A varial kickflip combines a 180-degree shove-it rotation with a full kickflip, so the board spins a half-turn while flipping over beneath your feet. It’s less rotation than a tre flip (which spins a full 360 degrees), which makes it a natural next trick once you’ve got a kickflip and a pop shove-it down — a good middle step before tackling bigger spin-and-flip combos.
What Is a Varial Kickflip?
The board rotates 180 degrees (a half spin, like a pop shove-it) while also flipping over along its long axis (like a kickflip). You catch it after the half-spin with the flip completed, landing with the board facing the opposite direction from how you started.
It’s easy to confuse with a “varial heelflip,” which uses the same 180-degree spin but a heelflip motion instead. They look similar in the air but use opposite flicking mechanics.
Skills You Need First
- A solid kickflip — this trick reuses the same front-foot flick. Our kickflip guide covers the fundamentals if you need to shore this up first.
- A pop shove-it — you need the back-foot scoop motion that drives the 180-degree spin. See our pop shove-it guide for the scoop mechanics.
- Comfortable catching flip tricks — since you’re catching a spinning board, not just a flipping one, you need decent reaction time from other flip tricks already.
How to Varial Kickflip: Step-by-Step
Step 1: Foot Placement
Front foot goes in your standard kickflip position, angled slightly toward the heel edge behind the front bolts. Back foot sits cupped on the tail similar to a pop shove-it stance, ready to scoop.
Step 2: Pop, Scoop, and Flick
Pop the tail down while scooping backward with your back foot to start the 180-degree spin, and flick off the edge with your front foot to start the flip — same combined motion as a tre flip, just with half the spin. Because there’s less rotation to manage than a tre flip, the timing window is a little more forgiving.
Step 3: Spot the Catch
Watch the board rotate through its half-spin. You’re looking for the graphic to come back into view facing the opposite way, with the flip finished at the same moment — that’s your signal the board is level and ready to catch.
Step 4: Land and Ride Away
Catch with both feet over the bolts and land with bent knees, same as any flip trick. Because you’re now facing the opposite direction from your takeoff, expect to ride away switch or fakie unless you’ve turned your body to match — most skaters just roll away in whatever direction they land facing.
Common Mistakes and Fixes
- Board doesn’t finish the spin: Your scoop is too weak relative to your flick. Emphasize the back-foot scoop a little more.
- Board over-rotates past 180 degrees: You’re scooping too hard. Ease off the back-foot pressure and let the flick do more of the work.
- Landing off-balance: This trick changes your facing direction, which throws off a lot of skaters’ instincts on where to place their feet. Slow the trick down mentally — catch first, worry about rolling away smoothly second.
- Board flips without spinning at all: You’re essentially doing a straight kickflip. Make sure your back foot is actively scooping, not just popping straight down.
Tips for Learning Faster
Because this trick is a smaller version of the tre flip, it’s a great way to dial in your scoop-and-flick timing before attempting a full 360 rotation. If you’re struggling, try isolating the shove-it half of the motion on flat ground first — do a few pop shove-its focusing purely on a clean 180-degree spin — before adding the flick back in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a varial kickflip easier than a tre flip?
Generally yes, since it only requires a 180-degree spin instead of a full 360, giving you a wider timing window to catch the board level.
What’s the difference between a varial kickflip and a varial heelflip?
Both use the same 180-degree shove-it spin, but a varial kickflip uses a kickflip-style front-foot flick, while a varial heelflip uses a heelflip-style back-foot-edge flick, sending the board flipping the opposite way.
Do I need to learn a pop shove-it before this trick?
Yes — the varial kickflip is essentially a kickflip and a pop shove-it happening together, so having both individually locked in makes this combination far easier to learn.
Why do I keep landing switch or fakie after this trick?
That’s expected — the 180-degree rotation turns your body to face the opposite direction from where you started, so rolling away switch or fakie is a normal part of this trick, not a mistake.
How is this different from a regular kickflip?
A regular kickflip only flips the board over without any spin. A varial kickflip adds a 180-degree rotation on top of that flip, so the board also turns to face the opposite direction.
