Quick and Easy Kickflip Tutorial

What this video teaches

In-depth kickflip-mechanics tutorial from Skate IQ that reframes the flick as a forward motion off the big toe rather than a sideways kick, and teaches a hippie-jump half-flip drill to build feel for the board rotating underfoot. Does not address backside 180 rotation, but the flick-timing and drill mechanics transfer directly once the backside spin is added.

Key tips

• 1Note: this video isolates the kickflip flick only; combine its flick technique with dedicated backside 180 practice for the full trick
• 2Set the front foot below the front bolts and the back foot on the tail toward the toe side
• 3Open the front hip slightly toward the direction of travel so the flick becomes a forward motion, not a sideways kick
• 4Aim the big toe at a spot on the nose and kick through it, like striking a soccer ball, rather than rolling the foot sideways
• 5Drill the hippie-jump half-flip: jump and lift the nose first, then flick softly while the board is light, keeping feet above the board the whole time
• 6Add power by lifting the front foot higher before the flick, and by pushing the back foot backward through the pop for a faster closing speed
• 7Avoid speeding up the flick before the motion is grooved, or control gets lost

Summarized from the video transcript.