Kickflip Skateboard | Skateboard Tricks & Tips

How to Kickflip Correctly

The Kickflip is a very basic flip trick. Many people struggle with the Kickflip because they cannot get the simultaneous motion of the drop-slide kick…and the hang time in the air while the board flips.

Kickflip

There are 3 main steps in perfecting the perfect kickflip.

1: Place your front foot right behind the second set of bolts right next to the bump in the design of your board. Have your back foot on the tail ready to ollie.

2: Be on the balls of your feet in the beginning of the kickflip. Drop your backfoot just like an ollie. The second your tail hits the ground, FLICK your front foot off to the side of the board depending on your stance. I say flick near the Bump in your board because that small bump has always helped me maintain a good grip when I flick with my foot.

3: The Motion is all in one. Drop your back foot, back foot hits flick your board with your front foot, and this is the HARDEST part for everyone learning this….STAY on TOP of your board at all times! It’s tough at first. Many people kickflip and their board flys all different directions lol. Stay on top of your board when you flick..and wait until you see a full 360 rotation then STICK it!

The BEST way to practice the kickflip is to find a sidewalk, and place the back set of wheels in the crack of the sidewalk. This way you have Ultimate balance and your board is not moving vs on the street you have the potential to roll a little. Once you master the kickflip, this trick leads to every other tech trick out there and you can take this trick to many different levels once mastered.

Buying new Bearings

My K2 skates have 8-mm, TwinCam, ABEC-1, double-shielded bearings with the following inscribed on the casings:

TwinCam

ABEC-1

608 ZZ

Normally, the manufacturer or brand doesn’t make a lot of difference within the three categories of shielded, serviceable bearings, shielded, serviceable bearings with pop-up caps, and sealed, non-serviceable bearings. A bearing size of 8mm and the 608 designation are fine for recreational, inline skaters. The ABEC rating is another story!

ABEC Bearing

ABEC-1, 3, and 5 are the most common bearings that come with inline skates, as well as the newer ABEC-7s, which are gaining in popularity. Whether a skater can go faster with ABEC-5 bearings versus ABEC-1 bearings has never been proven, scientifically or otherwise.

Furthermore, the higher precision may not make a significant difference for the recreational skater who travels in the 10 to 20 mph range. The average skater doesn’t require a higher-rated bearing because the difference in performance is so minimal that it would only become apparent at speeds an inline skater never attains.

In addition, the higher precision eventually deteriorates down to ABEC-3 or 1 due to dust, dirt, and regular wear and tear. To increase your skating speed, you’d be better off to improve your technique and learn how to cut down on wind resistance. These are proven ways to make you a faster and more efficient skater.