April 29th, 2024 – I borrowed Niamh’s playboat for a park-and-play session at Pinkston Water Sports. After wobbling around in the features, I was quickly convinced to try a front loop. I squared up, paddled into the feature, and soared into the air—arms raised high above my head! I was flying! I was sure I’d land this on my first try and blow everyone away. A playboating god in the making… or not quite. In reality, my loop quickly evolved into a full-contact introduction to the water. Oh yes, the first of many face-flops to come.
The front loop felt like a pivotal move in playboating—one you can’t avoid if you’re thinking about calling yourself a playboater. It’s like the kayaking equivalent of learning to walk before you can run. The thing is, I felt like I had already been trying to run.
In October 2023, I attended my first Park Jam as a team paddler for Pyranha. It was an incredible experience—being surrounded by the likes of Bren Orton, Heidi Walsh, and the entire Pyranha and Palm team. But in that presence, I couldn’t help but feel like a bit of an imposter. Though I’m sure my love and passion for the sport got me there [Editor’s Note: Rowan is being extremely modest about her skills here, but her passion for the sport, warm nature, and willingness to get stuck in and help out certainly played a part, too!], I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a standard I should be at—especially when Bren spent a large part of each session teaching the kids how to loop.
Bren at Park Jam 2023 about to teach like seven kids how to loop. This is when I realised that maybe it would be worth a go!
I had an amazing time on tour, but I knew deep down that if I was invited back the following year, I wanted to be able to contribute more. That meant stepping up my game. So, as the water warmed up and I spent more time at the artificial whitewater course at Pinkston, things started to align. There was no excuse anymore—not if I wanted to level up and bring more to the table. My journey to mastering the front loop was officially about to begin.
In this blog, I’ll take you through the physical and mental journey I went through to learn the loop. A journey filled with frustration, laughter, tears, supportive friends, eddy tantrums, and a lot of determination. Five months of falling on my face (literally), sort of determination.
Failing, Learning, and Learning to Fail
I’ve always been sporty and enjoyed a challenge, but this was something else.
Turning Point: Finding My Flow
I’d say mindset and maybe Nick Troutman’s “How to Loop” video were key to my success. It’s interesting how much the way we talk to ourselves can affect our performance. In the early stages of my mission, I referred to it as “falling-on-my-face practice.” I was having a lot of fun, but not once did I turn up to a session thinking, “I could actually do this today.”
Soon enough, continually falling on my face while my friends had their breakthrough moments started to get a little frustrating. I was committed, never missing a session, but there were no results. I took a small break and tried different skills, but the loop haunted me, and I refused to be defeated.
During my next stint, I went into every session saying, “Today’s the day.” or “I’m going to loop today.” Positive self-talk is great, but I realized that, at a glance, this seems like the right attitude, yet the words held no weight because there was no self-belief behind them. Somewhere around this point, it really started feeling like quitting time. However, I had already been documenting the process on Instagram, and I couldn’t let myself down like that.
In May, the kayaking community received the tragic news of our good friend Bren’s passing. Kayaking lost its appeal to me for a while, though I knew this would never be the attitude by which Bren would want people to remember him. I received a lot of advice from kind people online through documenting my journey, but Bren had always shown interest in my progress, offering some silly but wise words of wisdom.
“The most important part is to lean all the way back to finish the loop.”
Bren Orton
I got back in my playboat with the goal of achieving my loop before Bren’s Park Jam tour as my own little way of honoring him.
I got back to work and continued to practice twice—or more—each week. Just whenever I could! I fell back in love with the sport. Playboating allowed me to surround myself with an extremely supportive and creative group of paddlers multiple times a week. Everyone was pushing themselves to learn tricks and just having a good time while doing so.
My go-to hype team minus Craig. These guys never let me down!
However, I still had absolutely no idea how to “kick with my heels” when I physically couldn’t feel my feet in the boat. I continued through the summer, still learning and improving but never quite bringing that loop around. Womp womp womp.
September came around, and I was getting a little stressed as the deadline I had set for myself was fast approaching. My crew and I headed to our local river, the Cart, for some downriver freestyle fun. Upon arrival, the river was much higher than we had done it before, but I was so excited to get on the water.
After a couple of attempts at running the 10-foot drop, I decided I’d like to try a Free Wheel off it (another trick I’d been working on). What followed was possibly the worst Free Wheel attempt known to man. I landed right in the seam sideways. This quickly escalated into the scariest moment of my life—the first-ever “Oh, I’ve really messed this up” moment in my kayaking journey. After a minute of being body recirculated, I couldn’t think of anything worse than getting back in a boat.
A week later, and a week closer to my deadline, I got back in my playboat at Pinkston. I spent the session feeling tense. It felt like all the progress I had made in my loop was lost. But I returned the next day, surrounded by my little freestyle community, and had a lovely session full of laughter and, of course, falling on my face.
