How to kickflip

The kickflip is the trick most people want first, and the one that takes a lot of people the longest. It's an ollie where your front foot flicks the board so it flips a full turn along its length before you catch it. Here's how to break it down.

How a kickflip works

Like an ollie, you pop the tail and slide your front foot up. But instead of leveling the board out with the front foot, you flick it off the corner of the nose on your heel side. That flick spins the board one full turn under you. Then you catch it with your feet and land.

Foot placement

• Back foot: ball of the foot on the tail, like an ollie, toward the middle of the tail.
• Front foot: angled roughly 45 degrees, just behind the front bolts, roughly in the middle of the board. Your toes point up toward the nose, and the outside edge of your shoe sits near the heel side.

The angle matters: it lets the outside edge of your front shoe drag up and off the heel-side corner of the nose.

The motion

1. Crouch like an ollie.
2. Pop the tail.
3. Slide and flick. Slide your front foot up the board, then flick the outside of your shoe off the heel-side corner of the nose, out and slightly forward.
4. Jump up and lift your knees so the board can flip under you.
5. Catch the board when the grip tape comes back around, usually with your back foot first, then your front foot.
6. Land over the bolts, knees bent.

A practice plan

1. Stationary on grass or carpet, just flicking the board to see how it reacts.
2. Stationary on smooth ground, holding a rail or a friend for balance, landing on the board.
3. Rolling slowly.
4. Rolling at normal speed.

A worked example: the board flies away

Mia's kickflips keep flipping but landing a meter in front of her. Her friend films one and sees her flick going forward, toward the nose, instead of out to the side. She focuses on flicking out off the heel-side corner, not straight forward, and keeps her shoulders level. The board starts flipping under her instead of in front, and she can catch it.

Fixes for the usual problems

• Board doesn't flip: flick harder, and make sure your front foot is angled so it drags off the corner.
• Board flips too much (double flips): flick a little softer.
• Board goes forward: your flick is going forward instead of out. Flick out off the heel-side corner.
• Board goes behind you: your back foot is kicking the board backward. Pop straight down.
• Can't catch it: jump higher and lift your knees.
• Landing on the edge: catch the board with your feet over the bolts.

Shoulders and head

Keep your shoulders level and in line with the board, not twisted. If they turn, the board usually goes sideways, or you end up doing a 180 by accident. Keep your head over the board.

Rolling vs stationary

Stationary kickflips and rolling kickflips feel different. When you're rolling, the board is moving under you, so you need to jump straight up, not forward, and let the board move along with you. If your stationary kickflips are clean but rolling ones fly away, it's usually because you're jumping forward or leaning back as you roll.

Start rolling slowly, faster than walking pace but not by much. Speed comes later.

Catching is the hard part

Most people can get the board to flip long before they can land it. The catch is what makes it a kickflip:

• Watch the board. When you see the grip tape come back up, that's your cue.
• Catch with your back foot. It usually comes down first, stopping the flip.
• Then your front foot. Put it over the front bolts.
• Knees bent. Absorb the landing.

If you catch with just one foot and the other misses, keep working on height. More time in the air means more time to catch.

Variations

Once the kickflip is solid, the same flick shows up everywhere: fakie kickflips, nollie kickflips, switch kickflips, and kickflips combined with a shove-it, like a varial flip. In a game of SKATE, each counts as its own trick.

Common mistakes

• Flicking forward instead of out. Flick off the heel-side corner.
• Trying it rolling fast before stationary. Learn the flick standing still.
• Not jumping high enough. The board needs room to flip.
• Leaning back. Shoulders over the board.

FAQ

How long does a kickflip take to learn?

It varies a lot. Most people find it takes a while, even with a solid ollie.

Do I need to ollie first?

Yes. The kickflip is built on the ollie.

What's the difference between a kickflip and a heelflip?

A kickflip is flicked off the heel side with the side of your toes. A heelflip is kicked off the toe side with your heel, and the board flips the other way.

Which foot catches first?

Usually the back foot first, then the front.

Next: How to 50-50 grind

Join the testers at skatelabs.app/testers and play a Game of SKATE with your friends. Global SKATE is free and in testing on iPhone and Android.