behind a computer or some douche sitting on a 'bar design' committee. Simple, that's what we need not more plastic sh1t bits that might look good in colour magazines or on vids in the hands of some d1ck with sunglasses 3 sizes too big for him...that can ultimately break and just thoroughly piss you off.

Kite: 4G screamer, nothing new here. Didnt notice any difference with the 3G as after all as Dimitri has said, what needs changing. It is what it is; A bloody powerful boosting machine. The power in this 9m is something to behold. We had it from marginal to 25 knot conditions so we saw it in play from the low end to the mid high end. Did I say it went big? Huge actually. Had a cool session just my bro and I, like old times, just seeing who could jump the highest over each others lines and kites (ooh better be-careful might be another nanny state post coming up!). We were getting some good height in 18 knots so I thought, hang on, whats going to happen in 25?. I suppose this is where the screamer denotation comes into play.

Kite does fly forward quickly then sits back a little giving you that constant powerful pull.


This along with its mix of pivotal and arc turning, as well as the required positive (some might say heavy) input to the bar for turning equates to one important characteristic: A bucket load of feedback when kissing the sky. Unlike say a race kite type boost, you know where this kite is at all times. Its saying 'hey dumbass down there, I am HERE!. Its a freeride, old school type kite lending itself to such activities with the immense hang-time afforded. Its no park and ride kite, likes to be flown, the harder the better. So as I said nothing new here.


10LTD: The new incarnation, the prototype,a potential future kite and all that jazz!

Bar pressure is lower on this slightly and the power delivery in far more linear. You can feel the renegade at work in this regard. Also when loading and boosting you can feel the judge at play, it likes a more C kite attack, not true C attack, but elements of it. In 25 knots the 9m, you can leave the water at any time, with little input, just send back leg in and GO! This kite requires a little more attention. But we felt we got ripped more vertically when we got it right; Height and hang-time still impressive. Both kites had a similar low end which was interesting. Some greater drift in it than the 9 traditional 9m screamer, but I wouldnt be charging down a 3 head high wave on this kite. It is what youd expect a dialed down screamer with still heaps of potential for big airs. One thing is for sure you can shut the power off quicker on this kite in the last part of the throw, which allowed far more aggressive turns and transitions.


Didnt unhook I know they claim you can, especially on the 10m, but honestly I would suspect you would still need to trim this kite a fair bit unless you are technically very good. I wouldnt get this kite to unhook, Id get it to go big, period. For the record we both liked this kite better and would suggest (what it is worth) pursuing this design in the future R and D. That original screamer is such a specific kite and must only appeal to mad dogs and Englishmen.


Build quality: Looks okay to me, everything youd expect in a modern kite, but really only time and use can determine a kite manufactures longevity, so I really dont know why we comment on this. All kites look pretty darn good lying there on the beach nowadays.

Get in touch with EastCC there are some demos floating about our parts. Worth a ride and why not!!

Chow.

Yup, what you write is true. But there are plenty of kites out there that jump far better (higher and far longer hangtime eg. North Fuse).
I owned 3 Screamers and as you know, I had major problems with the quality of that "Epic" gear (I'm talking about the 3G stuff). Maybe the quality has been improved and maybe a dealer in between will help, but I will never touch that crap again.
Nothing more to say...

Tchau (Brazilian writing) or Ciao (the Italian writing)
Caesar

Nice review Eppo,
I finally got a chance to try the new 10LTD last saturday. Indeed, this kite really rips you off the water when you get it right.
It sends you high so fast, you feel like you get some G's on the way up. Then the hangtime is impressive, you just stay up there and no matter how high you jumped, the landing is always butter soft. Lots of fun on this kite, I can't wait to try it out in stronger wind.

The new bar is also a big improvement, the new chicken-loop and quick release work very well. The new lines are beefy and solid, you can still adjust the length of the back and front lines very easily.
I didn't like the foam on the 3G bar, I was glad to see that the new bar was made of a different EVA foam which is very comfy and is much more resistant.

