Hooked in back loop

Kit used in video:

10m Naish Torch 2011 and 130cm Naish Momentum 2011

A back loop is a 360 degree backward rotation usually done on a fairly flat axis. Before learning back loops you need to be able to ride upwind in both directions and a good speed. It is usually the first freestyle trick to learn.

Kite:

• Keep kite in a high position just before 12 o clock or slightly lower and keep it here for the whole move. You don’t need to do anything more then that with the kite. With the kite here you will have some upward pull, but also forward momentum to help you for landing.

Take off:

When first learning to back loop you will find it easier to use a piece of chop or small wave. This will give you an extra bit of height to make it round the rotation. If you are riding on flat water then you will need to pop into your back loop. Refer back to popping if you aren’t sure what this is, but in short: -

• Bare off downwind by rolling your weight over the whole of your feet rather then just over your heels and aim the board downwind. You are no longer edging. This will take some tension off your lines. Now edge hard and aim the board higher up into wind then if you are just riding along. Push harder off your back foot but also push off your front foot (60% through back foot 40% through front foot) and pull the bar evenly on both hands in. This should get your air born to a low height.

Body Rotation:

The rest of your back loop comes through the following 4 parts of your body: -

Head, Shoulders, Knees, Feet

• Look with your head over your front shoulder AND allow your shoulders to twist in the same direction. Through twisting your head and shoulders you should be able to see 180 degrees of the rotation before you have even left the water. If you look with your head but don’t turn your shoulders you will only be able to see just over 90 degrees of the rotation and you are likely to under rotate.

Tip: You can test this in your living room. Try looking with your head, but not allowing your shoulders to twist. Afterwards try looking with your head and allowing your shoulders to twist. You can see much further round.

• Simulatensously push up through your knees and feet pushing harder with your back foot to drive the rotation.

Landing:

• Keep your eyes open and aim to spot your landing as soon as possible.
• Aim your board downwind and land.
• Dive your kite hard to ride away with speed

Things to remember:

• You don’t need to use your kite, so try really hard not to lean on your backhand as you rotate. Your instinct will be to lean on it but this will make you send your kite making very difficult or impossible to land.
• To help keep your kite still through the move put your hands in the centre of the bar.
• Keep your kite below 12 o clock to prevent you dangling under your kite and over rotating.
• When taking off in flat water push harder off back foot and really look as far round the rotation as possible using your head and shoulders. This will stop you from under rotating.
• If taking off from a small wave then don’t push as hard off your back foot as you would on flat water as you might over rotate.

Pics: Expix