Earlier this year, Pyranha Kayaks released its highly-anticipated Ripper 2. The new half-slice kayak is an evolution of its popular predecessor, the OG Ripper.
When directly comparing the two kayak designs, the Ripper 2 has more bow rocker, a slightly wider hull, and a lower volume tail with softer sidewalls. It’s possible to see a side-by-side comparison in the diagram provided by Pyranha below.
There’s been a prevalent buzz on social media when it comes to all things Ripper 2. This excitement has been exacerbated by Pyraha’s slow reveal of information (and the odd tongue-in-cheek comment) surrounding the much-coveted model. “Others have tried, but ultimately, only we could improve on the original Ripper,” the team claimed in a recent Facebook post.
It comes as no surprise that many paddlers are eager to get their feet with this new toy. But while the industry continues to grapple with production and supply chain delays, only a select few paddlers have theirs in hand. Team Pyranha Bren Orton is one of those select few. We’d highly recommend taking a solid 1 minute and 25 seconds out of your day to watch Orton tear up the river (see what we did there?) in his dreamy new half-slice.
Video courtesy of Pyranha Kayaks.
For more top picks and expert reviews, check out Paddling Magazine’s guide to the best whitewater kayaks here.