The building quality is one of the reasons why I choose Epic in the first place, so I don't really agree with the previous comment.
These kites are very well built and have nothing to envy to any other brand IMO.
I've got 3 screamers myself, even after 100's of sessions, I 've never had any issues. I had delaminated valve once (but after leaving my kite in the car parked in the sun for a few days, it's no surprise really...), even though this was my fault, I received a free replacement valve straight to my door, 2 days later. Awesome !
Epic is still a small company, clearly, they wouldn't make it in the kite industry without providing excellent gear and a top-notch customer service.
I think they put much more efforts in developing their kites and keeping their customer happy than many other brands out there.

Yeah I had the 4g 10m LTD out at the top end in 30 knots - you better hang on tight when sending it as hard as you can stomping the edge, it keeps going up and the beach gets a little small from up there and no suprises that the float will let you helicopter loop it half way down the same beach too

I nearly got caught out when walking towards the water, pulling the bar to half way like my 9... WTF im going up - a quick panic bar adjustment lol and im on the ground again - learnt my lesson but new I was in for a treat

For an aggressive rip you upwards big air kite with float for old school board offs or just to get bored waiting to come down softly its great. Didnt get to try bottom end so no comment there..

Back to Back with 4g 9m Screamer - the 10m out jumps it heightwise obviously by what felt about 10- 15 feet.

The 9m is my personal favourite because it turns fast with more consistent power through Megaloops and downloops, I like a kite you can kite hard with if called for.

C kites - sure they pull consistent through a loop But... not with the same Rip you off the water power, 'mid way through at max power' that the 9 has obviously because of its strut & bridaled profile.

As far as quality goes - Im still charging about jumping over other brand 2014 kites, on my 2011 Epic Screamer that was actually delivered to me late 2010.. and I kite harder than most, so make your own choice who says what, if I ever jump over you with it lol.
I will get me a new one very shortly after playing on the 4g's .. dammit

Just a reminder that these kites love rider input and the more aggressive you ride the bigger the reward you gets

Nice review Eppo, thanks for taking the kite for a spin.

The demo's are on this weekend in WA - finally its looking promising and should be a good couple of days.

when and where mate? would love to find something to rival the 7m GT for g force rip off the water sickness

Any ideas on the jump height and hang time relative to the ozone edge or the north rebel??

Cap - today from 2pm at Mandurah
tomorrow from 2pm at Rockingham

Email me at admin@eastcoastkitesurfing.com.au and I can send you a mobile number

Select to expand quote

eppo said..

My brother and I are looking to add back into our mix a dedicated big jumping kite, now that we have the waves and freestyle kite sorted. Hence it would remiss of us not to get on the Epic screamer kites as a good starting point for comparison (obviously we need no introduction to the edge which is ultimately our starting point).

Bar: Not much to say, its a bar in the end with lines that attach to a kite. I see Dimitri has opted for the same lines as ozone, wise choice. Quick release all good, normal suicide setup. He still insists on a very large depower strap, which was hard to reach for us two 5 foot 11/9 lads but hey we still could get to it to trim. Not that I trim a great deal anyway so not a concern. Good solid bar setup that does the job nicely. Inflate still the old style, dont rate it personally and dont concur with some of the so called issues crew are banging on about with the large inflate valves, so hey it pumped up just fine! A couple of things I did like was the very simple way to change bar length (knots on each side of the bar end with larks heads), the back lines (knots under the floats) and knots on the front and back line pigtails when line stretch occurs. It's got some simple, concise solutions from a real rider, not some gadgetry that seem it was designed by anemic nerd behind a computer or some douche sitting on a 'bar design' committee. Simple, that's what we need not more plastic sh1t bits that might look good in colour magazines or on vids in the hands of some d1ck with sunglasses 3 sizes too big for him...that can ultimately break and just thoroughly piss you off.