The Breakthrough: Two Weeks Before Park Jam
Two weeks out from Park Jam 2024, I still wasn’t looping. Five months of practice and dedication, yet here I was. I had gotten all my tantrums out of the way in the previous weeks, but I needed to try something different. I had the water all to myself and threw attempt after attempt. One attempt felt different—very promising—but I had no video to verify it.
The next day, before getting on the water, I sat in my van and watched Nick Troutman’s “How to Loop” video on YouTube. He mentioned something about moving your body in a whipping motion to bring your torso back to the back of the boat. That was all I thought about.
I got on the water again. This time, Kyle and Craig were out there with me. I watched them throw some big loops. It was my turn for my first attempt of the day. I paddled into the feature, focusing only on that whipping motion. I plugged into the feature, threw my arms high in the air, then brought them back into the boat, opening back up—whipping my body back.
Something amazing happened: I could hear the joyful whoops and cheers from my friends. Which meant… I wasn’t upside down. I hadn’t face-planted.
The photo I sent to all of my friends immediately after my first loop… a happy girl.
I went again. It happened again… and again… and again. Two weeks out, and I could loop. I don’t think I’ve ever been prouder of myself or more grateful for my sport. Twice in my journey, learning to loop had been the thing that kept me in the sport. I owe a lot to my journey, and I’ve learned so much about myself and the way I learn.
A week later, Taylor and I went for ice cream. Earlier that summer, Taylor had learned to loop, and we celebrated her milestone with a scoop of ice cream for her loop. This time, it was my scoop for my loop. Ice cream is a great motivator!
Me and my scoop for my loop!
Tips for Aspiring Front Loopers
I think the advice I’d give my past self would be to watch Nick’s videos sooner. In all seriousness, though, it’s important to always make sure it’s fun. If a coaching cue doesn’t make sense to you, look for one that does. I’m not saying that if I had watched the video sooner, I would’ve learned faster, but it might have helped! It’s also important to remember that the only limits on what our bodies can do are the limits we set for ourselves. Really believing in your ability is so important.
The Future: What’s Next After the Front Loop?
What’s on the horizon? Good question! I have a couple of tricks in mind. I feel like since I kind of just skipped to learning the loop before anything else, I probably have some catching up to do with other tricks. So maybe something like a cartwheel, or maybe something bigger—I’m not super set yet. Still having a lot of fun with the loop though. I’m excited to get into the new Pyranha x GuiGui-Prod Helectron Small and see how that changes my playboating experience.
Conclusion: Embracing the Journey
Reflecting on my front-loop journey, it’s clear that the process was never just about mastering a trick. It was about pushing through frustration, learning from every fall, and discovering the power of persistence. There were days when quitting felt like the easiest option, but in the end, it was the support of the kayaking community, the lessons learned from my failures, and the belief in my own potential that kept me moving forward.
Park Jam 2024 – A Rowan who could loop in her noble steed.
The loop, for me, was never just a goal—it was a symbol of growth, both as a paddler and as a person. It taught me that success isn’t defined by the number of times we land something, but by our willingness to keep trying and learning from every experience. As I look ahead to the next challenge, I’m reminded that there’s always room to grow, and the adventure of learning never truly ends.
Quotes That Just Made Sense
“The most important part is to lean all the way back to finish the loop.”
Bren Orton
Bren had become a good friend since taking part in the Park Jam tour back in 2023, though I had looked up to him long before then. We kept in touch often, and he would occasionally offer a bit of advice toward my loop, but he mainly expressed the importance of making sure that it’s fun and that I’m doing it because it’s fun. Even after his passing, I found that focusing on the loop helped me rediscover my love for kayaking, especially during tough and unsettling times. It became my way of returning to what I love, helping me find the fun and motivation I needed to keep going.
“Lie back more so than kicking the heels. Get the back of your BA to touch the back of your boat.”
Aoife Hanrahan
This one was super helpful. This was in response to an Instagram story expressing that I had no idea how to kick my heels. Thank god for Aoife! Though we only met briefly, she took the time to send me detailed voice notes and videos, showing a level of care and dedication that was truly humbling. Having such experienced and thoughtful people in my journey, even from a distance, made all the difference.
Another super helpful resource during this time—especially as I prepared for my trip to Chile—was The Confident Mind by Dr. Nate Zinsser. This book was suggested to me by my boyfriend when I was feeling particularly low in my confidence and struggling with my abilities. If you’re anyone in any sport dealing with confidence issues, I highly recommend it. The book gave me practical strategies to understand and manage my nervousness, allowing me to focus more on the tasks at hand rather than getting lost in self-doubt. It really helped me break down the mental barriers that were holding me back, and I can’t overstate how crucial it was in helping me push through my challenges.
…and of course, you can visit my Instagram to see the real-time journey of me learning to loop: @rowanandrew_
