New Video: Strictly Kiteloop.

[jeromeL]

Finally pretty consistent with kiteloop!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWQyhbM ... -RuOU2mlO7

Wind wasnt actually that strong maybe 22-25 and a few gust at 30.

In reference with that thread I have learned new things to help me get more consistency. (body, when to trigger loop, where is kite prior to triggering loop, when to trigger landing loop / kite redirect)
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2392200&hilit=megaloop+is+the+shit

Technique assuming going to the right
Pop: The better the pop => more tension, more time to finish loop and less downwind speed

Send Kite: send kite somewhat aggressively depending on speed so that you pendelum straight up after pop and kite is back at 11.

Body: as soon as you pop turn body toward kite (kite should be back at 11 as you go up). Bring knee slightly in.
This will make it easier to avoid going in rotation when kite surge comes.

Kite loop: Kite is at 11 and you keep it there until you trigger loop (cranking bar), the best smooth loop there is almost no pause from sending kite to jump and triggering loop. Of course if you go higher you can redirect kite slightly toward 12 and if you feel still a lot of tension you can send loop.

coming down: as kite goes back up I ususally sheet out slightly but for small loop you don't have to do it.

Landing loop: Once thing that really improved my landing is to throw landing loop early enough, if you wait until kite climbed back at 12 you have no lift until later. if you feel like you are about to land just throw landing loop even if kite is still climbing. as soon as you sheet in for landing loop lift will come back for smooth landing.

Gear: I have done about 5 kiteloop session on my best GP 9m (C kite), I feel like it is definitely easier than the bandit. Well when wind is strong the loop are strong but the power through loop is consistent whereas with bandit when wind is strong there is a huge spike of power when kite accelerate through the loop, and that spike ususally throw my body off its right stance, also on GP you get lift pretty quickly when kite goes back to 12 but with bandit it kind of stall. Anyway I will try a session with GP and bandit back to back to see what the difference is now that I got a bit better at those.

board: I just broke my old board and switched to a board with more rocker and slightly longer: Nobile fifty 138cm. With that board it's definitely easier to get an aggressive pop than with my old Trax carbon 135cm. Though board feels a bit slower on medium wind but strong wind the speed is fine.

Wind: I guess the smaller the kite the easier to learn if you start with small pop without speed probably 8m with 25/28 knots of wind is best. or on 9m 22-25.

Now I can loop the 9m in as low as 22, 25 are nice and 30/35 are scary. Usually above 30knots I swing under kite with tons of speed and have a hard time keep the kite in front of me. Also because I turn my head to keep track of kite during the landingloop I tend to go in a rotation..

[jeromeL]

Putting your questions (viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2394811) on my thread

am I really getting pulled to the right, or does it just feel like that?

I try to point my board downwind, but as I get pulled to the right I over rotate slightly..... so now I just wait to the very last second before landing and twist back.

is it normal to over rotate or am I doing something wrong?

yesterday the over rotation was that bad I had to land it into toe side and I ate sh**!!

I feel like my kite is staying at 12 for long enough.
should I send it to 12, wait a second, and then loop?

coz im sending, then taking off the water, but unlike a normal jump where the kite hangs at 12 , im just sending it straight through to 1 and looping it round.

thinking maybe if I leave it at 12 for a bit it will stop me feeling like im getting pulled in the opposite direction?

or is this just how kite loops are meant to feel?

any advice??

I guess to answer all questions the key is to keep kite in front of you.
1) pulling to the right and going in rotation.
I had same issues at first, especially when trying in 10m, the surge from the loop pulls you in a rotation.
A kiteloop is done as a transition so you are going left, even if you pop straight up the loop needs to be mostly on right side of window.
lets just talk about regular boosting, it depends on kite but on a freestyle kite you need to be aggressive and after pop you usually keep kite back and turn your body back to face kite then as you redirect kite your body naturally turns back toward kite.
Anyway for kiteloop as soon as you pop you want to turn the body toward kite and your shoulders should be facing kite, that way when surge comes you won't get pull in rotation.

I still have a rotation issue but only on 30+ knots loop when I swing under kite super fast then I turn my head to do landing loop and go in a front rotation.... i have done only 1 session like that I need more practice.
2)
Here is a good pic from a few weeks back. You see kite is at 11 and loop from 11 in one motion:

here is slow mo video: https://instagram.com/p/BNouGIvj9Qy/

don't send kite to 12. I have done a few like that and kite goes way too deep, you loose all tension, kite stalls and you wipeout.
Keep kite back at 1pm and ass soon as your body is facing it and you feel good tension go for the loop.
It's not a full loop, kite is already at 1pm and is facing a bit to the right. So it's going to loop very quickly.
If you are going up fast and feel a lot of tension you can wait a bit but honestly the best is to loop as early as possible if there is a lot of tension you will keep going up through the loop.

