Intro:
Kickflip is a technique for flipping the skateboard in the air while using skateboards. Rodney Mullen introduced this term in the 1970s, which is also called a magic flip in most terms. In simple terms, Kickflip is flipping or turning a skateboard in the air with the help of a foot.
This is a technique for pros of this field, but how can a beginner learn Kickflip or how to kickflip on the skateboard? In this article, we try to cover how long it takes to do a kickflip? Foot placement on the skateboard is also a fundamental key to learning for Kickflip.
Kickflip is easy to learn with some practice for beginners with the help of placing the foot and its position on the skateboard.
It begins with balancing your body on the skateboard with the help of your hands and not to mention your foot and ends with becoming a professional.
How to Perform a Kickflip
To perform Kickflip you must know what ollie is? (Skater kicks to move the board’s tail downwards to jump and make the board pop into the air.
Performing kickflip first must know skateboard basics like balancing the foot on the skateboard and becoming comfortable while using it. Learning Kickflip can open a new era of tricks and the goal of learning more complicated tricks.
- Placement of Foot: position your back foot just like an ollie and the front foot placed halfway off the board at such an angle that you move your toe and put the board behind its nose, towards the right angle.
- Front foot Kick: kicking the far end of your board like an ollie and dragging your front foot diagonally outwards in the direction of the nose with the help of your toe (not using the entire foot). When the toe of a front foot is away from the board’s nose, the board will start turning in the air.
- Weight Balancing: weight balance is an essential key in kickflipping. Make sure that your weight over the board is balanced.
- Hold the Board: When the board is turning into the air, the main trick is to catch the board with the help of your back foot while maintaining balance and flip it under both feet.
How to do a Kickflip for Beginners
Beginners first need to understand that there are certain types of Kickflip i.e., double Kickflip, Variable Kickflip, Kickflip indy, etc. Practice is the main tip to becoming an expert in Kickflip, and it will take some time to learn.
Any person who is passionate and consistent in practice will learn this trick. As we talk about above in the beginning, if a person first learns how to skate the board and learn the above types, then start with a scratch in practice.
If you are hesitant about flipping the skateboard, start doing it with some help of a stand to put a weight with your hands on it. You can also start practicing on the grass or carpet to avoid getting hurt. After some time, you will feel confident to kickflip on the hard surface and become a pro because practice and consistency come with great success.
Tech Deck Kickflip
This is another version of Kickflip; in that case, you will first need to know what the tech deck is? A Tech deck is a small version of a skateboard with the same features as wheels, trucks, and graphics, and it’s also commonly known as a fingerboard.
As we look at its name, it is operated with the help of fingers using the same technique as skateboarding. The only difference is that on a skateboard, we do kickflip with our foot, and on tech deck, kickflip is done using fingers.
This is the most exciting technique for using a small skateboard called fingerboard at any place indoor with your hands, and you don’t need to go out for it. It is a more secure trick to learn without fear of getting hurt, like on a skateboard.
How to kickflip a Tech Deck
Now the question is how anyone can learn the Kickflip a tech deck? Well, we can cover this below in detail. As the name shows, tech deck, also called fingerboard, can learn with the same passion and some practice. As you know, the term ollie is used in the skateboard, and the same is used in tech deck with the help of fingers. Step by step to learn how to perform Kickflip on a fingerboard, or you can say how to perform Kickflip on a teck deck along with instructions.
- Proper Placement of Fingers: Fingers are to be placed at the right angle, and the right place is an essential key, or we can say the first step of learning this technique. Your two fingers will be used in this trick: the index finger and middle finger. First, put the middle finger at the edge or tail of the fingerboard and the index finger at the front of the fingerboard so that it is placed right behind the wheels.
- Rolling of Board: first, you roll the board back and forth with the help of your fingers. Once you get comfortable by keeping balance on the board, now it’s time to flip the board in the air, press the edge of the board with the help of your middle finger, then move your index finger up in a continuous motion while taking control of the board. If you are familiar with performing an ollie on the tech deck, it will be easy to learn this trick. Make sure to twist a bit while moving your fingers towards you.
- Flipping in the Air: When you start flipping the board, you must be careful that both your fingers are in contact with the board. You cannot afford to lose contact with the board. If you will, keeping balance while landing the board will be impossible.
- Landing of Finger Board: Last but not the least part is landing; you will not wait for the fingerboard to land itself because this is the most crucial part of your trick. Use your fingers to back down the board. If you feel like losing control, move your fingers forward and balance the board. Make sure at that time both wheels are in a downwards direction. You will land smoothly. This also needs more practice and efficiency of your fingers to become perfect.
Kickflip on a Scooter
Kickflip on the scooter is another stunt we usually do on the skateboards. Of course, it has similarities like the placement of the right foot in the case of fingerboard using fingers to do the trick.
