E H kites rippehr and beast, flight report

[kiteingcolin]

Tom at kiteitright dropped off 3 of his latest E H kites for me to fly whilst I am on holiday for a week, and to my surprise its windy for most of this week so things have got off to a good start,

The kites he gave me were the 12 and 9mtrRIPPEHR,and the 9 mtr BEAST, the bars are 45 cm for the 9’s and 55cm for the 12mtr,

I heard about these kites over 2 months ago and the reports on the web were good, for me the interest I had was the reported massive boost and light bar pressure, the graphics are bold and if they keep the WARNING LOCAL wording on the kite it will certainly make it stand out, the lifeguards on the beach today came over to comment on how eye catching the- warning local – logo was from the beach,

The kite is made in Cabarete by EH kites and my worry was they would be cheaply made and not up to the harsh uk beaches and weather, well I can confirm that they are very well made with many little touches that will make the kite last even longer, it has been beefed up in all the wear areas with either thicker material or Kevlar, the bar is at first glance simply made with out any pulleys or complicated chicken loops, the donkey stick is separate like the naish ones, the bar is a spinning system that also uses a clever 2nd line that passes through the bar and then through the top of the chicken loop and ends in a metal ring a bit like the Warroo 07, but the nice thing is that this one when fired via a very easy simple pull toggle allows the kite to flag out on one front line, great if you release in big waves as the waves will not crash into a wide full open canopy, the bar also comes with 2 OSH’S,

BUT WHAT MADE ME WORRY WAS THE DEPOWER LINE WAS ONLY 12 INCH LONG?? This is a full on bow/sle kite, how was this going to work? No pulleys and a very standard looking 4 line C kite bar, there was also a stopper ball on the depower line that tom had fixed at 2inch below the top of the depower line ?? crazy , as all the bow kites I haver tried /owned and seen all have super long depower lines, this one was set at 10 inch !! and the stopper ball is not a punch through type of ball its screwed solid into place,

Back to the kite- I will worry about the bar later,

The kite is not a one pump system! Good, as even though I love the quick and easy one pumps I always worry about them as I am way out to sea, or if I catch the main tube on some razor shells and have to pull out the main bladder,

everything looks familiar, the back lines are a very simple and small 2 point bridle with a single pulley floating along its length, there are only 2 tie off options, the main bridle is very small and is void of any pulleys and has one knot to tie to, so setting up is very easy,

the next thing that makes you take a second look is the narrow profile of the kite, it is almost the same width from front to back making it look very aggressive and blade like, in fact the center strut is so short in length carrying the kites across the rocks to the beach was easy as the center strut on other kites tend to catch as you try to fly the kite upside down as your walking up to the water , already I am thinking this kite is so different, and as for the bars? Has tom packed the wrong bars? I am getting nervous,

the wind today was light, very light to start but a 20 mph sw was forecast, and I weigh 96 kg and I was going out on a 12 mtr in 12 mph, ummmmm, arrr welll no danger of it killing me at least I was thinking, undaunted I quickly set up the stiff almost Q line type colour coded lines and had the kite up very quickly,

tugging on the bar left me whispering $hitt $hitt, no power at all, even though the wind was light I was at least expecting a little tug of power, but no the bar was light and things looked doomed to failure, the kite would sit right above me without any input so at least that was good,and despite the lines being 27 mtr the kite flew as fast as a mad wasp which made me stand there for a while playing chasing the seagulls, I soon noticed that any power available was only noticeable when the bar was held close in to the chicken loop, and this made me grab my board (a 132 ) and go for it, and what a surprise, I was off, the rapid mad kite was so fast it generated enough power to hold ground and haul my weight around at speed much to the surprise of dave and others waiting for some wind,

I have to say I have flown loads of kites from many makers and this one was so different, so fast it made you watch the kite in fascination,

if I felt the power dropping off I simply looped the kite twice the other way and this was enough to rocket me forward again, it such light wind it is not a park and ride kite, all this made me think fun! This kite is fast and fun, the bar pressure is light, lighter than my warroo’s so you could swish it around all day without getting tired,

