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Review of the New Epic V10 Sport
Review of the New Epic V10 Sport – by Gib Bintliff
I took delivery of a new V10 Sport (Ultra) in Hawaii about six months ago. I’ve been paddling it and using it to give lessons to a friend since then. In the interest of full disclosure, I’m a long-time friend and former teammate of both Greg Barton and Oscar Chalupsky and I’ve paddled a V10’s in Hawaii and Saipan since 2005. I’ve paddled surfskis since they were introduced to Hawaii in the early 80’s. I raced during the 80’s including the Molokai Race. Makapu’u and China Wall/Hanauma Bay runs are second nature to me despite my lack of fitness in recent years.
The new V10 Sport is just that – new. The new seat and cockpit configuration have profoundly improved an already great surfski (the new V10S seat is about 2 cm or 3/4" wider than the V10 seat. By comparison, the old V10 Sport seat is about 4 cm or 1.5" wider than the V10 seat. So the new seat is about half way between the old seat and a V10.) The new seat was designed to keep the paddler in a more centered position; so even paddlers with narrow hips should feel stable with this seat
To be clear, this is a very fast high performance boat.
To truly appreciate the new V10 Sport it helps to absorb something I posted on the Yahoo Surfski email group a while back: “It’s not about winning, it’s about grinning”. I’ve posted this statement on the email group several times despite the many years I spent competing and, at times, winning. The point is that, unless you’re a serious racer, paddling is (or should be) about fitness and fun (joy squirting out of every pore of your body type of fun). There are paddlers (aliens) from the Planet Elite (Robinson, Barton, Mocke, Cotter, Laughlin, McGregor, Karls, Chalupsky-even today, etc., etc.) and then there’s the rest of us (humans). I notice that many people (humans) seem to select a ski based on which type of ski is winning the races while being paddled by the aliens from Planet Elite. This makes about as much sense as buying a Formula One car to drive to a party. The question is not “which ski is best?” - the question should be “which ski is best for me?” where “best” equates to maximum fitness and fun.
I think the new V10 Sport is that boat for most humans. It’s rocket fast while being extremely stable. Best of all, it surfs like crazy on small runners and in big water (“nuking” to quote Mark Sandvold).
My Experience on the New V10 Sport
I’ve paddled the V10 Sport in the flat and in extreme conditions around Makapu’u Point and against the cliffs at China Wall. I’ve taken it on numerous Hawaii Kai runs and I’ve paddled it uphill from the Outrigger Canoe Club to Black Point repeatedly. Obviously, my V10 is faster in the flat. However, the jury is out on which ski is faster in extreme conditions. Seriously, the V10 Sport may be faster for me in big water because it’s so much more stable (I’m a human not an alien). The stability of the new V10 Sport is especially apparent in the “washing machine” at places like Makapu’u Point and China Wall. Less bracing is important but less “draw/brace” strokes is even more important. The more “pure draw” stokes you can take, the faster you go and the more bumps you catch while using less energy (my Garmin tells me that my pulse is lower on the Sport versus the V10 in big water.). More bumps equals more fun!
Also, being 16 inches shorter than the V10, the Sport turns more quickly than the V10. Quicker turning makes connecting bumps easier (requiring less anticipation). Just turn and go!
The V10 Sport is a high performance surfski. I did everything I could to exceed the boat’s limits, including pulling into 12 foot plus surfing waves. The Sport easily handled it all.
My Student’s Experience
One of my best friends is an extremely fit and strong lawyer in his mid-sixties – WITH NO PADDLING EXPERIENCE AT ALL. And yes, I said mid-60’s. I corrupted him into paddling a couple years ago (he started on the original Sport). After spending his first few paddles under the boat, he got on the Sport and started paddling. Despite my best efforts to motivate him, we only paddle two times a month on average. He gradually got off the flat and into the rough. We started by catching smaller surfing waves in front of the Outrigger (the surfers hate the stand-ups - the stand-ups hate us). He’s been at it now for approximately two years and last weekend he tackled China Wall on the new Sport. He did extraordinarily well, catching bumps in both directions and only fell once. This says a great deal about the new Sport – a beginner, with no paddling experience, paddled China Wall after approximately 50 paddles. In other words, a beginner on the new Sport who paddled three times per week would be paddling China Wall in about four months. Bottom line: the new V10 Sport drastically shortens the balance (thus technique) learning curve without sacrificing performance. This is huge!
Most importantly, my friend has joy squirting out of his pores when he’s on the Sport.
Zsolt Szadovszki’s Experience
Zsolt Szadovszki is from the Planet Elite via Hungary. We recently did a Hawaii Kai run with Zsolt on the new V10 Sport and me on my V10. Zsolt had no problems giving me the “curve of the Earth”. Fortunately, Zsolt is polite and patient so he waited for me and we paddled most of the way together.
“This boat turns super fast and the bumps are so easy to catch – I almost don’t need to paddle for them!” Zsolt proclaimed at one point.
Watching Zsolt on the new V10 Sport was amazing. He seemed to catch everything and connected wave after wave, going left then right then back left again. Zsolt would apply is amazing technique for a few quick strokes and off he would go – quickly becoming a little dot on the horizon.
New V10 Sport in Races
Those who doubt the new V10 Sport’s speed and racing pedigree need look no further than Aussie Danny Topfer’s success in recent races. Topfer took 14th in the Molokai Race last May on a V10 Sport with an eye-opening sub-four hour time of 3:51:02 (no one goes sub-four hour on a slow boat). Topfer was further back at Portlock Point. He hunted down and passed a competitor into the wind in “flat” water during the last two miles of the race. Topfer also did extremely well in this year’s 28km Island Shamaal Mauritius Ocean race placing 13th on a V10 Sport.
Quality of construction
The Sport’s construction is robust and the finishing is flawless. The Ultra weighs about 23 lbs and it’s stiff and rigid. I could go on, but sufficed to say the new Sport’s quality is as good as it gets.
Comfort
The new seat and cockpit configuration in the Sport is, in a word, plush. The seat is a little roomier than the V10’s seat but still allows for the close contact essential for feeling the bumps and balancing in the rough. I spent four hours in the Sport one day and was comfortable the entire time.
Pros
Cons
Conclusion
The new V10 Sport is a remarkable surfski. It’s incredibly stable, fast on the flat and amazing going downhill – on small stuff and in extreme conditions. Most importantly it’s comfortable and phenomenally fun. Its stability makes it perfect for beginners but it would be a gross mischaracterization to call it a “beginner’s ski”. This is a high performance machine. I have a hard time imagining any non-elite paddler being dissatisfied with it in anything except glass flat conditions.
Again the question is “which ski is best for me” not “which ski is best”. Unless you’re an alien from Planet Elite, the V10 Sport may be the answer.
(BTW, if you’re wondering if you’re an alien or a human, enter a major race with a good number of aliens. If you’re not in the top ten or twenty – you’re human.)
