Varial Kick Flip

Backside Shuvit + Kick Flip

This trick is unattractive as well as hated by skaters, but most likely the easiest advanced trick

Medium

Prerequisites

Backside shuvit

Kick flip

Position

Quick start

Pop straight down and scoop backward

Slide up your front foot toward the nose

Flick your ankle sideway out of the board

Stand upright, jump forward but don't lean forward

Pull your feet up to let the board flip

Catch the board with both of your feet

Sensation

Keep an even balance on both feet, keeping your weight on your toes. Keep your body centered, or lean slightly forward

Interactive skateboard diagram for learning Varial Kick Flip

Tips

Put your front foot as you would for a kick flip, right under the bolts and with a 45-degree angle pointing toward the nose

1 / 10

Put your back foot in the outer pocket. Youu can let your toes hang off the board but just slightly

2 / 10

Your toes in the outer pocket make the board both much easier to scoop with your back foot and to flick with your front foot

3 / 10

After bending down, put some presure on your toes while you are going back up to pop

4 / 10

Push straight down with your back foot and let your front foot slightly slide up on the tip toes

5 / 10

Scoop just a bit with your back foot. The scoop is the same as the one of the backside shuvit, with even less power

6 / 10

Then start flicking your front ankle to make the board flip as you release the scoop

7 / 10

Focus on your front foot flicking straight toward the nose and not side away as for the kick flip. Keep in mind that the board is also rotating into a shuvit motion, then the place you would normally flick will rotate as well

8 / 10

Stand upright as you pop, don't lean forward too much. But be ready to jump slightly in front of you, because the board will most likely land in front of you

9 / 10

Keep your front foot above your board the whole time to guide your body and be ready to catch the board

10 / 10

Mistakes

'The varial just doesn't work'

'You are not feeling comfortable flicking the board while scooping and not popping a trick. Try working on this'

1 / 9

'My board goes in the opposite direction I am rolling'

'You are missing the pop, which ends up being a pivot. Take the time to push down and make sure your tail touches the ground'

2 / 9

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

'You are either not committing or throwing the board away. Force yourself to bend your back knee and land with both feet, no matter what'

3 / 9

'I can't do a whole shuvit'

'You are focusing on the flip too much and most likely not used to flicking a trick you scoop instead of popping. Check your foot positioning and scoop just a bit with your back foot'

4 / 9

'I can't do a whole flip'

'You are either not flicking your front ankle, or flicking side away. Keep in mind the board is rotating in a shuvit motion as well, flick straight to the nose to compensate this rotation'

5 / 9

'I over rotate the shuvit'

'You are either scooping too much, or scooping the wrong way. Push down first and then scoop, like a shuvit, not like a 360 flip'

6 / 9

'I land too far over my toes, or fall forward after landing'

'You are leaning forward too much. Just stand upright as you jump, and jump slightly forward if you need to'

7 / 9

'I land behind the board'

'You are leaning backward too much, and then throwing the board in front of you. Stand upright, or lean even a bit forward'

8 / 9

'I slip out when I land'

'You are landing with your feet too close to each other. Focus on spreading your legs while in the air, before landing'

9 / 9

Helpers

Muscle memory

Practice the varial kick flip by throwing the board away, don't even try to land with one foot on it. Get used to both scooping and flicking a trick

1 / 3

One foot practice

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

2 / 3

Grass simulation

Try the varial kick flip on grass. This helps if you are scared of the trick. The feeling is not quite the same as the real trick because you will miss the scoop. On the other hand, you will have a better balance without moving

3 / 3

Variations

Some skaters forget how to varial kick flip once they know how to 360 flip, and this is because the scoop is closer to a shuvit than a 360 flip

Transition

You can put your feet very close to each other to help with both rotations, but you will lose both balance and control