Two hours later and the wind started to pick up I checked on the wind meter readings later and the wind got up to 24 mph,

This was a real test for this short bar throw, and it worked superbly well, power was full on close in to the body which (and this is why I for one am so pleased with the outcome)

Allowed me to do something I have never been able to do since switching to bow/sle kites, and that was lying back and edging hard with my torso out flat and with my back skimming just above the water, no more sitting on the loo stance with this kite, any gusts that hit me were dealt with by sheeting out a few inches and not 1-2 feet as before, this allowed me to remain flat out on the edge and gain fantastic forward speed,

I must say it did take me a long time to dial into this kite, and trying my first jumps in water less than 1 feet deep on a new kite made me look for deeper water, for the guys that know me know I just kite to boost big, go huge both ways with kiteloop transitions being my dish of the day, set up for the jump was easy with so much speed and by sheeting out just a little allowed me to turn upwind and really edge hard to drive an explosive take off, I had seen tom getting big air last week at Rhosniger and I was thinking well if tom can I can,

I did

Jesus this kite is rocket fuelled, at the top of the jump I shouted O $hit , 2 windsufers below who were watching also shouted something , but would this thin profile kite drop me like a stone? N0, it was float city with a nice little boost up again as the kite was redirected forwards, again something I have never felt before, a little boost up as the kite drove forward,

This made me go jump crazy and boost off everything in sight, low 45 deg conker swing boosts were superb, the distance across the water doing these jumps is so good,

After a while and full of confidence I went for normal kite loops and that little boost up came into play again as the kite allowed a soft landing as the kite was redirected round and up,

Also one other little thing that I still cant understand was that riding toeside was much easier, why?? I haven’t a clue, I can only ride toeside one way since my broken leg/ankle and even the other way has been hard since my accident but today was much better, even allowing me to land toeside from big jumps, I have not been able to do that with ease since changing to bow/sle,

So there is my feedback after just one good day on the EK kite,

By far the best thing about today has been the kite flying like a bow on a short power line without pullys, the fun feeling you get lying flat out and able to head dip backwards is certainly a major step forwards to getting more C kite feeling into what is a great design leap ,the bow/sle kite,

The boosting is very similar to the naish raven, silly high, but with the float of a Warroo,

Bar pressure is light so you can blast around for miles, very important if like me you just love to drag race windsurfers, thanks to the two windsurfers today who stayed out at sea with me to race around and shout obscenity’s as I boosted into outer space,

On the minus side, the kite is not quite as easy to relaunch as a Warroo, mind you what kite is? It is easy but not as quick, I don’t think this kite is for heavy newbie’s, as the power has to be generated at low wind speeds or lulls in the wind, lightweight newbie’s would love this kite as they would quickly get up to speed and then park the kite, only having to move the bar a little without bending forward in the gusts is a far better feeling and your less likely to get pulled forward into a death run situation,

One day down , cant wait till tomorrow,

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[KiteItRight]

Thanks for the reveiw Col, i was laughing all the way through!

 

glad you enjoyed it let us know how tomorrow goes

[KiteItRight]

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1083/918947557_c53e937ba5.jpg?v=0

 

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1381/875267703_c4bbf61aff.jpg?v=0

[boneidle]

I got to agree with everything you just said Colin, I bought a 10m Rippher from tom,(Top bloke by the way) I am still buzzing from the ride today, flies like its on rails and the boost is awsome. It just feels superior and no silly gimicks

 

Rippers try one and you'll bye one

[kiteingcolin]

i forgot to mention one important bow quality, the kite fully depowers like any other bow when the bar is pushed out, but 8 inches to 10 inches depowers the kite fully instead of 18inch to 24 inch which is normal on all other sle/bow kites

quite how they have done this i dont know, what it means though is you can spin the bar back and reach the bar with bent arms and without leaning forward, kite design is still moving forward which is great news,

