Use this thread to discuss our feature on learning to loop at 50 Years old. (http://www.boardseekermag.com/special_features/the_loop/loop_at_50_018.htm)

Are you struggling to learn to loop, does Williams experience give you inspiration?

He's an inspiration !!

Could I learn at 64?

glad to hear i am not the oldest bloke still tryim
ng to loop.i have spells of really going for it followed by sailing round all day and never finding the right wave,wind,and getting very frustrated with myself.
so glad to hear of someone else who has broken through the barrier and become a proper looper.
this story has given me renewed hope.
cheers for that

sav

THE BIGGEST ISSUE it seems is the pyschological barrier for going over the handle bars....any tips on this aspect? Is it worth breaking it down into rig flips and catapults or just pulling like a b*stard on the next jump?

You're right, it's all down to psychology. Anything that can help you get over the fear barrier will certainly help. Doing controlled catapults (planing at half speed out of the straps) can certainly help you get your head around going forward, and help you realise that it's not impossible at all... and that you won't kill yourself or break anything. The most important thing is commitment to 1/3 of thefull rotation holding on, and there are loads of tips to help with this.
Bottom line though is stop listening to the voices in your head.. coming up with every reason NOT to do it. Wearing the wrong harness, waves too small, wetsuit the wrong colour, too windy, not enough wind, wrong board, wrong direction etc... Have heard them all, probably told myself all of them a long time ago before getting over it.
You just have to forget all that and ask yourself this:
What are you afraid of, improving?

Hey ste. one thing i would say, is that jumping and pulling in like a b*stard might not have the desired affects!

Remember that you have to bear away in the air, so the rig movement is like a kinda similar to a super fast flare gybe from a tight reach. You know the ones, where you really have to pull the sail accross to the outside of the turn and pull your back hand in to steer round the turn. Well try that in mid air and you will be surprised at what will happen!

i listened to what clyde said ,and it was definately a help
all the boys who can loop consistently say the same thing.
the rig must come across you as you jump just like bearing away for a flare gybe.
the team airborne boys allso showed me how to do gecko forwards.
these can be done in no wind and the movements are the same as the real thing.
you end up on your back after doing a full rotation without leaving the water.
if you sail along and just jump and sheet in all you do is crash at high speed after being wrenched out of the footstraps

ok - will take a look at the moves/movies on your site and see if i can see what youre talking about...

Check these pictures out for the rig movement



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 21/04/2006 | 12:01pm by Clyde Waite - Admin.

ok - i think im getting it - thanks Clyde.

Jump (downwind-ish)
Push rig forward/across with front hand
Sheet in with back and look at clew
Pull up back leg
Around you go!

Sounds so easy on paper!!! Cheers

I think pulling the sail accross the body with an extended front arm sounds the way to rotate. I tried to initiate a loop today but forgot this and jumped, looked back and then lost the board and sail downwind. Maybe I also was going to fast? Is there a need for lots of speed?

Jon

Going fast is better because it makes the sail lighter and the rotation more effortless.

Also, just jumping and looking back doesnt make the loop work, head movement wise you probably want to jump look where you want to go (off the wind), so you are looking forwards, then as you pull the sail across you and into your chest you are aiming to essentially roll around your back shoulder so this is the point where you look back or tuck your head into your back shoulder. Then as you rotate and come to land you look down between your legs to spot your landing and sheet out to spill the rotation.

At least if you lost the board downwind it meant you were going in the right direction, just remember to hold on next time.

I think the best time to learn a loop is when you feel you are going faster than the wind, which on 5.3 - 4.7 you can easily. When it is windy, i.e on a 4.2, you are going to get one hell of a pull in the air when you sheet in, so are more likely to bail!.

The other thing to do is make sure you always try one on the first run and get it out of the way!

Excuses stopped me learning what is effectively a straightforward stunt for years.

the advice about trying one on the first run is spot on. you're psyched up, feeling strong and can still hear in your head what you were telling yourself on the drive to the beach that this time you are going to do it.

the only injury i picked up from learning was a bruised bum. but what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.

Is it possible to do loop on very flat water with 255 cm board and 6.0 wave sail?

they do loops in super x on 7.0 metre sails, so I guess it must be. I guess anything is possible if you try to do it enough times. Someone told me once that they had seen an IMCO being looped!