How to tre flip (360 flip)

The tre flip, or 360 flip, is one of the most loved flat-ground tricks there is. The board spins a full 360 like a shove-it and flips once like a kickflip at the same time, then lands back under your feet. It looks complicated, but it's mostly a back-foot trick, and once you understand that, it gets a lot less mysterious.

Learn these first

The tre flip builds on tricks you should already have:

• A solid ollie with good height.
• A consistent kickflip.
• A 360 shove-it, or at least a strong pop shove-it, because the back-foot scoop is the heart of the trick.

If the 360 shove-it isn't there yet, work on it first. It's the part most people struggle with.

How it works

Your back foot pops and scoops the tail hard behind you, like a backside 360 shove-it. That gives the board its spin. Your front foot gives a small flick off the heel-side edge, like a light kickflip. That gives the board its flip. The two together make the tre flip. Most of the energy comes from the back foot; the front foot mostly guides.

Foot placement

• Back foot: toes on the toe-side corner of the tail, in the pocket, so you can scoop hard. Your heel hangs off the back a little.
• Front foot: angled, a bit further back than for a kickflip, around the middle of the board or just in front of it, with your toes toward the heel-side edge.

The motion

1. Crouch with your weight centered.
2. Pop and scoop. Snap the tail down and scoop it backward and around, as if you were doing a 360 shove-it. Scoop down and back, not out to the side.
3. Light flick. As the board rises, give it a small flick off the heel-side edge with your front foot, angled forward. Much softer than a kickflip.
4. Jump up and lift your knees high. The board needs room to spin and flip.
5. Watch it come around. When the grip tape faces up and the board has spun all the way, it's ready.
6. Catch with your back foot first, then front, over the bolts.
7. Land with knees bent and roll away.

A practice plan, step by step

1. 360 shove-its, stationary, on grass or carpet, until they come around consistently.
2. Tre flip attempts, stationary, holding something for balance. Don't worry about landing; watch what the board does.
3. Land them stationary on smooth ground.
4. Rolling slowly.
5. Rolling at normal speed.

Film from the side and from the front. From the side you'll see if the board is going forward; from the front, if it's going out to the side.

A worked example: a "kickflip with a shove" that doesn't come around

Jay's tre flips keep flipping but only spinning about 180, so they land sideways. Watching his clips, he sees his front foot flicking hard and his back foot barely scooping. He treats it like a 360 shove-it with a tiny flick: scoops much harder with his back foot and barely touches the board with his front. The board starts spinning the full 360, and the flip comes around with it.

Fixes for the usual problems

• Not spinning enough: scoop harder with your back foot.
• Flipping too much: your front-foot flick is too strong. Make it lighter.
• Board goes forward: your scoop is going forward or your flick is too far forward. Scoop back and around.
• Board goes behind you: you're kicking the tail out behind. Scoop around, not back and out.
• Can't catch: jump higher and lift your knees.

Why the front foot moves back

On a kickflip, the front foot sits near the bolts so it can flick hard. On a tre flip, it moves back toward the middle because it has a smaller job: a light flick while the board is already spinning. Too far forward, and your front foot blocks the spin or adds too much flip.

Common mistakes

• Thinking it's a front-foot trick. The back foot does most of the work.
• Flicking too hard. A light flick is enough.
• Front foot too far forward. Move it back toward the middle.
• Skipping the 360 shove-it. It's the base of the trick.
• Turning your shoulders. Keep them square.

FAQ

Why is it called a tre flip?

"Tre" comes from three, as in 360 degrees.

Is a tre flip the same as a varial kickflip?

No. A varial kickflip spins 180; a tre flip spins 360.

Which foot catches first?

Usually the back foot, then the front.

Is a tre flip harder than a kickflip?

For most skaters, yes. It needs a strong 360 shove-it scoop on top of a light kickflip flick.

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