Kite: 4G screamer, nothing new here. Didnt notice any difference with the 3G as after all as Dimitri has said, what needs changing. It is what it is; A bloody powerful boosting machine. The power in this 9m is something to behold. We had it from marginal to 25 knot conditions so we saw it in play from the low end to the mid high end. Did I say it went big? Huge actually. Had a cool session just my bro and I, like old times, just seeing who could jump the highest over each others lines and kites (ooh better be-careful might be another nanny state post coming up!). We were getting some good height in 18 knots so I thought, hang on, whats going to happen in 25?. I suppose this is where the screamer denotation comes into play.

Kite does fly forward quickly then sits back a little giving you that constant powerful pull.


This along with its mix of pivotal and arc turning, as well as the required positive (some might say heavy) input to the bar for turning equates to one important characteristic: A bucket load of feedback when kissing the sky. Unlike say a race kite type boost, you know where this kite is at all times. Its saying 'hey dumbass down there, I am HERE!. Its a freeride, old school type kite lending itself to such activities with the immense hang-time afforded. Its no park and ride kite, likes to be flown, the harder the better. So as I said nothing new here.


10LTD: The new incarnation, the prototype,a potential future kite and all that jazz!

Bar pressure is lower on this slightly and the power delivery in far more linear. You can feel the renegade at work in this regard. Also when loading and boosting you can feel the judge at play, it likes a more C kite attack, not true C attack, but elements of it. In 25 knots the 9m, you can leave the water at any time, with little input, just send back leg in and GO! This kite requires a little more attention. But we felt we got ripped more vertically when we got it right; Height and hang-time still impressive. Both kites had a similar low end which was interesting. Some greater drift in it than the 9 traditional 9m screamer, but I wouldnt be charging down a 3 head high wave on this kite. It is what youd expect a dialed down screamer with still heaps of potential for big airs. One thing is for sure you can shut the power off quicker on this kite in the last part of the throw, which allowed far more aggressive turns and transitions.


Didnt unhook I know they claim you can, especially on the 10m, but honestly I would suspect you would still need to trim this kite a fair bit unless you are technically very good. I wouldnt get this kite to unhook, Id get it to go big, period. For the record we both liked this kite better and would suggest (what it is worth) pursuing this design in the future R and D. That original screamer is such a specific kite and must only appeal to mad dogs and Englishmen.


Build quality: Looks okay to me, everything youd expect in a modern kite, but really only time and use can determine a kite manufactures longevity, so I really dont know why we comment on this. All kites look pretty darn good lying there on the beach nowadays.

Get in touch with EastCC there are some demos floating about our parts. Worth a ride and why not!!

Chow.

Hmmmmmm Interesting

FYI...

Watched mike yesterday at out local on the 9m 4g screamer. He was easily out boosting everyone, throwing down some serious powered loops, unhooked rally's and S bends.

Nice riding mate. How's that French fella that got air lifted out? He looked in a bad way...shallow water is dangerous.

If you want pure power give this kite a crack. Its not for everyone but in the right hands (like Mike) its an adrenaline source!!!

You guys finally got some decent wind , (at the right time)

Eopo, did you have a run on the renegades?

Nah I was out on the dice trying to dodge the chopper blades...lol. I think we all dialed back a notch after watching this. It can actually be a dangerous place to kite in those conditions especially if you are past the beginner phase and think you know what you are doing.

I was just an on looker not there to ride other kites, I'm bloody demoed out at the moment been on so many lately.

But yeh Mike is a sick rider hey...

He's actually a crap rider, its the kite that makes him look awesome

But yes he goes pretty well from the pics I've seen.

Yes I've always maintained I'm an awesome rider on crap kites...bahahahaha

Select to expand quote

eppo said..

Yes I've always maintained I'm an awesome rider on crap kites...bahahahaha

Hmmmmm Interesting

And the ass clown returns. ...

Some pics with the screamer 9, looks like a sweet spot there:

Select to expand quote

eppo said..

And the ass clown returns. ...

Hmmmmmm Nasty

Lol....

