Learn to Heliloop / Downloop | 2 Easy Steps // Kiteboarding SA Masterclass

Higher jump are harder to land, but that can be solved with the heli loop, downloop or rescue loop. This tutorial teaches you how to learn a heli loop in 2 easy steps.
00:24 Smooth Helil oops
01:13 Keypoints
01:51 Heli or Downloop
02:56 Exercise: Downloop Gybe
04:08 Exercise: Jump with Downloop
05:34 What's next?
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Filming / cover picture: José Denis-Robichaud
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[@Sharpiesailor31]

All your content is excellent. I check in frequently to refresh what I’m working on in my progression. Good examples as well.

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Thank you so much! I'm very happy to hear that. Have fun on the water!

[@BenjaminLovelady]

I only use downloops to refer to front hand surface loops where the kite loops down first and across the window. I like to differentiate between helliloops (in the air with vertical pull) and landing loops (to maintain line tension when landing with speed). I start my students with landing loops during a jump transition just like you showed, and then slowly have them pull the loop a little sooner. One thing that helps with smaller jumps to get a vertical pull is to sheet out a bit before pulling the loop to help the kite climb overhead.

[@stevenakkersdijk]

That's also a very nice way to explain it. Until two years ago I would actually call everything a downloop, but that makes it quite complicated 😂 Sheeting the bar out definitely helps with the kite rising up in the wind window.

[@IvanZ88]

Excellent explanation, thank you!

[@stevenakkersdijk]

You're very welcome!

[@Vincent01]

Again the most clearly explained tutorial. I love the way that you make your videos. Thanks and please keep making these videos.

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Thanks a lot! I'll keep making more for sure if you keep watching 😉

[@Vincent01]

@stevenakkersdijk for sure i will keep watching your videos.

[@kst157]

Excellent - masterful! Thank you! 🪂

[@stevenakkersdijk]

My pleasure! I'm glad you like it 🤙

[@donronaldo5454]

Perfect tutorial, Thank you

[@stevenakkersdijk]

You are welcome!

[@Anority]

Hey Steven! Great video, been waiting for this video. Wanted to know a bit more about the difference between a downloop/heliloop, and how to do them effectively! I just landed my first kiteloop a couple days ago after I had watched your road to kiteloop series! The adrenaline from it was amazing, even though it wasn't too high, just having the tug forwards and landing was so exciting! Keep it up man!! -Keanu

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Oh yes! Those first intentional loops give a super nice adrenaline rush! Glad you're enjoying the content and keep on shredding 🤙

[@ppvl]

Bedankt Steven, super video 👍👍

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Graag gedaan!

[@MartinDevoto66]

Excellent explanation!!

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Glad it was helpful!

[@apckiteboard]

One of the best and most usefull kite tutorial!

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Glad it was helpful! Good luck and fun trying this 😉

[@michaelphaneuf7281]

Nice work Steven

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Thanks 👍

[@lucasbergman5150]

Always so calm and relaxt when you clearly explain what to do. Dank je wel :) Now to remind myself on the way down to keep steering instead of chickening out :')

[@stevenakkersdijk]

My pleasure! I'm glad to hear that you enjoy the content. Take small bitesize steps, that will help you a lot to gain courage and pull the loop 😉

[@bbreezy2060]

Perfect timing for this upload. Actually was looking up heli loops on the duotone app and this notification came through 😂

[@stevenakkersdijk]

😂 That is very good timing indeed. Have fun trying it! There is many good videos out there, just need to find the tips that work for you.

[@BerlinMauer]

I have always referred to these loops simply as landing loops as they assist in my landing from higher 8m+ jumps where the kite tends to fly behind me or I swing under my kite. I never actually learned them. They came naturally out of necessity to catch myself on landing or to avoid hot landings. If someone asked me to do one on demand I probably couldn't. They would simply have to wait until the jump where I needed one. And that is dependent on kite size, wind, jump height etc. My hand actually depends on what side I jump. More or less dependent on habits I have developed. To the left I pull with the front and land as a transition where on my right side I land with the backhand and ride out in the same direction. I've never been caught up on the name because I consider these loops a landing technique rather than a kite trick. I am really glad to see this video addressing them because they are important for anyone wanting to land safely from higher jumps.

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Awesome to hear that you just started doing them! There is usually a dominant looping hand, and it seems like that's your left hand. I also have a dominant looping hand which is my right hand. I guess the wording: Landing loop work well, takes the guessing out of the game.

[@netopantoja8988]

Top d + 🎉

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Glad you like it!

[@xzucomatable]

Very interesting, I love your videos. Thanks

[@stevenakkersdijk]

My pleasure! Thanks for viewing!

[@christophhering8204]

Danke

[@stevenakkersdijk]

My pleasure!

