epic kayaks

Freya Hoffmeister

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!

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™ paddles 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!

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!

On my solo record circumnavigation of Australia I used a small midsize full carbon 205 cm 652 g epic wing paddle – nothing less or else!

And I’m going to use the same one on my circumnavigation of South America now!

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.