Tail whipping is another name for this stunt. To learn this trick, first, you need to learn scooting. Tailwhip is another name for Kickflip on scooter.
You can do many stunts with scooter like Bunny Hop, tailwhip, Bar Spin, Riding Backwards, etc. This is the start of another world of doing stunts based on your interest.
If you learn the basics of skateboard then it’s effortless to pursue this field and learn other premium tricks like tech Deck, tailwhip etc.
If you learn the above tricks of skateboard and tech deck, this stunt will be much easier for you to learn because during scooting you have support in the form of a handle attached to scooter.
How to do a Kickflip on a Scooter
If you know how to do a kickflip or how to do a kickflip on the tech deck then this will be a straightforward trick to learn. There are some steps for learning how to perform Kickflip or tailwheel so that the new beginners who did not do any skateboard trick can also learn by following these steps.
- Placement of foot on Scooter: standing on a scooter by placing your feet in the right place is essential in this stunt. Place your front foot at the tip of the scooter right behind the handlebar and your other foot right above the back wheel. Now slightly bend the legs to make yourself ready for the jump.
- Holding of Handlebar: Hold the handlebar of the scooter with your hands right from the middle to keep balancing your scooter and body while jumping and rotating the scooter in the air. To perform this stunt, keeping your body loose and relaxed is essential, which will help to rotate the scooter easily.
- Moving the scooter: Move your scooter with the help of your back foot at a moderate speed, not too slow and not too high like riding. Once you feel comfortable riding at moderate speed, lift your back foot on the back of the scooter. Know you are ready for the Kickflip of your scooter in the air.
- Jump with the Scooter: Grab the handlebar tight by putting all the force into your hands and lifting the handlebar in the air. Bend your knees slightly while lifting into the air and press the bar’s edge with your toes. Now you are ready to swing the scooter in the circular direction you want to move your scooter.
This trick is called tail whipping while lifting the scooter in the air.
- Spin Scooter in the Air: When you lift the scooterin the air use your arm to turn the handlebar in the direction you want to spin the scooter and quickly change the position of your front foot and place it right behind the handlebar and let the scooter spin. Make sure that you are not losing your balance while spinning the scooter.
- Landing: landing is slightly different from scooting and relatively more straightforward than the other two tricks discussed above. Watch the deck closely during the stunt; when you decide to stop moving the scooter, you can put force on the backfoot on the board and handlebar with both arms.
While landing, balancing your body on the scooter is very important. Make sure you have the right balance and timing to stop your scooter.
You can also use these steps while doing other stunts on the scooter like tail whipping, Bunny Hop, and Bar Spin.
The Final Words:
In the end, it is imperative to go outside and do some fun by learning tricks like how to perform Kickflip or how to kickflip a tech deck or do a kickflip on scooting instead of staying inside and thinking should I be capable of doing all the stunts.
First, practice in a safer place and get familiar with your board or scooter for some time. Of course, learning every trick involves a lot of time, but it will be worth the effort when you can perform these stunts. It will keep you busy and focused at the same time.
During learning, you can be frustrated, but it’s okay to take a little break and start again. Don’t forget that consistency in practice to learn these skills is essential. It is not possible to learn anything without practice. Sometimes, you fail, but it’s okay because the learning phase has ups and downs. Sometimes you will learn so quickly that you amazed yourself. It’s a mind game with a lot of effort to become a pro.
This is an opportunity for you to scale up your skills and perform at the professional level. Could you take this as a challenge and do it?
FAQs
Is a kickflip easy to learn?
Yes, it is easy with lots of practice, concentration, and devotion to learning. An average person having these qualities can learn every trick. It can be awkward to learn initially, but skateboarding can be more interesting if you learn more stunts like a kickflip.
Is kickflip easier than ollie?
Ollie is the fundamental trick to learn first and then move towards the learning process of kickflip. If you learn the ollie, that means you can learn kickflip too. Both are different techniques in nature, but practice makes them easy to learn.
What is the easiest way to do a kickflip?
The easiest way to do a kickflip is first to learn on the soft base ground to avoid getting hurt and use some support. Being consistent in practice is the most convenient way to learn kickflip.
How do you get a high kickflip?
The first step is getting used to a skateboard, and the second is becoming comfortable doing an ollie. Once you have done all two steps, set goals to jump high, like 60 cm and practice it. By practicing with the right angle of your foot and balance on the skateboard you will be able to jump high in the air. Of course, it will take time to do more practice.
Where do you flick for a kickflip?
Try a safer spot first, like grass or carpet, while practicing not to get hurt; then, after your comfort, practice flicking your skateboard with support like a handle or bar. The hard ground would be best, like a road or terrace for flicking the skateboard.
