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🛹 Skateboarding · Flatground

Kickflip

aka Flip · Magic Flip

An ollie with a front-foot flick off the nose pocket that spins the board one full flip, then you catch it. The trick that means you can really skate.

Difficulty 4/10 · Easy Flatground
Your stance →
Learn the steps
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APPROACH
Frame-by-frame · drag to scrub · stylized demo
Step-by-Step

The Breakdown

Four phases from roll-up to roll-away. Scrub the analyzer above — each phase lights up as the board hits it.

  1. 01 Approach

    Load the flick foot

    Roll at a steady pace with your back foot on the tail like an ollie. Set your front foot a little lower and angled, with the toes near the front-side edge by the nose pocket. That toe placement is the whole trick — it decides where you flick from.

  2. 02 Pop & Flick

    Pop, then kick out the corner

    Snap the tail like a normal ollie, and a split second after the pop, flick your front foot diagonally up and off the front-side edge near the nose. Think "drag up, then kick the corner off the board." The flick is a quick wrist-like snap of the ankle, not a big kick.

  3. 03 Air

    Let it flip and stay over it

    Pull both feet up and out of the way so the board has room to complete one full rotation. Keep your shoulders square and your eyes on the board. Hovering with your knees tucked buys the deck time to spin all the way around.

  4. 04 Catch & Land

    Catch with the back foot first

    Spot the grip coming back around and catch it with your back foot over the bolts, then drop the front foot to level it out. Land both feet on the trucks with bent knees and roll away. Catching early kills the flip cleanly so it does not over-rotate.

Bail Clinic

When It Goes Wrong

The most common ways Kickflip bails — and the fix. Diagnose your slam, then get back on.

My kickflip rolls under my front foot instead of flipping all the way.
FIX

You are flicking forward instead of off the front-side corner, so the board barely turns. Aim the flick diagonally up and out toward the nose pocket edge, and snap your ankle to finish the kick. A crisper corner flick makes the board complete the rotation.

Why does my board fly out in front of me on kickflips?
FIX

Your flick is going too far forward and not enough up. Keep more of your weight centered over the board and direct the flick up the deck, not out ahead of you. Jumping up with the board instead of away from it keeps it under your feet.

I land primo (sideways on the edge) every time.
FIX

The board is not finishing its flip before you put your feet down, or you are catching it too early on one side. Give it a touch more flick and keep your feet up a beat longer, then catch with the back foot once you see full grip. Patience in the air fixes most primo landings.

I can flip it but I cant catch the kickflip.
FIX

You are watching your feet instead of the board. Keep your eyes locked on the bolts and let the deck come back to you, catching with the back foot first. Rolling slowly and committing to stomp both feet down builds the catch fast.

The kickflip is the trick everyone points to when they say they can “really skate.” It is just an ollie with a flick, but that flick takes reps — your front foot has to learn the exact spot on the nose pocket and the exact little snap that sends the board around without rocketing it away from you.

Don’t rush the catch. Most people can get the board flipping within a few sessions; landing on the bolts and rolling away is what takes time. Lock your eyes on the grip, catch back foot first, and stomp. Once it clicks, half the trick tree opens up.

Hardware Check

Dial In Your Setup

Gear that makes this trick easier to learn. Tune the setup, not just the technique.

Gear

Medium deck (8.0"–8.25")

7-ply maple · medium-steep concave

A defined concave gives your toes a clear pocket to flick from so the flip is consistent. Mellow boards make the front-foot corner hard to find and your flips come out lazy.

Shop decks & parts
Gear

99A street wheels

52–54mm · 99A duro

Quick, predictable wheels keep your roll-up stable while you focus on the flick. Soft cruiser wheels grab cracks and throw off your timing mid-trick.

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Gear

Fresh coarse grip

Coarse grit

The flick lives and dies on grip. Worn tape means your front foot slips off the corner with no flip, so re-grip before you blame your technique.

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Battle Board

Stack Your Clip

Landed Kickflip? Soon you'll drop your line here and battle the crew for the top of the board.