Kick Flip

The most famous flatground trick

Medium

Prerequisites

Ollie

Position

Quick start

Make a snappy pop

Slide your front foot to the inner pocket

Flick your ankle sideway when reaching the nose

Lift up your back foot

Let the board flip until it fully rotates

Catch the board with your back foot

Sensation

Keep an even balance on both feet, keeping your weight on your toes. Keep your body centered

Interactive skateboard diagram for learning Kick Flip

Tips

Make sure you feel comfortable with your ollie to get the right timing between the actions of both feet (pop and slide)

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Put your back foot between the middle of the tail and the outer pocket

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The more centered your back foot is, the more pop you will get. The more it is in the pocket, the more flip rotation it will give your board

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You can keep your back foot at a right angle to the board or point it slightly towards the tail

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Put your front foot right under the bolts and angle it about 45 degrees, this will make it easier to leave the board sideways

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Give a snappy pop with your back foot and slide your front foot upward, as you would for an ollie

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Move your front foot towards the inner pocket of the nose just as the nose starts to rise

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Lift up your back foot to give the board room to rotate

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When your front foot reaches the pocket, flick your ankle hard outward to accelerate the flip motion

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Sliding with your foot and flicking with your ankle are two different movements that should be slightly delayed to achieve greater height and control

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As you flick the board, your front foot will move over the nose, and your front knee should extend well over it

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You will need to pull your back foot back slightly since it will lag behind the board’s motion

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Neither foot should go down at any point before the board has completed its flip, always pull your feet up and your front toes as well as you flick

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Bend your knees as much as needed to keep your legs high in the air

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Remember, you need to leave the board in the air to allow it to flip, you can't stick to it all along as you would for an ollie

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The moment you pop is also the moment you take off for your jump, so make sure to pop correctly to spend enough time in the air

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You can catch the board with your back foot to stop the rotation, or with both feet if you prefer to

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Mistakes

'I can land it with either of my feet but not with both'

'You are not jumping as you pop. One of your feet goes straight to the ground. Keep both feet up in the air as you pop.'

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'I can land a half kick flip but not the whole motion'

'You are not flicking enough with your ankle, your board needs more power to complete a full rotation.'

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'My flip is too slow'

'You are not flicking hard enough, or you are flicking too late.'

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'I shift frontside'

'You are opening your shoulders. Keep them square and avoid looking over the nose.'

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'I can't kick flip without a body varial'

'You are facing the direction you are riding as you pop. Focus on keeping your shoulders square, look down at your board and slide your back foot further behind.'

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'My board tends to varial flip'

'You are scooping the board instead of popping it. Think of it like an ollie.'

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'My board is kicked away'

'You are leaning towards the tail. Keep your balance even on both feet. You might also be kicking the board too much instead of flicking.'

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'My flip is rocket'

'Your front foot slides too far away or you are flicking too soon. Emphasize the flick at the nose, ensure your front knee goes over the nose, and make sure your front foot travels far enough on the board'

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'My flip looks terrible and low'

'You are kicking the board down instead of lifting it up. Slide your front foot upwards and flick your ankle with your toes pointing up.'

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'I sometimes miss the flip entirely'

'You are pulling your front foot up too much. The front foot guides the direction of your baord.'

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Helpers

Under flip exercice

Put your front foot under your board and use it to flip the board while jumping with your back foot. Landing this trick can help you overcome your fear.

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Muscle memory

Stand on your back foot as if you were popping, then slide your front foot toward the inner pocket and flick your ankle. Repeat this over and over.

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One foot practice

Do a kick flip and try to land it with your front foot only. Focus on keeping control and feeling the rotation.

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Hold a rail

Practice the kick flip while holding onto a handrail for support. This allows you to spend more time in the air, and helps keep your shoulders square. This also prevent you from falling.

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Half motion

Try landing a half kick flip. Then work on improving the strength of your flick and the accuracy of your movements to complete the full rotation.

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Variations

The closer your front foot is to the edge of the board, the faster the board spins. The more centered your front foot is on the board, the higher it gets.

Transition

Putting your front foot near the edge of the board and your back foot in the outer pocket will help you flip quicker, although this will prevent you from jumping high