Why can't I land my kiteloops?

[Kiteboarding Uruguay]

Thank you for such a detailed reply, I really appreciate it!

Tomorrow we have similar conditions here, so I'll b out on my 9m and trying to improve.

Hopefully, there will be a follow up video which includes me actually implementing some of the tips that I've been given!

Cheers,

Nick

Hey forum friends,

I am trying to progress my kiteloops and had started jumping left and trying to loop.

In this video it was 20ish knots and I was using a 7m kite (so I was a little under powered).

Is my reason for not landing that the kite is small, or because I was not pushing the bar out on the way down, or both? Or something else??

I'd welcome any expert tips if you have them!

Thanks in advance,

Nick

Good progress fella .

For me there are only two things:
1. Jump higher - none of these jumps are over 5m. It may be scary pulling a bigger loop, but it's much safer and easier.
2. Once the kite comes around and starts climbing, dump the bar to let the kite recover to catch you.

You looked underpowered. A 9m in those conditions would've been a better learning experience.

Loops:
30s - Kite stayed off to the left and pulled you off balance. Probably could've saved it had you looped again. Need more height.
46s - More height but might've been able to save it had you let the bar out
56s - tried to steer out slightly too early. Let the bar out a fraction of a second longer, then steer hard
1.20 - same as 46s
1.33 - not quite high enough, could've saved if you landed board downwind
1.38 - no where near high enough - I'd be surprised if this was much over 2m.
2.00 - not high enough. Good technique, just let the bar out

Currently, you're not aiming downwind enough because you're bracing for the impact. It's exactly the same thing I did when I started. Landing pointed downwind will come naturally. I still do the same type of crash when I mistime a launch on a lightwind day. The one at 56s was done really well - you just needed to release the bar a fraction longer for a catch, then recovery loop to keep the lines tight to stop a Hindenburg.

Personally, I like to overfly the kite slightly to get a little more lift at the end. In a left foot (regular) jump, I end the loop at 12, let it recover to 1230 for the catch, then bring it back overhead for that little lift and soft touchdown. It also removes any horizontal motion I didn't scrub off into the jump before takeoff. I almost always ride away in a transition rather than continuing in the same direction because of this. Almost everyone I ride with does the same. Whichever way that second loop is going to finish, that's the way you're riding out of it.

[DariKite]

I'm also in the process of learning kiteloops. Are you already landing small height (1 meter or so) backloops? And heliloops to land jumps?

In some of your jumps I saw you didn't point your board downwind which is a mistake I make sometimes.

I was also told by this really experienced kiter that you shouldn't do kiteloops between 4-7 meters height.

[Adventure Logs]

Thanks for the advice Jason!

Hope you are back on the water again soon.

When are you getting back down here?

I just got invited for my vaccination this morning, so hopefully Uruguay will have all of this behind us sooner rather than later.

All the best!

Finally getting back on the water. I really miss Uruguay so hopefully this fall.

[nothing2seehere]

I was also told by this really experienced kiter that you shouldn't do kiteloops between 4-7 meters height.

That's a rule of thumb taken from Anton's kiteloop tuition series (https://advakite.com/en/how-to-kiteloop/). The meaning behind it is that falls from low distance aren't as likely to shatter you and that some kites won't catch you if you if you are doing a powered loop below 7m. It doesn't take into account how powerful you are making the loop however and its less black and white than the rule of thumb sounds.

E.g. a landing loop for a 5m jump is going to feel great. A high powered loop right in the middle of the wind window for a 1.5m jump is probably going to spank you if you are learning and can't get your board facing downwind quickly enough.

If you watch enough youtube clips you can see plenty of people pulling kiteloops for 5-6m jumps, they just have the right kites that will loop fast to catch them and they aren't making the most powerful loops possible (you'll typically see this with people practicing front/back roll kiteloops where the rotation is mostly completed before they pull the loop). Plus is that 4-7 Woo metres or real metres?

[Blackened]

I'm also in the process of learning kiteloops. Are you already landing small height (1 meter or so) backloops? And heliloops to land jumps?

In some of your jumps I saw you didn't point your board downwind which is a mistake I make sometimes.

I was also told by this really experienced kiter that you shouldn't do kiteloops between 4-7 meters height.

In general, you need to make sure you can consistently jump over 7m as a normal jump. A decent loop will take off 1-3m from your overall height. If you have a smaller kite (9m or under), you can definitely go smaller and still recover quick enough.

If you do a late loop (at the top of your jump), it'll be a high loop with no pull. It will almost certainly "catch" when looped hard enough as the kite is always high.