The EPICENE is based on the very same design tenets that make BASE jumping canopies reliable, but we tuned the design to deliver more glide performance, softer openings, and better handling. We have tested the EPICENE with a variety of packing methods and with different deployment techniques, and its design is meant to ensure the best overall opening consistency available today. A common sensation during the opening process of many parachutes is the stage when the parachute seems to be "searching" for the final heading that it will settle on. The EPICENE opens immediately and with minimal yaw-axis search.

 

Although the openings are faster than traditional skydive canopies, they are not uncomfortable if deployment occurs at moderate airspeeds. It is a positive but gentle opening that will not wear you out, even after many consecutive jumps. We love the lack of uncertainty during the opening phase - you pitch, and get a parachute. Traditional skydiving canopies that are designed for extended "snivel" during inflation are not ideal for wingsuit applications. We are convinced that the EPICENE concept is the future of wingsuit skydive parachute design, and some of the world's best skydivers agree: Andy Farrington, Noah Bahnson, Mike Swanson, TJ Landgren, Luke Aikins, Jeffro Provenzano, Katie Hansen, Petter Jönsson, and the Squirrel Team all jump the EPICENE by choice.

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THE OPENING

The Epicene was designed from the ground up to deliver the most reliable openings possible, specifically for modern wingsuit skydiving use. The Epicene provides incredibly consistent on-heading openings in a comparatively short amount of altitude. Part of what makes the Epicene so reliable during the opening phase is its super-low aspect ratio design – aspect ratio is an important design factor for reliability and consistency during parachute openings.

 

PACKING YOUR EPICENE

The Epicene is the first canopy of its kind, but contains no new parachute technology. It is a tried and true 7 cell design that is built with the highest quality materials available today. Thanks to the ultra-light low-bulk Porcher Sport PN9 material on the main surfaces and ribs, it is very easy to pack. The material lays flat quickly and without drama, and is highly formable with no propensity to expand or squirm out of your control during the fold and reduction process. Its overall pack volume is 15-30% less than ZP canopy designs depending on size and type (Example: A popular 120sqft 9-cell ZP design has pack volume of approximately an Epicene 150). Packing the Epicene is similar to other 7-cell mains. Refer to the manual for proper packing technique.

 

IN-FLIGHT

Piloting the Epicene is straight-forward and fun. It has a sporty and highly compact feel in the air, with direct control inputs and progressive brake-travel. Read the reviews to see what people are saying about the Epicene's flight characteristics.

 

THE PILOT

The Epicene is a comparatively simple and easy to use parachute system in terms of packing, opening, and flight. 7-cell designs made from 0-3cfm fabric (F-111) all require some experience to land comfortably, compared to lightly loaded 9-cell ZP designs, and therefore it is not recommended for student use. The Epicene is designed specifically for wingsuit use, but is suitable for other skydiving applications as well.

 

CANOPY PERFORMANCE

The Epicene is high-performance in the sense that it delivers high-quality openings for wingsuit pilots who are flying today's modern wingsuit designs. In terms of glide and speed, the Epicene's low-aspect ratio design means that it does not have glide performance comparable to 9 cell ZP skydiving canopies. If glide performance is your top priority, then the Epicene is not for you.

 

CHOOSING YOUR SIZE

The Epicene is designed to make wingsuit skydiving parachute openings better, and the low-bulk material packs into a significantly smaller volume than standard ZP parachutes. What this means is that you should choose an Epicene that is larger than what you would normally jump for non-wingsuit applications. We recommend a wingloading in the range of 1.2:1 for experienced skydivers. Expert wingsuit and canopy pilots may wish to fly the Epicene at a higher wingloading, but it is important to understand that the canopy‘s best characteristics can only be fully experienced at a lower wingloading. Please take into consideration where you typically jump – density altitude is a critical factor that you must fully understand before jumping an Epicene. If you skydive more in Colorado than you do in Washington State, for example, then you must choose your size accordingly. Always be aware of changing density altitude conditions.

 

SLICK JUMPS (NON-WINGSUIT USE)

Although the Epicene is designed specifically for wingsuit skydiving, our testing and customer feedback has demonstrated that it performs very well for non-wingsuit jumps when properly packed and configured with your container system.

 

DEPLOYMENT SPEED, BURBLE, ANGLE OF ATTACK

Wingsuit parachute deployments are subject to many variables. The Epicene is a specialized parachute designed for wingsuit skydivers who understand the factors involved with parachute deployments and how a wingsuit can complicate them. In order to experience the benefits of the Epicene, you should learn to control your airspeed, burble (wake turbulence), and angle of attack during deployment.

 

MATERIALS

Porcher Sport PN9 is the highest quality low-bulk 0-3cfm material available. The ZP leading edge greatly enhances the Epicene's longevity and performance – during the Epicene's development our prototypes performed well for more than one thousand jumps. The Epicene is delivered with 725lb Spectra lines. No other line options are available.

 

CANOPY LIFESPAN – PRO DEAL

Over the past two years the vast majority of the world’s leading wingsuit skydivers have chosen the Epicene and it is, at this point, a proven concept. People often ask us how long this parachute lasts – we ask them, how long does it take you to do 1000 jumps? If you're planning on making more than 500 jumps per year with your Epicene, ask us about our skydive-professional pro-deal. If you are a highly avid or professional skydiver and want to have the best equipment for each type of jumping that you do, but don't have an unlimited budget to buy new gear every year, then our pro-deal program guarantees a trade-in value for your first canopy. Contact us to apply.