about trying kiteloops...

Spike · Since 13 May 2007 1414 Posts Alameda Spelling Expert

It's time I think, to start trying some real kiteloops Razz

. Need a little bit of simple advice to get started though:

At what point do you initiate the looping of the kite? (at apex of jump or as soon as you leave the water...?)

Which way do you loop? (send the kite and keep looping or send it up and loop it back down?)

I want to try it without throwing in the backroll, just a "simple" kiteloop. I will wait for a good powered 7m day.

From what I understand, it should go something like this (correct me if I am wrong):
I pop and wait till I am close to the apex of the jump, then loop the kite around hard in the non-downloop way (full steering and power on the bar, steering the kite in the opposite direction of travel) and hopefully I will still be in the air when the kite comes around over my head again. When it does come over my head, I send it back in the direction of travel down to 45° or so to get it in the right part of the wind window for the landing.

Sol-flyer · Sat Dec 22, 07 7:51 am

kiteloops are fun as hell!

you might want to start out with a slightly underpowered/bigger kite(10m-14m). how are you at downlooping the kite thru turns? if you loop the kite at apex, it will send you up some, and downind a lot. this can result in hard landings Laughing

just try a raley while sending the kite the opposite direction, as the kite starts to pull its hardest, jump into your raley. this will allow the pull of your body to finish the loop, and you wont get yanked anymore than your already braced for. You're new direction will be straight downwind, make sure you point your board that way Cool

I think i tried 360 tranistions first, then with a downloop, then i linked the downloop with the transition and rode out following the kite. It took me around three times before i was kitelooping with a backroll.
another thing, as you ride downwind you can control the kite position in the window by riding to the opposite side.(of the window)

hope that gives ya a lil help, i'm sure there's a great step by step process that someone know's,.....it all comes natural in the end

Chooch · Sat Dec 22, 07 8:59 am

The 360 Transition is a really good idea. Never really thought of trying that with a downloop to pratice for KL rolls. Are you doing the 360 as a front roll or a back roll?

forrest · Sat Dec 22, 07 10:54 am

Small kite, just perfectly powered, ride with the kite at 11, put both hands on the back side of the bar and just start pulling hard... Don't stop pulling until you've landed. Point your board straight down wind for the landing.

If you're doing this on a gusty day, you will most likely get hurt if you're not careful.

Kiteloops are the best on a nice steady and sunny summer NWerly at Sunset Beach. They're rather violent and painful on a nice summer day in the gorge. Smile

kitekid · Since 15 Apr 2007 170 Posts Stoked

i just watch some one do it then i tryed it.

wylieflyote · Sat Dec 22, 07 1:41 pm

Spike,
While looking for an answer to your question I found a great site that has many, many video lessons on tricks, from basic to exotic. Kiteloop is in there, as well as lots more;
http://tinyurl.com/2dodmj
I too hope there's a kiteloop in my future, maybe 08.

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6549 Posts Couve / Hood Honored Founder

I'd start with the big kites in more mellow wind. 11m is a good size to start with. IMO its easier to do it with a backroll. Point your board straight upwind and then pull hard on your backhand, the kite will pull you through the rest of the backroll, keep pulling your backhand until you land.

Go into it real slow, almost stopped (that's why transitions are probably a good idea.) You don't want pop. Don't throw it like a regular backroll or try to get pop or you'll overrotate.

Unhooked kiteloops are also a good starting point, follow everything above just do it unhooked (you will need more speed for unhooked though.)

Big ruben/tucker style loops are fun but really bad if you mess up. Lit 9m or smaller, pull the loop when you about halfway up the apex of the jump. Pulling earlier + slower will be gnarlier. You can also loop at the apex of the jump, these result in pretty mellow loops (I don't think they really count as kiteloops.)

Sol-flyer · Sun Dec 23, 07 8:38 am

magicmaker · Since 29 Oct 2006 895 Posts da Hood Opinionated

i agree with PKH start with a bigger kite and be underpowered. You're less likely to get hurt in less wind.

