Old man looping kite recommendation?

[matthepp]

Hey gang,
I'm looking for a recommendation for a good "old man" kite for kite loops. I'm not talking 40' KOTA megaloop stuff, but fun hooked-in backroll kiteloops, etc that we mortals can enjoy without probable risk of serious injury. This past year I've really started to enjoy that yank from the loop. In lighter winds my 15m 2013 Flite and 12m 2012 Trigger seem to do a good job of getting around. Any recommendations for the next size down for a 200# rider? I'm hoping to find something that offers a better chance of softer landings. My old Waroo just yanks across the bottom then drops my ass. And of course the thing has to be able to deal with junky gusty wind. I don't think I want to commit to a true 5 line C kite unless told otherwise. I'm thinking: C4 10m, Screamer, RPM, new bridled Fuel, Nitro V4 10m, Razor?
Of course the fault could also lie my technique...
Opinions? (I know everyone's got one). And thanks-

[crabnebula]

Simple....
Inflatables kite loop faster and with less power than most foils due to the speed that lei's have compared to a foil that moves a little more slowly in full trim.

A more important thought, is do you Do an "up loop or down loop"…

Up loops are easier by far.

Down loops are harder.


THAT IS IT.

A tip may be to use shorter lines at first as they will move the kite faster but not create as much power

[matthepp]

Zebulon,
Thanks for the input. Foils are definitely out. I've been meaning to try the short lines on my Waroo to see if it helps. I'm not sure what you mean by up loops vs down loops. I'm looking for easier catches on regular aerial kiteloops...

[marlboroughman]

Different schools of thought on the issue. This is how I come down on it. Ckites seam to be a kite of choice by the pros. Doesn't work for me because I need depower and gust control. So I choose hybrid kites that resemble Ckites in their characteristics. And here is a bit of a problem because most of the hybrids turn pivotly like bows. If you loop them with perfect timing and not much tension on the lines they seem to turn nice and tight but if there is a load on the line they want to take a huge arc and that can go badly. With the axial C like turning kites if you know how to make a tight loop you will do it but even with tension on the lines they will turn and catch you. I own a fleet of Airush Vapors and have chosen Switch Nitros to replace them but it is -4 outside so haven't tried them yet.

[nikalaitzian]

Screamer for sure!!!Explosive loop with crazy forward drag and 100% "catch"..

I m 40 too and i loop like crazy with my 7m at 40kn +!!

check my channel on youtube (nikalaitzian)

a sample .... i m on 20meter lines and 40knots(also a specialy made bar of 38cm for wider and more boosty loops)

[matthepp]

Thanks for the input guys. I think I've narrowed my choices down to a Razor or Nitro. BUT I just exploded my 12m kite. I might be able to get it fixed. So now I'm torn like an old sweater. Should I get a 10m or 12m??? I know a lot of guys go from Flite straight down to 10m Razor. I'm 200lbs (plus skis boots pack beacon shovel probe etc). It seems 12m has been my meat-and-potatoes size. I'm afraid I'll be out so many days feeling a little underpowered on a 10. Is that enough canopy for a heavy guy? I know I'll lose some looping speed in the bigger kite. What to do?

[Tiago1973]

Not sure if I would ever address myself as “good old man”, when I hit 30 I started counting down and i´m on my 19s now.

In any case can relate with your question, I also learn those kiteloops/back-rolls w/ a Trigger (10m), and at a point was also looking for something a bit + aggressive, but being afraid of going full C kite. So I got a Prime (11m).

Soon after I got a Razor (13m) second hand, the Airush one.

Looking back I wish I had skip the Prime, the level of connection the Razor offers is unmatched and as you get used to that it´s painful going back.

Could be it´s just me, or this particular model/year, but if possible give a full 5C kite a go before making your mind

[baobob]

Are we speaking on kiteloop in land/snow isn't? I can tell you my experience on landboard and unfortunatly I can't help you with size as I'm pretty light.

The kite I first looped on land was a PL charger and I have a good memory about it.
I looped the c4 2010 but I didn't like too much for that. Except the 5mt in strong wind but on water.
Then with light wind I'm using an Airush Razor and I really like to loop it.

I think I prefer kite with a little more feedback on the bar as I feel safer on land as I have control over all the loop.

But again you need to see how it works with inland gusts. Do you have a chance to demo some of the kite you mentioned?

[romkite]

Hey gang,
I'm looking for a recommendation for a good "old man" kite for kite loops.[...]

I don't know about any kite that would not KL. The basics, talking about a real KL which is KL + DL for landing, is the following: the bigger the kite, the slower it is, and the higher you need to jump to achieve a proper DL*. Talking about backroll/KL, the hard part of it is that it's kind of scary... either you do it low w/o the DL, or you need to really send it to be able to achieve the DL. Anything in between will hurt ...
*this is only partially true because bigger kites having more hangtime, you will get more time in the air.

[Turbaani]

I have 12m2 C4 2013 model and as a looper beginner it feels super easy and soft when looping. Doesnt yank you like crazy, but more like soft pull during the loop. Feels nice and might be just what you want. You dont lose control so easily with this kite I would say. But C4 is underpowered for its size.