The impossible is one of the most iconic flip tricks in skateboarding. Invented by Rodney Mullen in the early 1980s, it makes the board wrap vertically around your back foot before you land back on it. It looks impossible for a reason: the motion is unusual, it feels wrong the first time you try it, and it punishes bad timing with a loud slap of the board against your shin. But like any trick, it breaks down into learnable pieces. This guide covers what the trick actually is, the foot positions, the scooping motion, and a sensible progression for learning it without frustrating yourself.
What Is an Impossible?
In an impossible, the board flips end over end around your back foot in a vertical rotation, while your feet stay largely on the same side of it. Rather than spinning horizontally like a shove-it or flipping sideways like a kickflip, the board travels through a full loop in the air and comes back to your feet. The trick is also sometimes called a plant flip or vertical flip in older skate circles. Because the board wraps around your back foot, your foot placement and scooping technique do most of the work.
Skills to Have Before You Try It
- A confident ollie: You need to be able to jump and land the board consistently. Brush up with our beginner’s ollie guide if yours is still shaky.
- A pop shove-it: The scooping motion is related to the back-foot action in a shove-it. Our guide on how to pop shove-it teaches the foot movement you will build on.
- Comfort with flip tricks: Having a base of tricks like the kickflip helps you understand how the board behaves in the air.
- Safe practice space: Smooth, flat ground with no cracks or debris. A little grass or carpet can help you practise the motion without the board rolling away.
Foot Placement
Foot position is what makes or breaks the impossible. Start with your front foot near the middle of the board, roughly over or just behind the front bolts, angled slightly forward so it can leave the board easily. Your back foot goes on the tail with your toes wrapped slightly over the back edge, so that you can drag the tail around behind you. The toes-over-the-edge position feels odd at first, but it gives you leverage to scoop the tail around your heel side and guide the board into its vertical rotation.
Keep your knees bent and your shoulders relaxed. Tension is the enemy of any complex flip trick, and it causes most beginners to freeze right when they need to commit.
How to Do an Impossible, Step by Step
- Set your feet. Front foot near the middle, angled forward. Back foot on the tail with toes hanging over the edge.
- Roll at a slow, steady speed. Too fast and the board flies away from you before it can wrap around your foot.
- Pop and scoop in one motion. Snap the tail down as you drag your back foot in a wide arc behind and around the board.
- Let the board climb vertically. As you scoop, the nose should begin to rise so the board points up rather than spinning flat.
- Wrap it around your back foot. Allow the board to rotate around your foot rather than pushing it away. The foot acts as an axis.
- Jump up and lift your knees. Give the board room to pass beneath you, and guide your front foot back over the top as it comes around.
- Catch and land. Land your back foot first, then your front foot, over the bolts with bent knees, and roll away.
Why the Impossible Feels So Hard
Most skateboard tricks use a push or flick that sends the board away from your feet. The impossible does the opposite: it asks you to pull the board around your foot, which feels counterintuitive. The scooping motion is a curved, dragging movement, not a straight kick. Many skaters also struggle with commitment, because the board comes uncomfortably close to your legs during the rotation.
Patience matters. It is normal for the trick to take weeks or months to click, and progress often comes in small pieces, such as getting the board vertical, then getting it to wrap around your foot, then finally landing it.
A Practice Progression That Works
- Stationary scoop drills: Stand on grass or carpet and practise the scooping foot movement without the pop, so your foot learns the arc.
- Half-scoops while rolling slowly: Try the scoop with a small pop and see whether the board rises vertically, ignoring the landing.
- Get the wrap: Focus on making the board rotate around your foot, even if you bail every time.
- Jump and catch: Add the upward jump and try to land one foot on the board, then both.
- Add rolling speed: Once you can land it slowly, add a bit of speed and start landing it cleaner.
Common Mistakes
- Scooping too tight: A cramped scoop makes the board hit your leg. Use a wide arc.
- Not popping hard enough: A weak pop leaves the board sluggish and low.
- Pushing the board away: The board should wrap around your foot, not fly out from under it.
- Landing with stiff legs: Bend your knees to absorb impact and keep balance.
- Getting frustrated: This is one of the hardest flip tricks. Take breaks and celebrate small wins.
Safety Tips
Expect the board to hit your shins during early attempts. Shin guards or thick socks can save a lot of pain, and a helmet is a good idea for any new flip trick. If you are unsure what protective gear to use, our skateboard safety gear guide is a good place to start.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who invented the impossible?
Rodney Mullen is credited with inventing the impossible in the early 1980s, along with many other foundational flat-ground tricks.
Is the impossible harder than a kickflip?
Most skaters find it significantly harder. The scooping motion is unnatural at first, and the board wraps around your foot instead of flicking away from it.
How long does it take to learn an impossible?
It varies a lot. Some skaters get it in a few weeks of regular practice, while others take months. Skaters who already have solid shove-its and ollies usually pick it up faster.
What tricks should I learn before an impossible?
A confident ollie and a pop shove-it are the most useful foundations, since the scooping motion builds on the back-foot action in a shove-it. A kickflip helps too.
Why does the board keep hitting my leg?
That usually means your scoop is too tight or you are not jumping and lifting your knees enough. Use a wider arc and give the board room to pass beneath you.