 

on relaunch technique i think i have glossed over the subject to quickly, as i did try relaunch methods for over half an hour to understand the difference and find the quickest and most reliable way, if you drop it after a fall then the kite will fall to the side and sit there just like a bow should, so no problems there, easy pull on the bar and steer up and away you go,

on the other hand drop the kite nose down with the canopy fully open and down wind and you have to think first, if the wind is strong then the kite will move to the edge or flip on to its side quite quickly but if it sticks and will not flip over as i found out time and time again in light winds then you are left with the old style method which works a treat, grab the depower strap as high up as possible and pull intowards the chest, due to the narrow pofile of this kite this is easy to do, unlike many kites i have tried this with over the years, with them you had to swim forward like a olympic swimmer to get the kite on its back,

by allowing the kite to fall back a little but not all the way the kite runs to the edge of the window and after a little thinking time turns into the wind and takes off

the other method that works a treat on this kite is the old reverse launch, but you need to be in shallow water for this to work with ease,

[KiteItRight]

you have just got to be aware with the Rippehr during your first flight when relaunching, you do not swim too far forward. Duue to the narrow profile when the kite is on the water it is alot easier for the kite to twist around. Easy to avoid but if you are not used to it happening it can take you by surprise

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1439/854149261_6eadb802d0.jpg?v=0

Swim toward the kite to make it roll on its back and immediately grab one of the rear leaders as high as you can , on the new 2007 bar you grab the red handles above the floaters. Don't worry about the bar at this stage, just leave it alone.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1202/855006942_c310c7e8b0.jpg?v=0

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The kite is now at the edge of the window and it is very important that you do not release the pressure on the rear line keep the wind in that tip, if you do, the kite will fall on its back and you will have to start all over again.

The kite is ready to launch out of the water, maintain the pressure on the tip and keep on pulling on the rear line until you see the tip come of the water.

 

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1235/855003670_59c22079ff.jpg?v=0

 

Now pull the tip toward you and maintain pressure on the line, the tip should now catch some wind and start dragging the kite towards the edge of the wind window

 

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1180/855002776_5e377cbff8.jpg?v=0

 

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1303/854142887_e5c967f34d.jpg?v=0

 

During the whole re-launch process you forget about the bar, this is done with a rear line all the way trough all the above steps. When the kite is out of the water your focus shifts toward your bar

[crezzee]

Very interesting review Colin, the massive bar travel on most bow kites is a pain and its encouraging to hear that the Rippher has a solution without pullys on the bar. I think the 08 roos will have less bar travel - more pulleys on the front bridal.

 

Do you know if the Rippher can be self launched by anchoring the chicken loop and standing the kite on its wing tip. This is my prefered method to self launch and land and works every time with the roo but i know it dosen't work with all sle's, some just won't sit there and fall forward or even backwards:eek: I simply have to have the freedom of easy self launch and land.

Would be great if you could try it and report back for all us anchor launchers:)

 

Cheers,

Crezz

[KiteItRight]

Very interesting review Colin, the massive bar travel on most bow kites is a pain and its encouraging to hear that the Rippher has a solution without pullys on the bar. I think the 08 roos will have less bar travel - more pulleys on the front bridal.

 

Do you know if the Rippher can be self launched by anchoring the chicken loop and standing the kite on its wing tip. This is my prefered method to self launch and land and works every time with the roo but i know it dosen't work with all sle's, some just won't sit there and fall forward or even backwards:eek: I simply have to have the freedom of easy self launch and land.

Would be great if you could try it and report back for all us anchor launchers:)

 

Cheers,

Crezz

 

HMM thats interesting, the kite wil sit happily on its wingtip all day if the in a good wind. so i have no reason to suspect otherwise.

what do you anchor your chiken loop with?

[crezzee]

I usually anchor my chicken loop with a sandbag - a large sports bag full of sand probably about 30kgs.

 

Only problem is, i'm usually the last one on the water as i'm busy helping everyone else launch .

[ROB1597507353]

I fill my kitebag full of sand

[ptben]

I use a bouy.

