Last updated: 3 October 2026
Reviewed by Jordan Morley, FA Level 2 Football Coach
The kickflip is one of the most iconic skateboarding tricks: building on the ollie, the skater flicks the front foot off the side of the board to make it spin a full rotation along its long axis (toe-side) in the air, then catches it with the feet and lands. It requires a solid ollie first, then the added timing and flick to flip and re-catch the board. The heelflip is its mirror (flicked off the heel side). The kickflip is often a skater’s first ‘real’ flip trick and a milestone in their progression, underpinning countless more advanced variations.
- Builds on the ollie
- Board flips a full rotation lengthwise
- Flicked off the toe side (heelflip = heel side)
- A milestone flip trick
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The kickflip — flipping the board a full rotation along its long axis while airborne — is widely considered one of skateboarding's defining foundational tricks, combining an ollie's pop with a precise flicking motion off the back foot's edge, and most skaters cite it as a genuine skill benchmark that took them considerably longer to land consistently than the ollie itself.
FAQ
Is a kickflip harder to learn than an ollie?
Generally yes — a kickflip requires everything an ollie does plus a precisely timed flicking motion to rotate the board, and consistently catching and landing it typically takes considerably more practice.
What's the key technique for landing a kickflip?
A clean ollie pop combined with the back foot flicking off the board's edge to initiate rotation, followed by both feet catching the board squarely before landing, is the standard technique breakdown.