Longboarding has always been a fascinating sport for people who love to adventure. Skaters invent various daring riding styles worldwide, and Kickflip was one of the first tricks invented by early-age skaters. We can term Kickflip as one of the most famous freestyle tricks. Doing Kickflip is not too difficult if you have got the right longboard under your feet.
Pintail longboards are not recommended for flipping purposes because they do not come with a proper tail. That is why we say; Pintail longboards are not explicitly designed for doing tricks and flipping the boards while riding. They are not entirely optimized for popping and flipping stuff. Study the differences between pintail and drop-through longboards.
How to Kickflip on a Longboard
Kickflipping and Ghostride kickflip are two different styles, so are their steps. If we analyze both of these longboarding techniques, the simple kickflip is comparatively easy than Ghostride. You’ll need to learn eight easy steps on a suggested longboard mentioned below.
Standing with Perfect Stance:
Step on the longboard you have. If you are a regular rider(the rider who puts left leg at the front of the board), your front foot should step off the heelside.
Feet Placement:
Whether you are a regular rider or a goofy, your front foot should be at the center of your deck. This is essential to flip the board at the exact time and with energy.
Back Foot:
Your back foot should go at the back of the tail of your longboard, as it will allow you to stay safe when you jump off the board and kick the deck from beneath.
Tail of your Boards:
You need a tail in your longboard. An average tail of a longboard should work perfectly. The longer the tail, the easier it becomes for you to flip the board.
Weight Distribution:
Keep whole of your weight on the front foot and leave only 10% of your weight on the back foot, which should currently be on the tail of the longboard.
Shift your Weight:
Now it is time to pop the board and jump, so you need to transition your weight from the front foot to the right one. Don’t forget to keep leaning forward while transferring the weight from the front foot to the back one.
Jump off the Board:
Now jump primarily off the back foot, which will help you pop the board up. It will be a quick action to perform with perfection, and it is considered the most technical part of kickflip on a longboard.
How to jump and Flip the Board:
Jumping is the most complicated step during the whole procedure. There are two concurrent steps you need to do to complete the kickflip process. First, you jump, and before the second pass, you need to kick the board to flip it.
The most common issue you’ll face in the whole procedure is that you need to kick right at the center of your board. The board will go straight down to the skating surface when you kick it there. Kick on your heelside edge of the board; when you rotate, the board flips. Leaning backward will falsify the whole procedure and get nothing in the end.
If you are a complete beginner into longboarding, we do not recommend this adventure style. You need to learn the basics of longboarding, balancing the board, cruising for hours, and trying out tricky stuff. It is risky to do flips on a longboard, and you will surely get off the board in the start when you try to flip the board.
Recommended Longboard for Kickflip
There are a couple of things you need to ensure your longboard has. Firstly, the tail of your longboard should be there. Do not use a pintail longboard for kickflipping because it does not come with the required tail and the required flex in the deck. The deck’s flexibility and availability of the tail are the prerequisites of kickflipping.
Safety Precautions to Kickflip on a Longboard:
It would help if you were a professional skater first before you started doing tricks with your longboard. Even professional skaters get injured while learning the basics of kick-flipping. So we recommend you wear all the potential safety gear before you try the thing out. Wearing the best longboard helmet should be your foremost priority because misplacing the foot can easily put you on the road. Besides a helmet, use the best longboard knee pads and elbow pads to keep your legs and arms safe from scratches.
FAQs
Can you do tricks on a longboard?
The dimensions of a longboard can’t stop you from performing tricks on a longboard. Many people invest in a longboard to kickflip on a longboard and other tricky stuff. In short, you can do tricks if your longboard is supportive and suggested by experienced riders.
What are easiest longboard tricks?
Respecting the newcomers, there are many freestyles and tricks for beginner riders. You can choose any from the list given below and start enjoying longboarding.
- Shove-it Trick
- Pivot
- Cross-step
- Kickflip on a longboard
- 180 No-comply
These are some of the beginner-friendly longboarding tricks that can be performed with safety.
Conclusion
Kickflip on a longboard is a wish of many skaters, including me but requires patience and regular practice. We have summed up the kickflip learning process in 8 easy steps. Jumping off the board and flipping it are the most technical steps, but it becomes easier with practice. Moreover, you can go through the recommendation for kickflipping on a longboard. A suitable deck will make this process easier for you. Don’t forget to protect your body parts with safety gear.
