How to Flick a Skateboard

"Flicking" your skateboard is the basic premise behind almost all flip tricks. From kick flips to tre flips, pop shuvits to big spins, learning to spin the board in a different direction than your body opens your skateboarding to endless possibilities. Learning to flick your skateboard can prove difficult and frustrating at times, but with enough practice, you can start doing complex tricks like the pros.

Instructions

    • 1

      Start rolling at a moderate pace. Set your back foot over the edge of the tail of the board, and your front foot just below the front truck bolts. In one motion, kick the tail of the board toward the ground, jump and slide your front foot forward toward the nose of the board. You and the skateboard should leave the ground momentarily, land back on four wheels and continue rolling. This is called an ollie, and it is the basis of most skateboard tricks.

    • 2

      Practice the ollie. See how high in the air you can get the skateboard; more height will make more complex tricks easier to execute. When you feel comfortable with the ollie and can perform one routinely, move on to bigger tricks.

    • 3

      Set up as you would to perform an ollie. Kick the tail toward the ground and jump, but instead of sliding your foot straight up to the nose of the board, slide it off the side of the board. This will cause the skateboard to flip over. When you see the black grip tape on top of the board, catch it with your feet to stop its rotation. You have just performed a kick flip, the most basic flip trick.

    • 4

      Roll at a moderate pace. Set your front foot where you normally would, just below the front truck bolts. Set your back foot at the side of the tail, rather than at the end of it. Kick the tail of the board toward the ground at an angle and remove your front foot from the board when you jump. The board will spin laterally. When it lines up with your feet, catch it to stop its rotation. You have just performed a pop shuvit.