Definately practice first doing downloop transitions on the water, that will get you familiar with looping the kite and the pull forward you're going to need to get used to. Then start with smaller jumps and loop the kite as you are landing to pull you forward right before you hit the water (make sure to point the board forward). deeper fins will also help here as it will stabilize you in the water as you land, but that is more important when you are coming in super hot from a bigger KL.

IMO, there are a few different types of kiteloops.

powered ruben/tucker style kite loops. Which you definately need a <= 9m kite. I've tried doing them on my 11m and 13m w/ 23m lines and it is damn near impossible to get the kite back overheard before you smash into the water. which brings me to another good piece of advice. if you think you're going to smash into the water really hard and possibly hurt your knees or something throw you feet/board forward in front of you and try to land on either side of your butt. you dont want to smack your balls or get a serious enema, so you really gotta try and land on one side of your hips or the other. i got some nice bruises from doing this, but i never hurt my knees while i was learning. this KL has been described, but some people forget to mention it is a good idea to edge really hard against the kite first so you get the most pop which helps to have enough time to bring the kite around back overhead. always loop the kite opposite direction of travel. done hooked in, unhooking on the way down is possible.

powered unhooked kiteloops. so this is fun, ride in, huck it, HOLD ON, pull in hard on the hand you are looping the kite with, HOLD ON, now look down at the water which will now be coming really fast at you, pull forward on your bar towards your hips to get your board underneath you and stomp it, board facing straight downwind. i look at landing each one of these as just trying to stomp it and hold on because you come in so hot and it happens so fast.

not-powered kiteloops, here you can loop the kite at the apex of the jump or on the way down from the apex of the jump. Generally, you loop the kite opposite direction of travel. A good thing to try starting out is to let the kite stall after sending it for the jump, then continue looping in the opposite direction of travel, pulling hte kiteloop off at teh apex or on the way down. if you control and time the loop just right you can use it to soften your landing if the kite is more overhead. You can also use this type of KL to correct positioning of your body or kite in the air.

kiteloop transition, this is like not powered kiteloops except your forward motion will have changed direction by the end of the KL when you hit the water. start by sending the kite with lots of board speed, you'll travel under your kite and continue swinging forward up in the opposite direction you sent your kite like a pendulum. at the end of the pendulum reach, you'll start to swing back; you want to start looping your kite pretty much the same time it is overhead. i loop the kite in the opposite direction as i am swinging because the swinging movement and hte pull from the KL cancel each other out and softens my fall. finish the kiteloop low moving the same direction as you and with speed so you will cruise out of the transition smoothly. hooked in or not. easier hooked in.

all of this of course, done on C kites Exclamation

your mileage may very with your T2's. I would recomend setting them up in 1:1 mode, especially if you want to try unhooked kiteloops. i really think starting small is the way to go. there is many ways to loop your kite which is part of the fun because it's knowledge of flying your kite in different ways and directions. if you know how, you can loop your kite any distance off the water, my advice is to start small and work your way up so you dont get hurt. a thicker wet suit also helps to absorb the impact. you might even try going out so underpowered that you can't really jump and try yanking a few kite loops.

Kataku2k3 · Since 14 Aug 2005 3754 Posts PDX-LA Videographer

Don't try riggin' your T2s in a 1:1 setup with their current bridles. Tucker's flown them like this and while it may work for general riding, the kite's most likely going to dive bomb, straight into the water.

If you do it on a powered day, Amery and Jeff's state; "The more wind, the better." While you may come down smoother, you've got to know how to get the kite back in front of you, so timing is everything!

Holy shit, I miss summer... Crazy guy!

Spike · Since 13 May 2007 1414 Posts Alameda Spelling Expert

Had a short powered 11m session on the Siletz again today, lots of painful hail. I tried a few kiteloops. General thoughts on them are as follows:

I need to practice often.
It feels like learning to jump all over again (not knowing where the kite is, getting yanked in unexpected directions, hitting the water harder than preferred, etc)

Nice to have something new to work on though Razz

thanks for all the advice.

forrest · Thu Dec 27, 07 12:20 am

Nice dude, just remember, you want to be powered such that you're able to stay upwind, but it shouldn't be super easy... Just properly powered...