Red7 have been awfully quiet for the last couple of months. 

An advert in the latest SA Paddling gives a hint about what they've been up to...

Red7 have been busy: gearing up to manufacture no fewer than five new skis.  They've gone the CAD and modelling route, with all the designs being submitted to Intelligent Fluid Solutions in the UK for analysis using advanced fluid dynamics modelling systems.

Anyone who's had the sales pitch from the Big O, knows that "the plug for the V10 was CNC machined - that's why the hull has such accurate lines."

Oscar always goes on to point out the myriad of other features - the computer design, the venturi drain, the cockpit design, and so on.  One thing's for sure: the guys at Epic are not shy about their achievements - and when I asked, I was presented with a range of fascinating photographs and information about the development of the V10 ski.

Kayak Centre has entered into a license agreement with Epic Kayaks to build V10 skis for the South African market.

Oscar Chalupsky, Epic’s Vice President Sales, said he was delighted when Kayak Centre approached him with their proposal to build the V10 and V10 Sport skis for the South African market. Kayak Centre have a long history of building kayaks and surf skis. “People forget,” Oscar said, “Kayak Centre used to build skis for me 20 years ago – remember the original ‘Chalupsky’ skis? And they used make product for my father before that.”  

The new Epic V10 Sport has arrived in South Africa… But wait, it’s just one copy, brought back from the factory by Oscar Chalupsky who has spent the last three weeks in China.

(I’m told that the factory is in full production – with a current capacity of 100 boats per month. The first batches of production skis are destined for the US to fulfil a huge backlog of orders.)