4G 9m Epic Screamer - The production version which is a little different from the demo I rode previously and much better !!

Me 75kg advanced rider / wipe out technician :)

I got to ride my new kite in some decent wind 20-30 knots yesterday... at one of my favourite flatwater locations in Perth, it just happened to crank as it sometimes does - though the forcast says otherwise.

Verdict - This is one tripped out kite !!!

My personal interpretation of a great 9m kite is that firstly it should jump freakn huge, well It definitely does that if your not 'and I meant not' afraid to pull the bar hard and stamp the board on take off.. though still nice to say that with a half decent effort - you will still be rewarded with a good jump equal to any brand !

Secondly - it should horizontaly megaloop fast and hard with the feeling of being shot out of a canon which it does giving you the confidence to throw them anytime knowing it will catch you easily and then let you helicopter loop it for a nice soft landing - most times ha ha

Thirdly - it should be fast turning and maintain power through through downloop slammed rooster tail carving turns with no back stall - it shoots back to the front of the window dragging you with it, waiting for more.

Lastly - upwind is excellent and youll be doing it a lot, with a kite of this Calibre and freakn huge aerials landing you way the hell downwind.. Thats got to be the best downside of this kite :)

I also tried both 20m & 24m lines in this session, the 20s matched perfectly and the 24s gave you a little extra height wise at the expense of a little turn speed.. both lots of fun though.

As the wind dropped out I gave it to my friend to see what she thought - and she commented it was a very easy kite to ride and stable... but wondered how do you get it to jump so high ? ha ha :)

In my opinion the best allrounder 9m jump kite Ive tried to date.

Thanks Nigel at Epic EastCoast kiteboarding for getting the Colours I wanted and delivery in 5 days.
These guys are awesome - they can send you a demo where ever you live...

Nice wrap up!

You wanna go really big, with power to shake your nuts to pieces, this is a great option!!

The metaphor was pertinent as my wife has just booked me in to get the snip...

Select to expand quote

eppo said..

You wanna go really big, with power to shake your nuts to pieces, this is a great option!!

The metaphor was pertinent as my wife has just booked me in to get the snip...

Guess you'll be ditching the seat & wearing a waist harness for a while Eppo

Thanks Whales for the review, the 9m is the pick of the screamers imo

What seat harness???

Good review Whales. I missed the local Epic demos, but purchased a near new v3 9m screamer. Thanks to Nigel I also demoed 4g 10 LTD. Rider intermediate, 95 kgs, age 58 not slowing down wanting to go harder and higher. Both above kites grin factor 10/10 and am fully satisfied with both kites. For me 9m range 18/35 knots. 10m range 15/30 knots. Both kites are play full and well behaved in their low to mid range. In the upper wind range the 9m is more balls to the wall, the 10m is more refined and easy going to kite with. The 4g10 ltd is my favourite and both are worth a demo.
[


Was using 4g 10 ltd in photo, kite not seen in photo, sorry I am the big guy near top off photo, boosting a big buzz as always.

fck yeh robin!!!! just sic!!!!!

That is some great pics and good write ups on some stellar kites! I have gotten Dimitri to send me down an infinity v3 to demo and I ended up buying the bloody kite! Will have a thorough review up shortly but it is a great kite. I am no LW specialist but this is definitely a kite designed to throw down with compared to mowing the lawn (and at the end of the day the ladies don't get excited over grass clippings).

James

Looking forward to trying the 4G screamer 10m Ltd and seeing how it compares to my beloved 3G 10m!

Where/ how can we get our hands on a demo over here in NTh Queensland?

Select to expand quote

Mex said..

Where/ how can we get our hands on a demo over here in NTh Queensland?

Hey Mex,

Heres a link for Epic Eastcoast kiteboarding Australia

www.eastcoastkitesurfing.com.au/

Email Nigel - hes a top bloke will help you out quicksmart no fuss :)

The 9m 4g Screamer in 20-30 will blow your mind if you can jump..

have fun :)

Thanks.....Nigel has contacted me.