[timmy2000]

The rippehr sounds like a great kite, looking forward to a windy review too!

 

you only get an oooooooooo! with warroo,

all my 07 warroo's for sale, pm me ,

5mtr on e bay below,

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/kitesurfing-bow-kite-2007-best-warroo-5-mtr_W0QQitemZ220137344769QQihZ012QQcategoryZ117150 QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

Just noticed this too, really is it that good for you to give up on your trusty waroos???

[kiteingcolin]

yes the kite will launch and land with the kite sat on its side and chicken loop anchored,

to bring the kite down by myself yesterday i simply dropped the bar on the sand after dropping the chicken loop and then walked up both center lines to 15 ft from the kite then pulled the top line to drop the kite on its nose,

just the same as i do with the warroo, (dont try this at home kids)

 

and yes all my warroos are up for sale tonight on e bay, apart from my 7 mtr warroo,

 

i closed a deal with tom an hour ago to buy the 12 mtr rippehr,

 

my next purchase will most likely be a naish helix,

 

i will use that 12 mtr rippehr from 12 mph to 30+ then drop to my 7 warroo

 

hope to get a good strong wind test done tomorrow,

[Afro1599968737]

how much are the new EH Rippehrs ?

[tattoo]

I have now used my 9m and all I can say is tad board your clear for take off, The jump was silly ( I think I got a nose bleed either that or poo running from my nose), not unlike my 12m, I'm so happy I sold my soul to EH devil, As I said before TRY THEM!!! Just everything about the kite will rock you turning speed, Jump, Float, it does them all with grace and style. I think the warning local graphic is LTD to the first batch but you would need to check this, Both of mine are black with white check and white logo and this also looks the nuts, The other nice touch is the fact you get a spare center line (who else does that)

[youngrider]

our local beach southend-on-sea is dominated by these kites have taken off in a massive way down here makes unhooked tricks EASY-EHR lol

 

jumping silly high on my 9m today in 46mph soaring high above peoples kites wahooooo adrenaline rush!!!!!!

until i saw how far i had traveled OH**** BEACH!!!!!!!

will get some pics tomrrow if the wind stays up

[garykf]

I had the 15m Beast on demo from Tom a few weeks back and agree with Colin that the build quality is superb on the EH kites. Very simple to set up and the bar is the same as that on the Ripper, nothing complicated and everything in reach. I was using the kite as a light wind option and weighing in at 90kg it was interesting so see how soon I could get going. Pretty soon in all honesty, I was on 130 RRD 5x and the wind was around 12mph, for such a big kite it is pretty fast, on par with my 12m Hyper Type:eek: The kites need to be flown with the bars pretty close to the chicken loop and at first there's a temptation to think the kite is being 'choked' but once a bit of apparent wind kicks in everthings fine. Unlike the smaller Rippers and Beast, the big one just sits there nicely while you power up wind. Jumping in the light winds was no trouble and the kite feels rock solid in the air.

 

Had the good luck one evening to be still out on the water when the wind picked up to around 20-22mph and the kite was an absolute dream, the quick turning made it feel a lot smaller, depower was just enough to still feel in control and jumps and float put a big smile on your face. For me that was the sweet spot on this big kite. Local rider Josh tried it out in the early teens and was pulling big airs and kiteloops:)

 

Not tried the Ripper yet, but hopefully will do pretty soon. Big thumbs up to the EH brand, looks good, feels good, built to last and still an exclusive club to those flying them;)

[kiteingcolin]

i realised that the "warning local" was a limited run logo, one reason i bought it as it will be a very rare kite, stand out in the crowd sort of feeling, and makes others smile,

 

winds up tomorrow!

[KiteItRight]

http://www.cabareteairforce.com/news/178/ARTICLE/1267/2007-06-29.html

 

check this double s bend handlepass Aeriel does on the Rippehr in Cabarete

half way though the video. its immense.

