How to loop with Connor

It's Connor back and I'm taking you through the loop I find its such a fun trick so these are some instructions on how to do the loop.

Front Loop  

In a loop, the boater does a complete flip, landing in the same direction that the move was initiated. Loops are unlike most other moves in that the bow is initiated flat to the water, with no edge. The move is begun like a popup, with the paddler driving straight and flat into the most powerful part of the current on a feature. The boater leans forward, and the bow is swept down and the stern up. Once vertical, the paddler quickly leans backward to pop up out of the water, then powerfully drives forward to intentionally cause the boat to become over-vertical. If done properly, the stern should catch in the current and the boat will return to its starting position.

Aerial Loop

Back Loop

A back loop is identical to a front loop, but is performed backwards, both starting and ending in a back surf.

Flat Loop

A flat loop is a loop done on flatwater. To accomplish this, the paddler stops in a front stall, before bouncing on end and "plugging" the hull deep in the water, and using the pop to throw the boat clear of the water and subsequently loop.

Looping In Push Button

One of my favorite tricks to watch someone do is a loop. They are very cool tricks since they are front flips on a kayak, and they are even better when they have air. Push Button is a small hole/wave below the WT lunch site. Its a cool feature because you can do wave and hole tricks in it. Its possible to airscrew and to loop. Push Button is kind off a hard place to loop because of two reasons. First, it is not very steep, so you have to plug your bow very hard to get a good pop, or any air out of the water. Second, at the level we had yesterday it was a little bit flushy making it hard to stick loops. I tried a couple of loops but I was not getting much air and I was not sticking them. Our coach Stephen Wright told me to plug super hard and start sideways. I remembered what Stephen told me and I got a big air loop and stuck it. I was very surprised and tried to go for a second loop in a row but I could not stick the second loop.

Stephen Wright Does a Huge Loop in Idaho

I used to not like push button that much because I thought it was small and bad, but once you learn how to cycle onto the top of the hole its a very fun spot to do all kinds of tricks. I am excited to go looping in push button today and hopefully become consistent sticking my loops.

And another Huge Air Loop at Push Button

Mauricio Martinez Laresgoiti    

Brody's Tips on the flat water loop

     I always had a hard time with my flat water loop, weather it was not getting enough air, not holding the bow stall long enough or having a bad loop stroke. But really they all tie together. If you can't hold the bow long enough its hard to get air and if you can't get air its hard to get a good loop stroke. And really you only need to hold the bow long enough for one bounce. The Macho move is another way to practice flat water loops. All it is is when you come up to a wave you get on your bow and use the wave to get air for the loop. Those are some ways I found to practice and perfect your flat water loop.

                                                        Brody Kellogg