My first (accidental) kite loop…

windobsessed · Since 07 Aug 2008 120 Posts Vancouver Stoked

I know most of you on this forum probably think how lame, who has not done that, but for all you weekend warriors like me, you might get a kick out of this little story.

I was out on Sunday at the spit trying to decide whether to use my 9m or 11m, now that I added the 9m (and 7m) to my quiver at the end of last year. It was a lot easier last year when I only had one kite (11m) to choose from. People where using anywhere from 7’s to 10’s mostly 7’s and 8’s. I’m little heavier (just over 200) so I usually like to go bigger. Seemed like 9 was the right one but then again I went out yesterday on the 9 and wished I had the 11. I really wanted that day to focus on my boosting and wanted to be lit. After seeing a friend come in on his 11 and telling me he could have made his 7 work, my decision was made, go with the 9!

So I got out on my 9, solid lit, felt great. I started out doing some hook and pops off the water without sending the kite. This was easy since it is much like in windsurfing and felt natural for me. Then I started just sending the kite without hooking the board and was getting some nice floats about 5-8 feet elevation. Got the kite redirecting down to get nice soft landing (most of the time). I started feeling invincible, like I was in my 20’s again instead of late 40’s, so I said this time I’m going for it, hook the board, load the lines and send the kite and pop!

I expected to go a little higher, but it just ripped me off the water. I remember looking down and it was like looking down from at least a 2 story building, how do I get down from here I thought. Then I remember seeing this shadow of a kiteboarder approaching me and I thought oh someone else is boosting in front of me. I looked upwind and saw no one and as I saw the shadow move out from under me I realized that was my shadow. At this point I started realizing that I was not descending, in fact it seemed like I was still climbing and accelerating? Then I thought what the hell is my kite doing? So I looked forward and saw my kite coming out of a full loop and heading back up. So now I was totally lost, what do I do except get ready for impact. It was good that the kite was going back up because I think it slowed down the impact? I don’t remember much past that accept hitting the water head first, like I usually do when I’m totally out of control. After getting a full pressure wash cleaning through my nose and mouth and out my ears, I came to a stop luckily with my kite at noon. Took awhile to recover my board, then headed in and called it a day.

Next time I’ll try the load and pop while sending the kite, but without the unintentional kite loop Wink

forrest · Thu Jul 23, 09 9:46 am

Way to go for it!

Reaper356 · Since 10 Dec 2006 781 Posts Salem / LC Oregon Opinionated

jbruxer · Since 24 Jul 2005 398 Posts Beaverton, OR Obsessed

Great story! I'm sure this is going to sound bad, but its funny how big your balls get after consistantly landing some smaller jumps. My accidental kiteloops usually come after I am already being tea bagged by something else gone wrong. Laughing

Keep charging it and you will be sticking those in no time. Cool

Nak · Thu Jul 23, 09 9:56 am

Yee HAW!

pdxmonkeyboy · Thu Jul 23, 09 10:04 am

LOL That shit all happens FAST doesn't it!! So know you know what it feels like to do a kite loop. Perhaps you didn't realize it because you never really loaded and sent the kite much before but you should have felt a tremendous surge of acceleration towards the kite. Glad to hear that you didn't bust your ribs up or anything. Kite loops can be unforgiving for sure but they can be super fun as well. i'm really just starting to do them..hoping to build up to some monster loops.

Anyways.. A couple pointers..

If you just want to boost.. send the kite from 10 oclock to 12 or 1 oclock. At the appex of the jump, send the kite back down into the window to land softly. If you neglect to send it back down, your going to fall straight down and crash. Rinse and repeat.

If you want to start loop transitions and what not.. which are VERY chill... At the APEX of your jump, crank the kite HARD and instead of just sending it back down you will loop it back down and through the window.

When you loop the kite, the further away from the apex of the jump you are (i.e. sooner to the point you leave the water) the more intense your loops are going to be. (in general, but it also depends on the height of your kite in the window and the radius of your loop).

You did the hard part now go out and GET ON THAT HORSE AGAIN!!! You just accidentally found the rusty needle on the beach that REALLY fuels the addiction. Thumb's Up

Why mow the lawn when you can fly fully powered over it?

windobsessed · Since 07 Aug 2008 120 Posts Vancouver Stoked

>> Glad to hear that you didn't bust your ribs up or anything...

No it was my nuts that almost popped when my board short straps got tight as I was ripped off the water Laughing

shred_da_gorge · Thu Jul 23, 09 10:41 am

Congrats man!! I did an accidental loop last week by the WS bridge - didn't end well, but seemed manageable.

I took out a friend's kite the other day and got the biggest hang time yet for me (I fly the 2008 version but the 2009 redesign jumped unexpectedly higher). It was wild to look down and realize I was magnitudes higher than usual jumps (I'm just starting to fly and land them as opposed to chop-hop). What happened for me, though, was that I flew the kite well (like monkeyboy explains, and my other experienced friends taught me) so I maintained the hang time and landed softly, but while in the air I started rotating slowly seemingly without control. Managed to slide the board back around in the water but it wasn't my intended angle of entry... it could have ended worse.

My question is, is there a technique to forcing (or stopping) myself to rotate once in the air, while hanging from the bar and flying the kite off the wind? (Yes, I believe this is called "dangling" and therefore it wasn't "legit"... and no, I wasn't wearing boots. Smile

)

jcohenx · Since 28 Aug 2007 250 Posts Portland Obsessed

Way to go big! I hope you have a helmet. If not, now's the time to get one.

pdxmonkeyboy · Thu Jul 23, 09 10:59 am

bulae99 · Since 12 Jul 2006 1692 Posts XTreme Poster

You did a full kite loop! Nice

scottman · Since 08 Jun 2007 150 Posts hillsboro Stoked

Ha! I had a similar experience but I did break a rib. No kiting for four weeks and only mellow kiting from four to six weeks. So now I wear an impact vest and life jacket.

windobsessed · Since 07 Aug 2008 120 Posts Vancouver Stoked

>> ... now I wear an impact vest and life jacket...

Naa, that's for wimps... (that would have been my answer 20 years ago) Twisted Evil

Now I wear a helmet, impact vest/life jacket and might be looking to get a groin cup! Wink

pdxmonkeyboy · Thu Jul 23, 09 1:56 pm

You can't go kiteloops AND wear a life jacket.

Your impact vest should keep you afloat...