Something to try

[~ pimp hand ~]

Hey PH: are you still loopin'? you used to be a loop jedi.

jedi ? ... ha ha thanx for the compliment, but i would say more like a student or apprentice ... and i havn't hucked now for a few years!

i was gonna use the 'i'm too old' excuse, untill i read your other post about the 52 year old dood still looping in the gorge

might have to get back on that horse, and refresh myself
at least you doods are pulling backs ... i could never pull a back and all that freestyle shiz ... man, i can't touch that ... props to you guys!

lets face it, i'm getting old fast, and my TOW is very minimal ... hell, i havn't even dug out my ish for a winter session for a couple winters now but watching that CBcam is making me itch!

[more force 4]

OK, so a guy is 52 and STILL looping in the Gorge. But I bet he's been doing it for years - how many have gone for it the first time at that age?

There was a guy -- can't remember his name -- well into his 50s I think, with a big family who all windsurfed, at Nitinat a couple of years ago. He was an orchard farmer from the Okanagon, originally from Quebec I believe. He was a jumping maniac and boasted he was working up to looping - Anyone know him and if he did it? I didn't see him at Nitinat this year, but I wasn't there a lot.

[Russian Dood]

Mf4 go for it man! I read an article a while ago about a guy who hacked his first one in his late forties. You still have some juse in a tank, so enjoy the ride while you can!

And another thing I keep telling myself, It's better regret that something you tried went wrong rather than wonder how that would be.

[more force 4]

Yes, but there are so many things that I haven't done that seem safer - like duck jibes! But I understand forwards are mostly about mental state, and you can't (?????) hurt yourself provided you commit, tuck the board, sheet in hard with the booms forward, and never let go of the booms. Brings to mind the question, Who did it first and what the hell were they thinking? Kind of like the first guy who discovered lobsters were edible, or the ones who figured out which kinds of mushroom were..

[winddoctor]

Now we're talking!

OK, take a deeeeeep breath. Close your eyes. Take yourself to a place of dank, musty darkness. Slowly begin to feel the embers of hate burning deep inside the pit of your stomach. Feels sort of good, doesn't it? Now let the hate build a little. Not too much. Rein it in a little. Feel the bitter bile rising up the throat. Can you taste the hate? Excellent! Now let that feeling and taste percolate for a while. And next windy day,

UNLEASH THE HATE! HUCK IT!!!

[downwind dave]

well you could do a 1 plus a bit rotation like i did once and break your nose on the boom. of course ive got hurt duck jibing too so maybe thats just me!
Before the loop was invented there was this thing called the cheeze roll. i remember those hurting quite a bit.

[Russian Dood]

A little pain is good. It reminds me that I'm still alive and do something fun.

[Guest (PhDewd at Work)]

Can't Hurt Yourself!! OK - you got me out with this one...first attempt, 1994, looked up to see how far around - stopped rotation quickly! Eardrum has never quite recovered - I can still notice local pressure changes and 50' elevation changes - not good for a part-time pilot!
Gorge 2000 - rotated way too fast, board/sail stopped and body didn't, 6th broken nose. Sat on beach bleeding and a sweetie (real cute) came up to check on me - said I broke my nose and she checked front of my board to see if it was repairable and sailable still. Well worth the laugh! Still hoping for majic - back loops hurt less.
Geoff

[~ pimp hand ~]

Now we're talking!

OK, take a deeeeeep breath. Close your eyes. Take yourself to a place of dank, musty darkness. Slowly begin to feel the embers of hate burning deep inside the pit of your stomach. Feels sort of good, doesn't it? Now let the hate build a little. Not too much. Rein it in a little. Feel the bitter bile rising up the throat. Can you taste the hate? Excellent! Now let that feeling and taste percolate for a while. And next windy day,

UNLEASH THE HATE! HUCK IT!!!

rolaids anyone ? [smilie=blowtorch.gif]

[more force 4]

PH Dewd, don't do that! Please leave the negative stuff out!!! I was almost convinced!!! I already did the right eardrum this summer, just on a regular but hard fall (feels like it has an earplug in permanently - hearing test dooods said it was nerve damage from loud bang - I hit the water ear first, I think I was wearing a hood, early season). Good reason to wear ear plugs, I guess. After I learn to pop properly, my first loop attempts (I'm speaking very hypothetically, like a politician) will probably be stbd tack since that side is already damaged!

[winddoctor]

PH Dewd, don't do that! Please leave the negative stuff out!!! I was almost convinced!!! I already did the right eardrum this summer, just on a regular but hard fall (feels like it has an earplug in permanently - hearing test dooods said it was nerve damage from loud bang - I hit the water ear first, I think I was wearing a hood, early season). Good reason to wear ear plugs, I guess. After I learn to pop properly, my first loop attempts (I'm speaking very hypothetically, like a politician) will probably be stbd tack since that side is already damaged!

Why not wear a helmet for protection? You may not be stylin' but you'll be looping!

[more force 4]

Oh, I'll have a helmet on for sure - (hypothetically speaking) but it doesn't protect my ears. I used to wear a helmet almost all the time, when I was a certified Kook, and having regular bad crashes and getting whacked by the boom or mast or rail was a regular possibility. I fall in almost as much, probably, but now I usually know whats going to happen. Now I wear the helmet for 4.5 and above. Also, I figure hypothermia is a bigger risk this time of year than banging the head, so I go with a hood rather than a helmet. Anyone figure out how to do both? Hockey helmet over the hood would REALLY be a fashion statement!

[Guest]

sounds like famous last words.....dadadadoooooom. Hey, how about a hockey helmet, eh? I got a coupla spares and ears are covered, ha!

been meaning to huck for couple of years now but no balls sorry to say, keep thinking about all the damage I already have....Columbia though, you say, can't be worse than the bugsplatbackloop deals I've been trying I tell ya. Wdoc, thought the same about the other day, light 5.4 day with the odd ramp, next time dood, pressure's on .....though a nose guard with my beak is likely a good plan....by the way if ya try and abort things get realllllllly ugly I can attest to that so.... ."if ya are gonna get hit anyway, ya might as well catch the ball!"

[Russian Dood]

Hey Hokey Helmet Guest For nose protection I always have deviator in my tool bag, so next time someone is going to loop and wants to have a nose protection just ask me and I let you use the thing for no charge, just for a little pleasure to see someone goes for it for a first time.

[clownboy]

How many masts does it take to learn to loop? I like my masts and they're fairly expensive and this always impresses me when I'm thinking it's time to loop. I'm afraid this is what holds me back. Few wipeouts are worse than a really high speed downwind catapulting face plant, and I've done some beauties. No, it's the 500 bucks a throw that intimidates me. And I especially like a nice light mast so that makes it even worse. I suppose sponsorship might be a good plan.