How to Do an Old School Kickflip on a Longboard

The kickflip is an essential street trick for any skateboarder. After learning how to safely land the ollie, this is the next trick that most new skaters learn. It may seem like a difficult trick to master, and you may feel like you'll never get it, but it is a simple matter of timing and technique. Once you learn it, you'll be able to land it almost every time. Doing the trick on a longboard is no more difficult than on a standard size board, it only requires that the rider spread his feet slightly farther apart.

Things You'll Need

  • Skateboard
  • Helmet
  • Knee and elbow pads
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Instructions

    • 1

      Put on your helmet and knee and elbow pads. Never attempt any tricks without your safety equipment, especially when you are doing flip tricks that can result in falling on your head.

    • 2

      Position your front foot with the heel raised off the board and your back foot perpendicular to the board just behind the trucks.

    • 3

      Crouch down on the board and jump up and forward off from your back foot. Stay above the board at all times. If you fail to stay above the board, it will fly forward and you'll take a spill.

    • 4

      Pull your front foot sideways off the board and flick your toes outward. This will get the board to spin fast enough to complete a rotation in the air. Pushing down will cause your front foot to end up below the board, and you will not be able to land the trick (although your board will spin ferociously).

    • 5

      Lift your back foot up so that the board can continue to rise while it flips. Watch it spin beneath your feet. When it comes around, bring your feet back onto the deck to stop it spinning. This will take quite a bit of practice as timing is crucial here.

    • 6

      Drop your front foot back down on the deck as well. When landing the trick, it is best if your feet have returned to either their original positions or to the area just above the trucks.