Kitesurfing
Kiteboarding progression: from your first jump to Megaloop board-offs
Pro kiteboarder Lasse Walker instructs us how to progress from first jumps to board-offs and describes just some of the tricks we can't wait to see at the upcoming Red Bull Megaloop.
After a long Indian summer, wind is finally back on the menu, Red Bull Megaloop is go and we're about to be treated to some of the world's best kiteboarders going to head to head with their biggest tricks.
In 2019, the last time the event was held, audiences saw Megaloops combined with late backrolls, boogie loops and one-footers. Nick Jacobsen, for example, nailed a Megaloop board-off, while his double backroll was also very successful, but was just outside the time of the heat.
These tricks have now almost become standard at Red Bull King of the Air, but during Red Bull Megaloop they still have a bit more rarity value. What's the difference? The format, together with the conditions, play a major role. Unlike Red Bull King of The Air, riders at Red Bull Megaloop can win their heat with just one trick.
Sports director Bram van Vught explains: “Red Bull Megaloop uses a completely different format than other competitions. You can win your heat with one jump, it's really about quality over quantity and giving each other the space needed in these types of circumstances. That makes all heats incredibly exciting. Rarely in any competition are heats won so often in the final seconds or literally as the buzzer sounds.”
In preparation for all that excitement, we asked pro kiteboarder Lasse Walker to help us make a 'progression list' to guide you from your first jump to the kiteloop board-off; and to help you understand what you'll be seeing at this year's contest.
01
Jump
It all starts with the straight jump, and as with everything, a good base is important. Here, a strong push-off leads to a good jump. Sail calmly at comfortable speed toward your push-off, steer your kite up, tighten your bar and pop with your board against the wind. The timing of your push-off and the steering of the kite will get you airborne. Spot your landing while in the air and steer your kite back in to build speed.
02
Jumping transition
In a jumping transition, you change your sailing direction with a jump. Sail upwind as you normally would, calmly and gradually steer your kite to 12 o'clock and steer your board a little more and more upwind. This way you can reduce speed perfectly and just before your speed really decreases and your kite arrives at 12 o'clock you tighten your bar. Once in the air and ready to sail the other way, gently steer your kite back in and point the front of your board towards your kite: this way you can easily regain speed to sail on again.
Setting sun
© Emieck de Goede/Red Bull Content Pool
03
Backroll
The first rotation: a backroll. This can be done with a very low jump or as high as you can go, but above everything, it's all in the push-off. Sail to your turn-off and edge your board so you have a good grip. Push off and look over your front shoulder to turn, spot your landing and sail on again. Head leads and body follows!
1 min
Six steps to: backroll
Want to know how to backroll on a kiteboard? Learn how to backroll in six steps.
04
Frontroll
A frontroll is slightly trickier than a backroll. A backroll follows the direction of your turn, but with the frontroll you rotate in the opposite direction. Return to a comfortable speed and make a normal jump. Then look over your back shoulder as far as you can and make your body small. Keep looking and turning until you've spotted your landing and sail slowly again.
1 min
Six steps to: frontroll
Want to know how to frontroll on a kiteboard? Learn how to frontroll in six steps.
05
Heli-loop / downloop
A heli-loop, or also called downloop, is an important and tricky step for landing high jumps. This involves pulling your kite into a loop above you to provide yourself with a soft landing. Engage the heli-loop just a little earlier than you normally would for a landing. Tighten your bar well and steer as hard as you can until the kite has turned a full loop. The golden rule here is to deploy the heli-run late and hard.
06
Kiteloop
A kiteloop is the basis of a megaloop. In a kiteloop, you add a loop to your straight jump. You pull your back hand into a loop until your kite flies straight up again. This makes you jump, you're pulled behind your kite during the loop, and your kite comes back above you to land softly. Key again is drop off and timing. It's also important to land well downwind to catch your speed.
1 min
Six steps to: kiteloop
Want to know how to kiteloop on a kiteboard? Learn how to kiteloop in six steps.
07
Backroll kiteloop
The kiteloop can be combined with different tricks. An easy first step is the backroll kiteloop. Just as with your backroll, continue the push off longer, keep looking over your shoulder and towards the end of your rotation, pull your kiteloop through with your back hand. With good timing, you'll be pulled out of your rotation and your landing will be the same as your kiteloop. Don't forget to land downwind!
Easy when you know how
© Emieck de Goede/Red Bull Content Pool
08
Megaloop
The king of tricks: the Megaloop. A kiteloop, but the name says it all, everything squared. Mega high winds, mega high speed, mega hard steering and at the beginning also mega exciting, including mega crashes. Build up the mega run slowly and try it in increasingly extreme conditions. Even landing with so much speed takes time to master.
Lasse Walker in action at Red Bull King of the Air
© Craig Kolesky/Red Bull Content Pool
09
Megaloop late backroll
Once you've mastered the Megaloop, you can add various tricks to it as well. In the Megaloop late backroll, you set up the Megaloop as always (fast, high and hard!) and during the momentum of the pull of the loop, you allow your body to rotate an entire backroll. The first half of the rotation is very fast, during the second part you literally fall out of the sky until your kite catches you again. Tip: are you losing control? Then look into your kite to turn straight again to regain control.
Lasse Walker doing a Megaloop board-off
© Ydwer van der Heide/Red Bull Content Pool
10
Megaloop board-off
Lasse Walker's favourite trick. The board-off is an old-fashioned, but very stylish move that combined with a Megaloop remains ultimate! The biggest tip: after your push off, grab your board right away with your front hand, then pull the Megaloop in time with your back hand. Keep your board close to you and tighten your whole body. Then get ready for a quick landing!
11
A final tip
Above all, of course, progression takes time! Even the riders at Red Bull Megaloop started somewhere. One final tip from Lasse: "Hold your bar a little more toward the middle. With your hands in the middle of the bar, you can control your power well and still steer. If you have your hands far out on the bar you'll quickly make steering mistakes. Also, this does nothing for your spin speed and rough steering often ends in a crash or hard landings."
Ready to see how how the pros do it? Watch Red Bull Megaloop right here.