[@sauce25]

Nice graphics 👨‍🍳👌

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Thank you 😋

[@fifty-sqrd]

Awesome video! I'm still confused about down vs heli, but since I have to hold my foil while landing there's only one hand and one way the kite could go. What I'm happy about is that I could land a kiteloop off a wave in Dahab onto the same wave with a foil strapless, and ride off. Only once or twice but I'm stoked! But what I find now is that I can comfortably ride my 7m Section in 13 m/s, but in such wind seven isn't the size folks use for jumps. So I'm puzzled: I want more pull up and power in the loop when landing, but once I'm up its not there. Only a few times I could time it right and ride off in Baby Bay without getting my board in the water, but most of time I slam down with a late loop and crash or save. Getting something like a Nexus should be my next step. And a trip to a spot with a break...

[@stevenakkersdijk]

That's awesome man! Sounds like you're doing very well. I think you'll enjoy the Nexus for your style of riding as it provides a bit more lift when you pull the bar down.

[@Ocean_Kite_Engine]

Great graphics man, I'm working on a kiteboat project and the graphics you used to describe the heli-loops are perfect, You mention to not untwist the lines until you are comfortable, which makes sense, however, if you could maintain control, could you produce another heli-loop?

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Thank you! If you maintain control over the kite and you're still in the sky it's possible to pull another heli loop, but this always depend on the situation. Good luck with the kite boat project!

[@lilafrench]

I call it a "heli loop" if the loop is mostly overhead like a helicopter blade. I always thought that was where the name came from, but I'm not sure. Thanks for these vids!

[@stevenakkersdijk]

It definitely makes a lot of sense and I also guess that's where it comes from.

[@dominiquelaurent6111]

Trop bien sete vidéos non😊😊😊😊❤❤❤❤

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Merci!

[@Zarrell]

Question: Can you overstall your kite during the decent by pulling your bar too far in? Or are the dynamics slightly different when hanging from it with your whole weight compared to riding on the water? I’ve been trying to figure this out since some of my kites have different sweet spots and if I suddenly stop feeling power/lift with bar pulled in I need to make a split second decision in the air whether to keep it in and hope for a gust or try to adjust out a bit. Of course redirecting the kite helps, but that’s sort of besides the point 😅

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Depending on the setup of your kite there is a small or big chance of your kite stalling during the heli loop. It helps if you trim all your kites to ride in a similar way (I have a video on how to trim your kite on my channel) Steering super hard with the bar all the way down will often see your kite stalling, but this can be easily fixed by pushing the bar out just a little bit. Or depowering your kite.

[@Zarrell]

​@@stevenakkersdijk Thanks! I guess it doesn't help that I've been switching kite models all month (freeride/wave/bigair). But the new tactic I've started is making sure I have plenty of power left in the bar when jumping now, it requires you to ride a bit more sheeted out before take off and edge more firmly but feels safer in terms of landing... until I can learn proper looping. Earlier I think I maxed out on the jump height in relation to wind speed which made me swing too close under the kite and land hard.

[@nilsemmahendrickx-iskandar5350]

Because my son is learning to windsurf atm, the kiting got to the background. You make me wanne go again. 😂 Still just doing downloop transitions.. 💩

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Exciting that you're getting time on the water with your son! I can imagine that the kite is often in the back of your mind though. Hope you two get out there soon!

[@sioux1971]

😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍 super video as alwais

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Thanks! I'm glad you like it 🥳

[@DeanMeshko]

What is the position of the bar when doing heli loop? Is it all the way in at all times or has to be little sheeted out when the kite is flying behind you?

[@stevenakkersdijk]

This depends a lot on the way your kite is set up. If it's depowered you'll want to keep the bar all the way in, when the kite is powered up you can sheet out a little bit. In the end you'll have to try it a few times with your bar in different positions to see what happens 😉

[@DeanMeshko]

@@stevenakkersdijk Thank you!🙂

[@tmotten]

So would it be a kite loop when you do this loop at or just before the apex?

[@stevenakkersdijk]

When you loop it with the back hand at or just before the apex it's a kiteloop. When you loop it with the front hand it would be called a contra loop.

[@tmotten]

@@stevenakkersdijk Thanks. Been meaning to ask. My dominant kite is an 11m Pivot. Is that appropriate to learn kiteloops on? I rarely get wind strong enough to fly a 9m and then it's stormy

[@Basstronaut]

So, the kite flies behind you just from the descent of a high jump alone? Because I thought it needs to be a little to the side, then depowered a little, before you sheet in while looping.

[@stevenakkersdijk]

It does help when you sheet the bar out a little bit, but it's not always needed. It mostly depends on the way your kite is set up. The more powered up you ride it, the more important it will be that you sheet out a bit to let the kite breath.

[@Basstronaut]

@@stevenakkersdijk Dankjewel! That was definitely helpful. Maybe I jump a little "oversheeted". But anyways, 5-6m is about the average height I get at the moment. So, I'm good with a normal landing. Man, I wish I'd get some wind again 😩

[@sauce25]

I kite in light wind (15-18 knots) on a 12m evo. I average around 3.3m on my jumps. Sounds like this isn’t high enough to even try a heli loop?

