When the concept of the Ripper started being discussed I was immediately very excited.
A boat that paddled like a slalom boat, played like an old school playboat, and ran rivers like a creek boat. The key features had to add up to a boat that you could not only spend hours doing tailies looking at the sky, but also paddle some serious whitewater with your mates.
Chris Brain & Tom Parker Ripping Up the Soca, by Paul Smith
Several months have now gone by, and after spending many hours, days, and weeks paddling the Ripper M and S (an L size is also available), I feel that I have a pretty good idea of what this boat really means to me, and where it sits in the Pyranha lineup.
The Ripper is an iconic change. We saw this with the 9R in 2014, bringing a boat that was significantly faster and longer than other creek boats in the market, and with the Ripper, it is much the same. This boat combines speed with immense amounts of fun, in a very different way to the other “squashed tail” boats which are available.
Ty Caldwell Letting Rip on Gorilla, by Dave Deggendorf
The main thing I like about the Ripper is its unique volume distribution combined with the width of the boat; this neat combination allows super fast edge transitions in a boat that still looks after you. Playing all day has never been more enjoyable.
The planing hull also allows the boat to surf almost every wave on the river, being fast enough to catch even the flattest ones whilst your mates can only watch from the eddy. The bow rocker has helped with that, balancing the need to be fast with the importance of handling and boofing.
David Bain Getting Recklessly Vertical on the Soca, by Tom Rainey
The Ripper is a massive change for most people paddling bigger creek boats, but try this boat out and you will see why the hype is justified; it will leave you with a smile ear to ear and help you become a better kayaker as a result.