How To Heelflip
While the heelflip is considered one of the more foundational tricks, it is still a challenging trick to fully master, so a lot of practice is required to nail it every time. A heelflip is very similar to a kickflip, however, the board rotates in the opposite direction. While you can learn the heelflip before a kickflip, we recommend you learn the kickflip first, as it can be easier to master in this order. Besides the kickflip, you should also be able to ollie with perfection. Keep reading to learn how to heelflip on a fingerboard.
Your finger placement will be very similar to a kickflip. Position your front finger (index finger) just behind the front four bolts and your back finger (middle finger) at a slight curve on the edge of the tail of the board.
Step 2: Popping the board
To cause the board to lift into the air, pop the tail of the board down with your back finger. If you’ve mastered the ollie, this will be a natural technique that you can do easily.
Step 3: Flipping the board
To flip the board away from you (opposite of a kickflip where the board is flipped toward you), you want to use your front finger to slide and catch the nose of the board on the side furthest away from you. While a kickflip requires you to push your front finger down on the side closest to you, a heelflip requires you to curve your front finger while flicking it down on the opposite side of the nose to cause it to flip away from you.
Step 4: Landing the trick
While the board is spinning in the air, keep your fingers above the board to make it easier to land. Just as the board is about to make one full flip, catch the board with both of your fingers on the grip side and land the trick on all four wheels.
Final thoughts
The most important part of mastering this trick is to learn the muscle memory of flicking your front finger down on the side of the nose of the board away from you. After performing a kickflip hundreds of times, performing a heelflip may seem strange and maybe even difficult. Keep practicing your front finger flick away from you until you’ve landed the heelflip. After mastering the heelflip, you can try to pop the board harder and flick the nose faster to perform a double or triple heelflip.