Backloop

Alternative name: Barrel Roll
Category: Waves
Level of difficulty: Level 6 (from 6)

Description

The backloop is a kind of backward rotation that is jumped into the wind as a flat rotation. The exact motion sequence is demonstrated here in many tutorials.

The jump is not performed as a continuous rotation, but is divided into two phases of flight: the jump as high as possible into the wind and the turn into the landing approach.

At the apex of the jump, the sail is pulled close to the body and - important - the view over the shoulder fixes the landing zone.

During the descent, the rig is not opened with the clew through the wind (which would cause over-rotation), but pushed forward in a controlled manner.

It is important that the sail is always powered from the same side. The right sail position at the highest point of the jump is important, as the wind blows into the sail via the foot as it turns.

If the sail is opened too much in this flight phase, the wind accelerates the rotation and you over-rotate the jump.

Take a look at the following tutorials and videos, which show you the backloop in various conditions:

Videos

• Klaus Twilling shows the technique for the backloop
• How to jump a backloop with side offshore wind
• Philip Köster in sideonshore conditions
• Marc Paré shows a perfect backward rotation over a rather flat wave