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The technique for big kites is exactly the same as small kites, but the timing is obviously different try adjusting your timing and how hard you pull. I usually pull a LOT harder on my big kites because they are so slow.

Lanc wrote:

Kamikuza wrote:Any suggestions for what to do with bigger kites?

What size are you referring too here? My biggest kite is 11m and I used it about 80% of my sessions over the last few months. Been loving the heli loop for huge jumps and use the down loop on smaller jumps. My mind still cannot comprehend how the down loop causes lift for a soft landing.

The only time I get the horizontal pull on the way down is when the kite loops too slowly and this is generally when I'm not pulling down hard enough or release the pull on the bar too early.

15, 17 and 19 and the 15 is a Speed3

I've been grabbing the bar in both hands and fish-poling it. Downloops work fine... mostly. I figured the kiteloops were sucking cos the kites are just too big and slow.

My attempts at heli-loops had me swinging under the kite downwind, the kite stalling halfway back across the top of the window and me splashing down too big and slow to get around?

Kamikuza wrote:15, 17 and 19 and the 15 is a Speed3

I've been grabbing the bar in both hands and fish-poling it. Downloops work fine... mostly. I figured the kiteloops were sucking cos the kites are just too big and slow.

My attempts at heli-loops had me swinging under the kite downwind, the kite stalling halfway back across the top of the window and me splashing down too big and slow to get around?

I think from this landboard video a lot can be learned on loops and redirects on big & slow kites

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKwyYqo2fPk

kami u are def oversheeted bro, check your lines, the center lines might have stretched, you can also pull in the trim strap a bit or one thing you can do is right when the kite starts to complete the loop push out the bar a bit.

Kamikuza wrote:15, 17 and 19 and the 15 is a Speed3

I've been grabbing the bar in both hands and fish-poling it. Downloops work fine... mostly. I figured the kiteloops were sucking cos the kites are just too big and slow.

My attempts at heli-loops had me swinging under the kite downwind, the kite stalling halfway back across the top of the window and me splashing down too big and slow to get around?

Talking about the 15m speed 3. I find downlooping rockets you down wind. Much like the landboard vid above. For a soft pillowy landing on the speed 3 my technique is this

Send it, bar in, boost.
once at height, bar out about 1/2 set a lazy slow redirect.
Your redirect needs to be timed so the kite is diving down when you land. The bigger the jump the slower the redirect.
a couple of feet before landing bar in hard.
Hey presto super pillowy soft landing,

For the speed 3 the important thing is to let the bar out and let the kite breath. you will find that magic spot (yourl know when you do) when you just glide forever.

If you hold the bar in hard the whole way yourl oversheet and drop like a stone.

PS If you are jumping off wave lips the timing is very important with a slow kite. if you are boosting of the lip before the kite gets above you then you will be hauling arse down wind like there's no tomorrow.

For my 13 edge the process is a little different. I can hold the bar in for longer. Wait until i'm coming down then just throw a hard redirect that might turn into a downloop. if it does i'm usually halfway through the loop when I land.

that last thing works well with big foil kites that are to slow to loop, and that you can actually brake/stall, i ride pansh auroras ( 12 and 15 ) and there are set so that bar pulled in all the way they sort of brake. but that means you can slow yourself by pulling the bar all the way just before ( 2 feets ) hitting the ground. talking about snowkiting here, never had the guts to try looping them on the snow ( to hard if they are to slow to complete the loop ).

could that technique be used on inflatable kites or are they just not suited to @ brake @ ??

edt wrote:one thing you can do is right when the kite starts to complete the loop push out the bar a bit.

To me this is probaly the most important thing I've learned when it comes to looping big! Right after you huck it push all the way out so the kite shoots up to twelve and just as it feel as if it caught you i would pull in on the bar and drift down. Then as im maybe feet off the water a nice downloop to really soften it but most of the time if you have a good technique the downloop isnt so necessary.

Fuss over the tune of my bars, so I know it's not that. Always trim the foils so there's no backstall unless it's at the bottom end of the range...

edt wrote:kami u are def oversheeted bro, check your lines, the center lines might have stretched, you can also pull in the trim strap a bit or one thing you can do is right when the kite starts to complete the loop push out the bar a bit.

Yeah, I noticed in that video that they are looping the kite with the bar half-way out - I'm pulling it right in then poling the bar...

Don't oversheet...
Sheet out as the loop ends...
Just after the apex...

So that's something to work on thanks!

Try watching a few snowkite videos. We can land softly after being hundreds of feet in the air or after flying down a hill. You dont have to loop a kite to land softly. check out the old mark shinn video!! The first jumps shows it perfectly!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SlTWdBWo9M

When your gliding down from your jump, pull in the bar until your body kind of bounces as the kite slows down you fall then gently put it back in the wind window. Your landing will be soft.