Hi guys,

I am trying to learn backrolls, but every time I actually land ok, I pick up lots of speed because the kite loops....
It should be possible to do it without looping the kite.

Any ideas?

www.seabreeze.com.au/Articles/Kitesurfing/How-to-do-a-backroll_3454511.aspx
Another method.....lock the kite in at 45 and use your pop to get air....dont send the kite at all.....easy!

acitta said...
yeah you dont want the kite to move while you do the backroll. The online tutorials suggest putting both hands at the center of the bar to make it less twitchy. I had my first shot at a backroll the other day. Somehow I landed my first attempt but I got so confused by the crossed lines and the spin that I crashed the kite imediatly after anyway didn't land another after that because i either looped the kite or didnt get enough height. practice practice practice. But try hands in the middle and not sending the kite. The first one I landed with the kite already at 12 like this suggests

www.seabreeze.com.au/Articles/Kitesurfing/How-to-progress-in-Freestyle-Kiteboarding_3258460.aspx

Yeah, I know, even if I am landing ok, the bloody lines are twisted and the kite crashes powerfully in the water. So lets say I land ok, what do I do with the twisted lines???

Try taking your back hand off the bar as soon as you leave the water. This will not only prevent the kite from looping and going on the opposite side of the window but also help you redirect the kite forward for landing as your front hand will be the only hand on the bar. Then try with both hands in the middle of the bar as said in previous posts.

Move your forward hand towards the outside of the bar, closer to the rear line. Keep your back hand close to the inside, near the trim line.

I too attempted my first backrolls yesterday and had the same problem. The actual transition was fine but after landing and looking around to see if anyone had saw my kite looped.

So once i have completed the rotation and i am riding as per normal i can still steer the kite in the exact same manner even with twisted lines ?

KiterBen said...

So once i have completed the rotation and i am riding as per normal i can still steer the kite in the exact same manner even with twisted lines ?

Yeah the kite steers exactly the same with twisted lines. Despite knowing this I still had no idea how to steer it after my first backloop, i think I was just disoriented because I was so surprised I'd actually made it around.
Once you get going just spin the bar to get back to normal

Dont stress if your looping on a back roll and pulling it off. Yes you do get up a bit more speed on landing but it looks a hell of a lot cooler than a standard back roll. Practice controlling the kite to back roll without looping but try and keep your back roll kite loop in your bag of tricks.

Get used to flying with crossed lines. There is no massive hurry to uncross them, and its a newbie thing to get a little worried about them. Like others have said, as long as the red side of the bar is in your left hand, the kite will behave the same as always.

With the backrolls, a good thing to think about is pulling on your front hand as you do the roll. This will help to give you a little momentum as you land. If you are doing the roll then kind of landing without any speed or momentum its because the kite is not being re-directed downwards (as you do the roll).

If you are getting flung back in the opposite direction, or lofted way too high and slamming back down, its because you are still pulling on your back hand as you initiate and complete the roll!

Good luck with it, keep at it and you will be doing them without even thinking about it before long!

Sweet, it will help out for sure.

Pulling on your front hand definitely goes against your natural instincts the first few times, but you will get the feel for it.

Enjoy :)

appreciate the steeezee :P

nah seriously your back hand must be hell heavy for that to be looping that quick. try squeezing your leading hand much tighter or try releasing your back hand altogether just to learn the initial stages of the trick, but as everyone here has mentioned it should be learnt without sending it.

Mike - I just had a another look at your vid, I gotta ask, are you trying to do a back roll kite loop, or a back roll without looping the kite?

In the vid you took your front hand off the bar completely about halfway through the rotation. This means you are now pulling with your back hand (left hand) and the kite will steer to the left, therefore looping (cause u kept pulling with you left hand).

When you rotate, remember to keep your head looking in the direction you want to rotate. If you are looking with your head, your body will follow and you will get through the rotation faster.

No, my intention is just to do the backrol. I really think I should be practicing more and then try these tricks again...

Chris_M said...
Mike - I just had a another look at your vid, I gotta ask, are you trying to do a back roll kite loop, or a back roll without looping the kite?

In the vid you took your front hand off the bar completely about halfway through the rotation. This means you are now pulling with your back hand (left hand) and the kite will steer to the left, therefore looping (cause u kept pulling with you left hand).

When you rotate, remember to keep your head looking in the direction you want to rotate. If you are looking with your head, your body will follow and you will get through the rotation faster.

Mike, your front hand is your right hand.

As you get about half way round your rotation you should pull (mediumly) on your right hand. This will steer the kite back down towards the water, and give you a nicer landing than what you are getting at the moment!

Try to keep it clear in your head that when you are spinning around and stuff, any pull on the bar will steer it! So you gotta remind your self as you enter the trick:

Pop and start rotating

Get halfway round, pull with right hand.

Spot your landing

Ride away feeling special

Watch this (a few years old but still relevant - no mention of pulling on front hand, but u can see they are doing it if you look closely)


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