How To Late Flip On A Fingerboard

A late flip is a kickflip that’s flicked with your back finger instead of your front one. It’s a stylish take on the regular kickflip.

Pop an ollie and level it out. Right as the ollie levels, flick the rail of the board with your middle finger to initiate the flip.

This trick is harder than a regular kickflip. It helps to have a really strong ollie, and even be able to do boned out ollies. Here’s a detailed guide.

Step 1: Finger Positioning

Place your fingers in the same position as an ollie. A lot of people ollie with their fingers extended straight, but for this trick you’ll want to curl your middle finger a bit. That will position it better to flick the late flip.

Step 2: Popping The Trick

Pop an ollie pretty much as you would normally. Slide your index finger up the deck towards the nose. Try sliding it on a slight angle towards the far pocket of the nose as if you were doing a heelflip. Make sure you slide your finger up enough to really get the tail of the board up. This is where practicing boned out ollies would help.

Step 3: The Late Flick

As the tail of the board comes past level, flick the rail with your middle finger. Do this by moving your curled middle finger down and towards you. You want to pull it towards you to avoid slamming the board down into the ground before it can flip.

Step 4: Catch The Board And Land

Watch it flip, same as you would a kickflip. When the bolts come around, place your fingers on the deck and stomp it.

Final Thoughts

Flicking your front finger slightly off the nose will initiate a little bit of a heelflip. This will put the “heelside” rail of the board up a bit, so that you can flick it with your middle finger in a more sideways motion than a downward motion. That’ll help maintain the board’s hangtime. When flicking with your middle finger, try to hit the rail somewhere between the rear bolts and the middle of the deck. That’ll help keep the board level as it flips.