 

Yes its quite a shame they are dropping the WARNING LOCAL everyone seems to love this.

i have so much confidence in the new 2008s.

i have been on my favourite c kites since the begginning of the year and love the hell out of them.But i have now moved on these EH RIPPERS. Although its a bumpy journey trying to transfer all your freestlye tricks over to an sle, i know it is worth it.The feel if so different compared to a c, but if you stay dedicated for a few sessions you can easily get dialled into them and the pay off is immense. the power you can generate is huge, much more than a c kite.

i feel so much more in control when kitelooping etc and whilst unhooked.

So many freestyle riders miss out beacuse they try bridled kites once and feel how different they are and instantly get a bitter taste in the mouth.

 

Here we have a true ultra high performnce bow kite which was proven this year at the pkra cabarete world cup event when Aerial dominated the competition and took first place on this kite.

The benefits are there

Superiour upwind ability and bigger boosts

 

I think the first freestyle rider with some good talent who dares sacrafices a month away from the beloved c kites and on one of these will reep the benifits in the competitions. i just wish i was good enough myself. until then im am yet to find a freestyle rider how will dare to take the first step onto one of these longterm. i very much look forward to the day

[kiteingcolin]

well if the bow bashers even look at one of these rippehrs close up and see the bar with simple spinning system, and small bar throw, they will be trying to think of words to retract from their bows are **** tune,

 

can they get any better?

 

naish helix has the looks

 

and there is a bit of room in my boot for one.

 

god, this end of the year has turned out to be exciting,

[Blue Ice]

Out of interest, what shops in the UK are selling them atm?

Whats the price guide?

[KiteItRight]

i wil have to let someone else answer that question because if ianswer it i think the mods will ban me most likely

[Dory]

For you beginners/newbies: I have just learned on the Beasts, love it, I was lucky to spend 3 weeks this year in Cabarete where my school used them. It's v stable and the bar is so light that I can easily fly it with one hand. Felt totally in control at all times, even in strong winds I never got the fear, was able to get on with learning rather than worrying about being launched into the orbit. Simple set-up so even I, a technically challenged female, got the hang of it quickly, and didn't have to ask the boys on the beach to help. I came home with a 10m Beast, and am now bashing it to smithereens on the South Coast, which it seems to withstand well. Maybe instead of Warning: Local they could have made a batch with Warning:Girl written on?

[KiteItRight]

For you beginners/newbies: I have just learned on the Beasts, love it, I was lucky to spend 3 weeks this year in Cabarete where my school used them. It's v stable and the bar is so light that I can easily fly it with one hand. Felt totally in control at all times, even in strong winds I never got the fear, was able to get on with learning rather than worrying about being launched into the orbit. Simple set-up so even I, a technically challenged female, got the hang of it quickly, and didn't have to ask the boys on the beach to help. I came home with a 10m Beast, and am now bashing it to smithereens on the South Coast, which it seems to withstand well. Maybe instead of Warning: Local they could have made a batch with Warning:Girl written on?

 

haha!

 

hey u learned at kiteclub? i was working there a few weeks ago.

who was your insturctor?

 

Do you konw if Didier was stil there? the the french caribean guy with dreds!

[Dory]

For you beginners/newbies: I have just learned on the Beasts, love it, I was lucky to spend 3 weeks this year in Cabarete where my school used them. It's v stable and the bar is so light that I can easily fly it with one hand. Felt totally in control at all times, even in strong winds I never got the fear, was able to get on with learning rather than worrying about being launched into the orbit. Simple set-up so even I, a technically challenged female, got the hang of it quickly, and didn't have to ask the boys on the beach to help. I came home with a 10m Beast, and am now bashing it to smithereens on the South Coast, which it seems to withstand well. Maybe instead of Warning: Local they could have made a batch with Warning:Girl written on?

 

haha!

 

hey u learned at kiteclub? i was working there a few weeks ago.

who was your insturctor?

 

Do you konw if Didier was stil there? the the french caribean guy with dreds!

 

Yep, kite club. with Tom. was last there in June. I can def recall a guy with dreds...