How To Heel Flip

Professional skateboarders and serious amateurs make it their business to know how to heel flip, crooked grind, and perform a wide arsenal of skate tricks to hone their craft and be on top of their game.  The kick flip--more specifically the heel flip--is one of the most challenging tricks to master, but the dedicated skater will learn it with enough time and repetition.  Practice these steps and you will be landing the heel flip in no time.

1. Position your feet correctly.  Place the ball of your back foot on the back of the skateboard with your heel hanging over the edge.  Move your front foot to the front half of the skateboard with the toes over the side of the board.  Both feet should be pointed slightly diagonally and forward.
2. Prepare for the flip trick.  Bend your knees in a comfortable crouch while maintaining your balance and the position of your feet.
3. Step, slide, kick.  Step down with your back foot so that the board smacks the ground.  Simultaneously, slide your front foot both up (towards the front of the board) and out (diagonally forward off the board).  As the heel reaches the very edge, kick your front foot outward--the sharper the kick, the faster the flip rotation.
4. The flip.  The back of the skateboard hitting the ground will cause the board to jump--at the same time, jump off your back foot.  The forward snap of your front foot will cause the board to spin in the direction of the kick, so you want the snap to be strong enough for the board to make a full 360 degree rotation.
5. The catch.  The board makes its full rotation in the air and in this split-second, you should be hovering over the board as it begins to come down.  Stop the rotation with your front foot and steady the board to give your back foot a flat surface on which to land.  Your body will be in a crouched position during the catch.
6. The landing.  With both feet on the board, extend your feet down towards the ground.  When the board reaches the ground, bend your knees so that there is a little give to lessen the shock of the landing.  Maintain your balance and roll out, knowing that you have just completed a heel flip.