[@stevenakkersdijk]

You can try landings with a downloop, they're good practise and quite interesting

[@johnrossmacneill1123]

A downloop is a loop that can be done with either hand in my opinion. A late kiteloop in a jump transition for example. A downloop is used to keep the kite in the power window and avoid loss of momentum. A downloop likely increases or maintains line tension and downwind traveling speed. This is still more desirable than falling gently but without directional speed and so a downloop is often used on small jumps or at the end of larger jumps. A heli loop is a loop pulled with either hand also. The difference between the two is most likely height at which the kite is looping through the window. A heli loop will have the kiters momentum carrying down and down wind while the kite travels to the edge of the window above the kiter. The wind window is higher above us than usual because we are falling and creating apparent wind in doing so. in other words Pulling a loop while the kite is seeming traveling behind you is in my opinion a heli loop.

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Thanks for your detailed description, it's a very nice and clear way to look at it!

[@marcusmurstad-mordt2656]

Where is the spot😊

[@stevenakkersdijk]

This was filmed at dolphin beach in Capetown, South Africa

[@Nilz4FR]

I have been jumping 10-15m high with my 15sqm Duotone DLAB Juice - Does I Heli make sense with that size or would you just try to keep it above you and dive it down with a strong bar pull for landing? (been averaging 6-8sec hangtime on average)

[@stevenakkersdijk]

With the bigger kite sizes it's a bit more tricky as the turning radius is sooo big. When you notice that the kite flies behind you it's super nice to do a heli loop, but don't pull it too early as that will result in a drop. (most of the time you'll get away just fine by just redirecting the kite with a strong steering input)

[@RafCenterMyself]

I’ve a question: sometimes when I go above 8m and get a gust the kite begins to fly behind me while I’m still flying high. It always throws me off and scares me sometimes 😂 what would you suggest in those situations? I have the landing heliloops with the fronthand down consistently.

[@stevenakkersdijk]

I know the feeling. Try to keep the bar all the way down in such a case and initiate the heli loop slightly earlier so the kite can build up speed and catch you.

[@user-wi5gx4in6n]

90% of the time it's front hand as the kite normally sits to the back , easy way to learn it is just take your backhand off the bar and crank your front hand 1m off the water when landing kite will go round even if it's parked at 12 it can also finish the loop if on water if you pull to late , then do it higher but keep both hands on bar and crank bar only when you swing underneath kite , common mistake is just steering the kite instead of cranking or pulling too late

[@stevenakkersdijk]

It's definitely a good way to get started. After a while it makes sense to start your loop a bit slower so the kite provides more lift.

[@nevochen]

Downloop = a loop with the front hand Heliloop = a loop with the back hand simple as that :) that's how i describe those two types of loops that assist you in the landing phase of the jump.

[@stevenakkersdijk]

That would make life quite simple indeed 😅

[@bbreezy2060]

What if you’re boosting from a blind? Or boosting from toe side? 🤣

[@nevochen]

@@bbreezy2060 haha it stays the same! front hand ~ surfing direction, back hand ~ against surfing direction, thats how i taught my students and friends 😎 btw if you loop it while surfing just say surface downloop/heliloop

[@oceancolors]

What I mainly get from this video bout the HELILOOP is the importance of having the kite going around 12 to get that sweet sustention. Concerning the DOWNLOOP when small jumping, you only talk here about pulling the front hand. In one of your previous videos, you insisted on pulling the hand opposite to the front foot ... in order to stay balanced when top landing, "when you land with your right foot in front, downloop to the left" and " when left foot, DL to the right" At 5'17 kzbin.info/www/bejne/pGaVhqOsg5yIq7M Is it still the case in small jumps ? Is it the case with big jumps when Helilooping ? I say that because in higher jumps, to get the two ( kite threw 12.00 / pulling opposite to front foot ) is not always easy for me as I always land right foot in the front. Then, while in the air I have my kite often positioned up and rather left. I feel I'd need to PRE position it on the right ( by slightly pulling right ) and then loop it left to have it pass threw 12 for sustaining me 😅 Makes a lot to do with small jumps and short hang time :) Thanks again for your tutorials. Amazing as always. Definitely have to attend on of your amps

[@stevenakkersdijk]

Steering the kite around 12 is definitely key to softer landings with a heli loop. For the smaller jumps it doesn't really matter which foot is in front as you don't have as much speed as you do after a kiteloop. Therefor it's less important to stabilize yourself with the kite. On the bigger jumps it all depends on your preference. The most stable way of landing is by pulling the hand opposite to your front foot, but that rule is not set in stone if you have a big preference on your dominant foot. Have fun trying and see you in the sky 🤙

[@Nilz4FR]

I consider a Heliloop "above" me meaning with 11 and 1 o clock - A Downloop moves outside 11 and 1 imho.

[@stevenakkersdijk]

I like that! Might start using that as well, thanks!

[@devop6255]

The way I define it is : downloop have more horizontal pull while heliloop is more vertical.

[@stevenakkersdijk]

It definitely makes sense, but I find it hard to find the line with a description like that.

[@devop6255]

"Heliloops provide a vertical lift and can be executed looping the kite forward or backward around 12, while downloops generate a horizontal drive and are executed looping the kite forward into the wind window." Is how I would describe it in one "short" line :D