Kiteloops by Janek Grzegorzewski

My name is Janek Grzegorzewski, I'm 20 years old and I started kitesurfing 7 years ago. I started kitesurfing through my dad, as he was a windsurfer, in the beginning, and he is now a kitesurfer and he was the one who organized kitesurfing lessons for me. :)

About my first kiteloop, I landed it in Greece, on Rhodes island. I had been on a kitesurfing camp, and an instructor that was leading it has thought me the theory, and I attempted it. Honestly, there were loops on a maximum of 4m height, but those were my first attempts so I was definitely more than stokes from landing them. My first serious kiteloops started in Hood River, Oregon USA. My friends from high school (world-class kiteboard academy) had been giving me further tips on how to loop and that's where I really started my kitelooping career.

If I could give tips on how to start, it would definitely be based on safety! Kiteloops are dangerous, and they are meant to be dangerous. You can't just go out and do massive loops. You need to start from a small kite, small power, and a maximum of 3-4m jumps. When you will get the feeling of how the kite works when looping it and you will be consistent with your landings, that's when you can consider looping with a bigger kite or stronger wind. The most important thing is to progress slowly. Once you get the hang of it on small heights, then you try to progress, but don't skip steps! Do a kiteloop on 1m first after maybe go to 3m but don't just try to attempt your first kiteloop on 8m height as the chances of you getting an injury are very high.