How to Old School Varial Kickflip

The old school varial flip is a really good trick to learn because it opens up a lot of possibilities. It builds on the old school kickflip.

Foot position

Set up a lot like a regular old school kickflip, but put your front foot a little farther forward and your back foot a little farther back. That helps when you need to really get some rotation.

How it works

When I first learned this, it helped me to picture it like this: tip the board over, pull it up in the air, and once it’s between your feet, kick however you want and the board flips.

What really happens is a little different. The board starts to flip up, and your front foot catches the nose and pushes it around. Your front foot kicks around, catches on the bolts and throws the board, and your back foot flips it like normal.

Getting enough height

This trick is pretty hard at first, because you’ve never needed this much height before. It takes a lot more time in the air. Dig your foot a little farther under the board than you usually would.

Practice drill

Stand with your feet in position and jump. As you jump, catch your foot under the board and practice guiding the nose around to get the spin started. Once you’ve got that, you’re ready to start trying it.

Then watch the slow-motion clips in the video and study how they work.