Varial kickflip is the most interesting and difficult skill in skateboarding that not all skateboarders can perform. The trick requires much persistence, effort, and time to master. However, we’ve found the easiest ways to practice the varial kickflip for you. Here we go!
How to Varial Kickflip – the Simplest Way
First, you have to know how a skateboard goes in varial kickflip. When you perform a varial kickflip, your skateboard will rotate 180 degrees on its Y-axis and spin 360 degrees on its X-axis. The trick is the combination of a kickflip and a pop shove-it, which makes the complete movement more complicated.
Because of the complexity, some players skip this trick after learning 360 flip. Basically, the two techniques are slightly similar, but the 360 flip is easier. In 360 flip, the skateboard goes 360 degrees on both X-axis and Y-axis. Meanwhile, the board will only spin 180 degrees on its Y-axis in varial kickflip.
Before learning this technique, make sure you are familiar with the kickflip and pop shove-it. Those two skills will support the varial kickflip much more than you think. Now let’s get into the simplest way to varial kickflip.
Read More: How to Flip in Skate 3
How to Varial Kickflip like Pro
Step 1: Make Some Momentum with Enough Speed
Try to warm up and ride on the skateboard for 5 – 10 minutes to get a feeling of the board. Then, feel the speed to make sure it is suitable for you.
In short, you have to make some momentum to do the trick in skateboarding and ensure that the speed is enough. It means you will not ride too fast or too slow, but enough for performing the trick successfully.
Step 2: Place Your Feet in the Correct Position
First, put your back foot on the top side of the tail. Then, place your front foot on the heel side like in the picture below.
Now, you get two options: fast spin or normal spin. If you are just new to this trick and want a safe move, start with your front foot near your back foot. It will reduce the speed of the board. For another option, place your front foot a bit far from the back one and you will get a faster spin.
In conclusion, you can understand that your back foot is at the position like in pop shove-it. Meanwhile, you put your front foot like in kickflip. Your stance is important because it decides which techniques you will use.
Step 3: Lower Your Body
Lower legs, bend your knees, crouch down with your arms near them and prepare for a jump. As I mentioned above, the board should be high enough to flip completely. Do not bend your knees too much, however.
Step 4: Use Your Back Foot to Pop the Board up as High as Possible
However, do not mistake this move with ollie. The most different point when you do the varial kickflip is that you must shove it to make a rotation. Otherwise, it is just a simple jump up and down with the skateboard.
Step 5: Get Your Front Foot Immediately on the Heel Side of the Board Right
In this step, you must do it quickly just right after the board is popped up. This is what you often do in kickflip.
When the board is in the air, try to tap your front foot on the exact position of the heel side. The very first times will be difficult for everyone because it happens fast. You need to practice more in this step in order not to fall after popping the board up.
Step 6: Keep Your Body Above the Board when Popping up High
This is an important part as most people who are new to the trick often hit the board with their ankles. Keep your eyes to your ankles and make sure that they don’t touch the skateboard. Otherwise, you will fail to land safely and even get injured while touching the ground.
Step 7: Land Safely
When the board finishes flipping, try to catch it at the highest position with your feet in the following instruction.
First, tap your front foot at the heel side. Second, place other foot at the back of the board and land it down. Then, bend your knees again to get your balance and reduce the shock of the board after the pop-up. Remember to land with your both feet and try not to push hard on the tail of the board, otherwise, you will fall.
To keep your body balanced, your shoulders should be straight up, your arms are at the sides, and your feet are steady on the board.
Step 8: Practice and Practice
This trick is among the most difficult in skateboarding that not all players can do. It is the combination of the two techniques: pop shove-it and kickflip. You had better practice and master these two skills before learning the varial kickflip.
At the beginning, you may fall off the board many times. All you have to do is to be patient and keep doing again and again. Besides, try different speed levels to find your comfortable one because people feel the speed in different ways. Some players find this level too fast, while others think it is fine for them.
In Conclusion
Now, let’s take a look again at 8 simple steps to make the varial kickflip:
- Make some momentum with enough speed
- Place your feet in the correct position
- Lower your body
- Use your back foot to pop the board up as high as possible
- Get your front foot immediately on the heel side of the board right after popping up
- Keep your body above the board when popping up high
- Land safely
- Practice and practice
When you are into skateboarding, you will find it difficult and interesting at the same time. At the beginning, you may feel bored and tired. But after learning the basic skills, you will feel excited and enjoyable. That’s skateboarding.
There are some difficult techniques in skateboarding and the varial kickflip is one of them.
After years of riding and skating, we have finally listed these simplest ways to practice the varial kickflip. They are easy to follow and only require one thing: practice. As long as you work and practice hard, you will soon master the varial kickflip – one of the most difficult techniques in skateboarding.