[Matt Air]

Nice video and sweet loops! I'm jealous.

Yeah I've learned the hard way that best to face kite as u start loop. For me, facing kite also aligns my board more downwind for the hot landing. If I get a good catch (which i wish was more often), then I have time to switch feet for the downloop. Also strong body position with core engaged is important. If ur off balance, the loop will pull u off axis further. Lewis Crathern talked about this when he commentated Megaloop challenge, but much harder to actually perform.

My question is what camera mount/positioning were u using and settings? I like the way u can see the kite for its entire loop. Thanks!

[jeromeL]

Also strong body position with core engaged is important. If ur off balance, the loop will pull u off axis further. Lewis Crathern talked about this when he commentated Megaloop challenge, but much harder to actually perform.

My question is what camera mount/positioning were u using and settings? I like the way u can see the kite for its entire loop. Thanks!

Yes strong core is important but hard to achieve at first because when I used to get scared my feet would extend and jerk around which would mess up tension... now I get scared only on the big one when wind is more than 30 and my body gets inverted. Somehow I push my feet out as if I could hold onto air, or I kick my feet... looks like the more you practice less scare you are.

For camera I use 1080p S (Superview) which adds a bit more on vertical axis. Camera is mounted on my helmet using the curvy sticker.
It also has a backdoor floaty (red foam), it's mounted a few inch from the from of helmet. You don't want to mount it at apex of helmet.
For tilt, because there is backdoor foam the camera can't tilt further back, I have like half an inch between foam and helmet, so usually it's easy to judge what is the right angle.

[Matt Air]

Thanks for the advice and great video. Yeah I'll check out that the 1080 superview which gives u a more vertical view apparently. I also use a helmet cam. Keep up the progression and vids! We haven't had as many looping winds of late so I've been foiling more.

[oldkiter]

I've really appreciated these comments, descriptions, and videos from jeromel, and others. I'm preparing to get into more jumping with downloops or kiteloops. I would like to get more comments on realistic big kite jumping with looping.

I've done enough surface looping and transitions, and some small jumps with landing loop - mostly transitions. Maybe at 8-10 to 14-15 high.

Problem is our winds are very light - 10 to 18 mph, and have to use mostly 16m, 14m, and 12m kites. Higher aspect Switch Nitros.

I've got to be careful at my age. but I intend to get as close to the "megaloop" as I can, or at least be prepared for storm winds and/or travel.

Any comments??

[jeromeL]

I've really appreciated these comments, descriptions, and videos from jeromel, and others. I'm preparing to get into more jumping with downloops or kiteloops. I would like to get more comments on realistic big kite jumping with looping.

I've done enough surface looping and transitions, and some small jumps with landing loop - mostly transitions. Maybe at 8-10 to 14-15 high.

Problem is our winds are very light - 10 to 18 mph, and have to use mostly 16m, 14m, and 12m kites. Higher aspect Switch Nitros.

I've got to be careful at my age. but I intend to get as close to the "megaloop" as I can, or at least be prepared for storm winds and/or travel.

Any comments??

There are is tutorial from Dimitri which is good but there are some from Philippe Ancelin in french that are pretty good too:
It's in French but you can still see the different steps he takes to learn kiteloop.
I haven't watched them in a longtime and don't have access to work but I think the steps he outlines are:
1) doing kiteloop while body dragging or surfacekiteloop. Making sure that you are always kite aiming back to 12 after loop. Building confidence and getting used to surge of power in kiteloop.
2) doing landing loop. He explains that depending on wind, gusts, timing of loop you never really know what to expect regarding power of landing loop. He doesn't really cover where kite needs to be prior to triggering loop but the point is that you need to build experience on your own to figure out how strong and how soft landing loop feel depending on kite position and timing.
3) I think that step involves doing really small pop with kiteloop right after take off.

[lovethepirk]

Man....I have mad respect for those doing these loops...I tried a simple downloop on a solid boost on a 12m and got my azz spanked as hard as I can imagine borderline concussion.

May the force be with you folks

[jeromeL]

Man....I have mad respect for those doing these loops...I tried a simple downloop on a solid boost on a 12m and got my azz spanked as hard as I can imagine borderline concussion.

May the force be with you folks

You mean like that Megaloop wipeout at the end of that video

[oldkiter]

Thanks again for comments, videos.

Here's a good tutorial too.