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🛹 Skateboarding · Flatground

Varial Kickflip

aka Varial Flip

A kickflip and a backside pop shuvit at once, so the board flips and spins 180 together. Your two prereqs literally combine into one motion here.

Difficulty 5/10 · Intermediate Flatground
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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

    Set up for both motions

    Roll at a steady pace with your back foot on the tail pocket and front foot in your normal kickflip spot near the nose. You need the back foot ready to scoop for the shuvit and the front foot ready to flick. This is the stance where your two prereqs meet.

  2. 02 Pop, Scoop & Flick

    Scoop the tail, then flick the nose

    Pop and scoop the tail backside like a pop shuvit, and almost at the same instant flick the front foot off the nose-side corner for the kickflip. The scoop spins the board 180 while the flick rolls it over. Timing the flick a hair after the scoop keeps the two motions from fighting.

  3. 03 Air

    Get out of the way and watch it

    Jump up and pull both feet clear so the board can flip and rotate underneath you at the same time. Keep your shoulders fairly square and your eyes on the deck. Because it both spins and flips, it needs more room than a plain kickflip.

  4. 04 Catch & Land

    Catch after the half spin

    Wait for the board to finish its flip and its 180, then catch it with your back foot over the bolts and settle the front foot down. Land both feet on the trucks with bent knees and roll away. Catching once the grip is back up stops it from over-spinning.

Bail Clinic

When It Goes Wrong

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

My varial kickflip lands primo or sideways every time.
FIX

Your flick and your scoop are out of sync, so the board sets down before it finishes flipping. Scoop first, flick a hair later, and keep your feet up until you see full grip come around. Letting the board complete both motions in the air fixes primo landings.

Why does my board only spin and not flip on a varial?
FIX

You are scooping hard but not actually flicking off the corner. Make sure your front foot kicks up and off the nose-side edge like a real kickflip, not just sliding up the board. Add a genuine flick and the deck will roll over while it spins.

The board flips but barely turns 180.
FIX

Your scoop is too weak or too straight. Drive the tail back and around with your back foot to put real backside spin into it, the same scoop you use for a pop shuvit. A stronger scoop gets the full half rotation.

My feet land split — one on, one off.
FIX

You are catching unevenly because the spin throws your timing off. Watch the board through both the flip and the turn, then aim both feet for the bolts as the grip comes back up. Committing to stomp both feet together cleans up the split landings.

The varial kickflip is where two tricks you already have become one. It is literally a kickflip and a backside pop shuvit happening together — the scoop spins the board 180 while the flick rolls it over. If both prereqs are dialed, this is mostly a timing puzzle, not a new motion.

The catch is the part people fight. The board is doing two things at once, so give it room and keep your feet up until you see full grip come back around. Scoop, flick just after, watch it, and stomp the bolts. It is the gateway to the tre flip, so the timing you build here pays off later.

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 concave

A solid concave gives your front foot a flick pocket while still letting the tail scoop freely. It is the same deck that serves your kickflip and shuvit, so nothing new to dial in.

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Gear

99A street wheels

52–54mm · 99A duro

Quick, firm wheels keep your roll-up predictable while you coordinate the flip and spin. Soft wheels grab cracks and throw off the combined timing.

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Gear

Standard kingpin trucks

Trucks matched to deck width

Trucks set to your deck width keep the board balanced as it both flips and spins so it returns flat. Mismatched widths make the rotation feel lopsided and the catch unpredictable.

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Battle Board

Stack Your Clip

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