Holy sheet, what a kayak!
I was nervous during the design and prototyping phases of Ripper 2 because the original Ripper is my favourite go-to kayak, and, in all honesty, I was scared the second version might not be as good as the original. However, what has come out of the Pyranha factory this time is better than I could ever have hoped.
You can tell where this kayak’s heritage comes from, but it makes the original Ripper look as if it’s standing still.
Increased rocker and width at the knees keep me riding drier down the river and not getting knocked around as much by small lead-in features above big lines. It still, however, is just enough width for the kayak to skip well out of drops, and no more than what’s needed; it is still lightning quick on edge transfers.
The second half of this kayak is just genius and a bold design choice by Pyranha. The way the rocker in the tail starts underneath your seat means the kayak hinges from that point, which allows you to lift the bow so easily. As you’re doing that, the sliciest tail on the market offers no resistance and you’ll find yourself vertical before you know it. There was a learning curve to getting the old Ripper up to vertical, but that is gone now with the Ripper 2. Everyone I have let try it has been able to pop it up to vert easily; the learning curve now is what you do with it when you’re vertical.
The ease at which I can get this kayak vertical opens up whole new doors for me with downriver freestyle and jibbin’ moves.
Many people look at the tail and are worried about being too tail-happy on pushier rapids, but I honestly have been surprised to not feel that myself. I now have twenty-one days out on the water in the Ripper 2 and I have only back-looped twice, one was a surprise and the other was my fault entirely, and I think even a Scorch X would have back-looped in that situation.
I need to wait and find a good-sized wave to really test this idea but on small waves, it seems to kickflip much better than the original, and I think this kayak can get more air off the back of waves because the rocker in the tail is helping to stop it dragging as you’re pulling up to launch over a wave.
I weigh 75kg and I am in the Medium Ripper 2. I will be interested to try the large when it comes out but have a feeling I will stick with the medium.
So stoked on this new design, Pyranha crushed it again!!
Bren