epic kayaks

epic kayaks

Greg Barton

Freya Hoffmeister

Oscar Chalupsky

I used epic wing paddles since I started sea kayaking in 2005. My good friend and sea kayaking mentor Matthias Panknin used one; I tried his and have loved it ever since!

Photo by Paul Caffyn

Back then I didn’t really appreciate what kind of fine paddling tool I had my hands on. And, of course, I could not have imagined that I’d end up in a great sponsorship relationship with epic! Thanks to Oscar Chalupsky and Greg Barton for working with me!

Greg, who began making his own wing paddles back when he was competing in the Olympics, provide me with a variation of a super-lightweight Full Carbon Length-Lock™ paddle and the Active Tour Full Carbon Length-Lock™ paddle.

When I got started my favourite wing blade was the Large Wing Full Carbon Length-Lock™ . Used primarily for sprint racing, it’s not what  your average touring paddler would take on a long trip. Regardless, I liked it very much. After all, when you go sea kayaking with a group you stop frequently to check out the scenery or you wait around for the group to gather again…so the large blade didn’t wear me out. When a situation arose where speed was necessary for "survival" — towing another kayak, a storm fast approaching, or bracing in rough water — the large blade allowed me to get maximum power with each stroke (assuming you have good technique and are used to a large blade). Most impressive, however, is that it’s so light and bites hard…if you love to let it bite!

On my circumnavigation of Iceland I used a 210 – 220 cm large wing. My partner Greg Stamer and I stopped every hour for a 5 minute break so that large blade suited me just fine…plus I was able to keep up easily with Greg… ) For a spare I carried the mid size wing.

If you’re going on a trip where you’ll be doing a lot of continuous paddling, if you’re a "normal sea kayaker" who paddles in a variety of conditions, or if you want to try you hand at racing, the Mid Wing Full Carbon Med Flex (Burgundy) Shaft Length-Lock™ is probably the paddle for you.

I use a 205-215 cm mid-size wing, which allows me to vary the length and the feather angle. After experimenting with both, I find I’m most comfortable at 206 cm with 45° feather. But let’s say you pass your precious tool to your partner to try, he can easily adjust it to any length and angle he so desires!

Picture by Tim Cuff

On my solo record circumnavigation of New Zealand South Island I used the extremely lightweight mid size wing. Because I was paddling all day with few breaks — often 12-15 hours a day, including one continuous 32.5 hrs! effort — it was the best paddle for me! Because it’s so light (680g) and breaks apart, it’s easy to store or shove in a back pack you should you not want to leave it behind.

When I lost my beloved paddle in a violent surf landing in New Zealand it took epic only five days to send me a new one directly from their factory in China. Thanks to such fast service I was able to continue the last part of the trip with my favourite paddle!

I also own the Active Tour Full carbon Length Lock Paddle, the lightest Euroblade on the market. I often use this blade when I’m teaching tricky strokes to a class or as a loaner to paddlers who are more comfortable with a standard Euroblade. At just 650g this paddle is the lightest on the market and performs brilliantly in all conditions.

Oscar Chalupsky and Greg Barton from epic kayaks are currently working on an expedition version of  the epic 18x sport kayak for me.

They aim to create a special strong expedition lay-up for rough launchings and landings as well as an improved rudder for better rough water control. I’ve asked them to include details like a third bulkhead for the day hatch which is quite valuable on a long solo expedition. Everything is in the testing phase and not yet available for epic customers! I’ll write about how it comes out when it’s tested and ready to go!

Right now at home I’m training in the production line epic 18x version. I appreciate the speed and the easy handling of a boat with a rudder.

While speed is not essential on a long expedition, a fast kayak with a rudder designed by racing champions appeals to me a lot because I find it extremely satisfying to complete my trips as fast as possible. The specially built epic 18x sport that I’ll use on the Australian circumnavigation will be my first WHITE sea kayak. No, I’m not giving up on favorite black but considering that I’m rounding Australia I’d rather not fry an egg on a black one… ))

My latest toy is the epic V10 sport surfski. A surf ski, which I’d never seen until this winter, is great for balance, fitness and it’s really fun surfing downwind. Besides the addictive feeling of speed – skis are the fastest kayaks on the water — I also love the freedom of paddling without a spray deck! With you knees together you can really feel your body rotating on each stroke as there’s nothing to restrict your legs. Of course, all of my rolling skills are useless in a ski. When you capsizing out you go! Instead of rolling, you remount almost like your getting back on a horse without a saddle. Still I’m convinced that my rolling and rough water skills help me balance even without having paddled a tippy K1…

This March I used a V10 Sport and competed in my first surfski race in Puerto Rico. It was a great challenge and I was quite happy I did it! Please read the race report here.