The back loop is generally the first rotation installed into a rider's trick arsenal. Cesar Portas introduces this early rotation

The nice thing about the 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.

One minor stumbling block is usually that the backwards rotation has the potential to confuse your senses. Pulling on the wrong end of the bar whilst inverted will introduce you rapidly to the back loop kite loop! This might be your ultimate aim, but I suggest you might want to learn the loop with the kite steady first!

• The best way to avoid kite looping antics until you want them is to do your first back loops with 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 the kite pulls you off the water because you’re carving away from it, 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.

• 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).

• 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.

PROBLEMS: • If you find that you’re not getting all the way round, you’re either underpowered or not carving hard enough to get the right pop. At the opposite end, if you’re going round more than once, either straighten your body out in the air to slow the rotation down - or tuck up hard and go for two!

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.