The kickflip, that mystical trick you almost can't believe: You jump up, the board rotates underneath you, and you land back on it. You'll never forget the feeling of landing your first one. Disorder Skateboards pro Dominick Walker shares his expert insight to help you master this trick. Whether you're a novice or aspiring pro, Dominick's step-by-step instructions will guide you in mastering the kickflip with finesse and confidence. Get ready to elevate your skateboarding skills to new heights with this essential flip trick!
Master The Kickflip in 5 Steps
1. Foot Placement
2. Pop and Flick
3. Catch
4. Landing
5. Adjust for Features
Step-By-Step Instructions on How To Kickflip
To get a good kickflip, you want to have your Ollie dialed. Be sure to watch the How To Ollie video and be comfortable doing an Ollie consistently on flatground.
Step 1 - Foot Placement
To start, set up your feet like an Ollie. But instead of having your front foot on the bolts, put it an inch below with a 45-degree angle, and most of your foot on the board, with your heel slightly off. Place your back foot at the center of the tail.
Step 2 - Pop and Flick
Pop the tail down and slide your front foot at a 45-degree angle up through the nose. Flick through the sweet spot on the pocket where the nose starts to go up in front of your bolts. The "flick" is key!
Step 3 - The Jump and Catch
As the board levels out from your flick, catch the tail with your back foot. Keep your front foot out and up, waiting for your back foot to catch it. Watch how Andrew Reynolds does it.
Step 4 - Landing
When you get the pop, flick and catch all timed, the board will be on your feet. If you can get the board to make a slapping sound as your feet catch it, you're killing it. You want to land with all four wheels touching down at the same time. Butter smooth.
Step 5 - Repetition and Adjust
Ride around and just keep doing kickflips. Get them so dialed that you can do one with your feet anywhere on the board, out of a manaul, etc. Watch PJ Ladd and Kerry Getz, they can do kickflips in and out of anything.
Once you've got the kickflip, it's time to keep it going and learn more flip tricks, like the 360 Flip, Heelflip and the Frontside 180 Kickflip.
Slow Motion Kickflip Video:
Tips To Kickflip
- Practice: The more you practice, the better you'll become at performing kickflips. Repetition until it feels second nature.
- Foot Placement: Foot placement is critical. You gotta get that flick! Experiment with different foot placements to find what works best for you. Try moving your front foot closer or further away from the edge of the board, and adjust the angle of your back foot on the tail.
The Next Tricks to Learn After Mastering The Kickflip
Once you've got your kickflip, there is an ocean of flip tricks you can start unlocking:
- Heelflip: The heelflip is similar to a kickflip but involves flipping the skateboard with your heel instead of your toes. Watch Jeremy Wray do these.
- Varial flip: This trick combines a pop shove-it and a kickflip. As you pop the board, you'll also perform a kickflip motion, resulting in the board spinning and flipping simultaneously.
- Backside 180 kickflip or Frontside 180 kickflip: Adding a 180-degree rotation to your kickflip adds an extra level of difficulty. Experiment with spinning either frontside (with your chest turning towards the direction you're spinning) or backside (with your back turning).
- 360 Flip: The 360 flip, also known as a tre flip, is a combination of a kickflip and a 360-degree pop shove-it. This one's a classic. Must learn!
- Hardflip: The hardflip combines a frontside pop shove-it and a kickflip. As you pop the board, you'll flick it with your front foot while simultaneously performing a frontside pop shove-it motion. Watch Bryan Herman do these.
- Dominick Walker's Kickflip Story
- Taking the kickflip to a rail is pro level. And this past year Dominick Walker took his kickflip to Hollywood High, putting down a kickflip to frontside nosegrind on the 16 stair rail. After he landed, he turned pro for Disorder, Nyjah Huston’s skateboard company.
View on Instagram
