MOVE: Unhooked Back LoopRIDER: Pauline BoussardPHOTOS: Randy HeremanThe back loop is generally the first rotation installed into a rider's trick arsenal. The same is pretty much true when unhooking. You may have decided to nailed the unhooked railey first, but you should then still go for a back loop.
The nice thing about the hooked-in back loop is that you really just turn hard and let the kite pull you into the air before floating back into a nice heel-side landing and steering the kite back down.
The stumbling block when learning the back loop hooked-in was usually that the backwards rotation had the potential to confuse your senses as you had to steer the kite first up and then back down as you were coming in to land. Pulling on the wrong end of the bar whilst inverted will introduce you rapidly to the back loop kite loop!
Now we're moving into unhooked moves, in theory you should be going into this trick with enough speed and pop to get you round, rather than relying too much on lift from the kite. Aim to keep your kite steady at 10 or 11 o'clock...  | | • Place your hands right in the middle of the bar. You want to be nicely powered and cruising without having to move the kite for power. Ideally you want some little waves to use as a ramp. Go into the trick with the kite stable at 45 degrees. |
 | | • Place your hands right in the middle of the bar. You want to be nicely powered and cruising without having to move the kite for power. Ideally you want some little waves to use as a ramp. Go into the trick with the kite stable at 45 degrees. |
 | | • As you approach a ramp or spot you want to pop from, gently increase your back foot pressure and make the board start carving up into the wind. Usually for pop you’d stop carving before you point straight into the wind and come to a stop, but here you want to keep on carving. |
 | | • As you approach a ramp or spot you want to pop from, gently increase your back foot pressure and make the board start carving up into the wind. Usually for pop you’d stop carving before you point straight into the wind and come to a stop, but here you want to keep on carving. |
 | | • As you pop off the water, carve away from the kite and look aggressively over your front shoulder. This will speed up your rotation as well as help you spot your landing early. |
 | | • Try to lift your legs up to get the spin going more quickly, and as you come around spot your landing. |
 | | • Try to lift your legs up to get the spin going more quickly, and as you come around spot your landing. |
 | | • Try to lift your legs up to get the spin going more quickly, and as you come around spot your landing. |
 | | • As you come in to land, concentrate on straightening out your legs to meet the water, point the board in the direction you're travelling and bend your legs on impact. |
 | | • On your early attempts you will probably find the kite has drifted upwards even with your hands in the centre of the bar, so gently bring the kite forward again as you come into land, and you will plane away perfectly. (You could start your rotation with only your front hand on the bar to stop the kite drifting. You have to be careful not to pull too much though). |
 | PROBLEMS:
• It's easier to learn this trick with your kite high - the higher your kite is when you go for the back loop the more floaty the rotation will be and the less emphasis will be needed on the pop. You will have to remember to pull on your front hand as you come into land though, otherwise you'll end up with no forward speed at all and sink. Work on your pop so you can keep the kite as low as possible. |
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