Team – Epic Kayaks USA

“After spending years using lightweight efficient racing gear, one of my motivations when I started Epic was to bring racing technology to all levels of paddlers. Whether your skill level is a sprint K1 or the Epic V5, you’ll get the most enjoyment if your equipment is efficient, lightweight, ergonomic and easy to use.” - Greg Barton

Founder and principal designer at Epic Kayaks, Greg Barton won four Olympic medals in sprint kayaking, including two gold medals, and four world championship titles. Greg started Epic Paddles in 1997 in Seattle, and Epic Kayaks shortly afterwards. He continues to race competitively in surfski events around the world, as well as continued design work with Epic.

At Epic Kayaks, we design and build fast, efficient kayaks that are pure joy to paddle, and help you stay fit while enjoying the water with your friends, family, and paddling community.

We bring a racing pedigree to recreational paddlers, as well as elite performance to passionate surfski racers around the world.

We believe that lightweight, cutting-edge boat designs enhance the paddling experience for everyone that yearns to explore lakes, rivers, and oceans.

We love paddling and want to share our passion with you, whether you like to paddle just for fun, fitness, or adventure! A healthy lifestyle and the camaraderie generated by participation in paddle sports are core beliefs at Epic Kayaks.

We are a small company with a global reach, headquartered in the USA. Our staff includes dedicated paddlers, racers, coaches, designers, boat builders, and experienced sales professionals from around the world.

Greg Barton

Founder and principal designer at Epic Kayaks, Greg Barton. Winner of four
Olympic medals in sprint kayaking, including two gold medals, and four world
championship titles.

Charles Brand - CEO

Charles joined Epic Kayaks as a small shareholder in March 2003, and has passionately supported founder Greg Barton’s passion for excellence and vision that began with “Designed by World Champions for the Everyday Paddler”. Charles' childhood love of dinghy sailing evolved into international level competitive windsurfing, and later into downwind ocean surfski paddling. Charles graduated with a BA and an MBA from the University of Cape Town in 1988. He worked for Southern Sun Hotels after graduating and later founded, owned and operated the Cape Grace Hotel in the Waterfront in Cape Town from 1996 - 2001, during which time the hotel was nominated by Conde Naste Traveler as Best Hotel in the World.

Kate Impson

After studying psychology at university, Kate Impson made the move from South Africa to China to join her husband Tyrell. It didn’t take long before she became part of the Epic family, and if you’ve dealt with Epic over the past decade and a half, chances are you’ve spoken with Kate. While she doesn’t always get much time on the water, when she does you’ll find her on a V9 — usually with her trademark pink accents. One of Kate’s most unforgettable experiences on the water was paddling at Julian Rocks in Australia. Outside of work, she loves travelling and experiencing different cultures, all guided by her deep love of music and her faith in God. Still high on her bucket list is exploring the stunning
Milford Sound in New Zealand.

Kenny Howell

Kenny wandered in the wilderness of the Americas from Alaska to Costa Rica for two decades, guiding sea kayak and whitewater river trips, and once kayaked across the Sea of Cortez from the Baja Peninsula to the Mexican mainland and back - the first known crossing in single kayaks. Then he fell in love with Epic Kayaks, and now enjoys competing in surfski races around the world, especially downwind events. He has worked for Epic since 2015, managing west coast and Hawaii sales, and operating the Epic Test Center in Half Moon Bay, California.

Tyrell Impson

Tyrell Impson has been building kayaks for over two decades and has been part of the Epic team since 2001. Starting out on the factory floor, he did just about everything in the early days and worked his way up to becoming Head of Manufacturing, while also being closely involved in customer service. What keeps him at Epic is simple: the people — both the team he works with and the wider paddling community. Growing up in Durban, South Africa, Tyrell was always around kayaks, but it was only after joining Epic that he began paddling seriously. For him, paddling is as much about clearing the mind as it is about staying fit and spending time with friends, even though ongoing back issues have slowed him down in recent years. Having paddled in many parts of the world, some of his favourite experiences have been in China, and he firmly believes there’s no such thing as a “dream boat” — just the right boat for the right conditions.