Can You Kickflip on a Longboard? Yes, Here’s How

Yes, you can kickflip on a longboard, but the technique is different from a skateboard kickflip. The trick requires a downward kicking motion with your front foot, more weight over the front truck, and a board with some form of tail or a point to push against. On a standard pintail cruiser, it’s nearly impossible; on a drop-through or kicktail deck, it’s a grind you can win.

The word “different” is doing a lot of work there. On a skateboard, you slide and flick. On a longboard, you kick down and hope the heavier deck rotates before it hits the ground. That shift changes everything, your foot placement, your jump, even the kind of board you should try it on.

What follows is a breakdown of the two main ways the trick gets done, the gear that stops a bad session from becoming a hospital visit, and the specific board features that decide whether you’re setting yourself up for success or a month of frustration.

Key Takeaways

• A longboard kickflip is a downward kick, not a slide. Your front foot aims to strike the rail, not flick off the nose.
• Shin guards are highly recommended. The Longboard Store calls this the ‘first and most critical tip’ for kickflipping. The deck’s weight and your foot’s trajectory make shin impact likely during practice.
• The trick is borderline impossible on a true pintail. You need a kicktail, a drop-through edge, or at minimum a sharply angled nose to push against.
• Master the ollie first. If you can’t consistently pop the board into the air, you lack the foundational control for the flip.
• The adaptation from skateboard muscle memory is significant.

The Short Answer: Two Types of “Kickflip”

When someone says they kickflipped a longboard, they’re usually talking about one of two tricks. The first is the ghostride kickflip, where you step off the board and use your back foot to flip it before jumping back on. The Odyssey Collective recommends it as an entry-level trick, while others in the community debate whether it qualifies as a ‘kickflip’ in the modern skateboarding sense.

The second is the on-board, ollie-based kickflip. This is the trick that causes all the debate. It uses the same basic principle as a skateboard kickflip, pop, flick, catch, but every component is adapted for a longer, heavier deck with different trucks.

The Street Surfing Longboard manual states the board is suitable for riders from 8 years old and has a maximum load capacity of 100kg. It also mandates a helmet and protectors for every ride, and shoes with a dry, non-slip sole.

The manual doesn’t mention tricks like can you kickflip on a longboard, but its rules frame the activity. You’re working with a bigger, weight-rated platform. That size changes the physics.

What Gear You Absolutely Need (And Why)

Be honest about safety. You’re going to miss the board. A lot. The deck is heavier, which means when your foot connects wrong, it connects with force.

Helmet. This isn’t a debate. The manual says it, every tutorial says it. A head injury isn’t a badge of honor; it’s a season-ender.

Shin guards. The Longboard Store calls this the “first and most critical tip” for kickflipping. Your shins are directly in the path of the rising deck. A neoprene sleeve is the bare minimum; a hard shell is better for the first fifty attempts.

Knee and elbow pads. Wearing them is, as the source puts it, “also wise.” When the board flips out and you pitch forward, these are what keep you from grinding your joints on the pavement instead of your trucks on a curb.

The right shoes. The manual specifies “footwear with a dry, non-slip sole.” A worn-out skate shoe with a bald toe cap won’t give you the grip you need to control that kick.

The Board Under Your Feet: It Dictates Your Odds

Not all longboards are created equal for this. Your deck’s shape is the single biggest variable in the difficulty equation.

Board Type	Suitability for Kickflip	Why It Matters
Pintail / Cruiser	Very Poor	No functional tail to pop against. A demonstrator on a pintail noted it’s “kind of weird to even try an ollie on it.”
Drop-Through	Fair	The dropped platform lowers the deck, making pop harder, but the cutout offers a rail to kick. Reddit users confirm it’s possible with determination.
Kicktail Longboard	Good	A defined tail gives you the leverage point you’re used to from skateboarding. This is the design that most directly translates skate skills.
Freestyle/Dance Deck	Best	Boards like the Odyssey Collective’s Nahoa Longboard are designed with “comfortable flex” and a kicktail specifically for freestyle moves, including flips.

Truck tightness is the other silent factor. Standard longboard trucks are often set up for stable cruising, they’re “really too tight” for the quick, sharp flicks a flip trick requires. Loosening them a quarter-turn can make the board more responsive to your kick.

If you’re serious about learning flip tricks, starting with a board that has a tail is the fastest path to answering can you kickflip on a longboard. A kicktail longboard isn’t just for looks; it’s a functional tool for getting the board airborne.

The 3-Step Process for a Longboard Kickflip

The Longboard Store breaks the on-board kickflip into a three-step process. Forget the skateboard tutorial for a minute. This is the sequence that works for the longer deck.

Step 1: Gain speed and build momentum. You can’t do this trick stationary. A slow, steady roll gives you a stable platform and the inertia needed to keep the board under you after the pop.

Step 2: Jump while kicking the longboard’s tail forward. Your back foot pops the tail straight down. Your front foot, however, doesn’t slide up toward the nose. It’s already positioned farther back, with the ball of your foot behind the front trucks, angled slightly outward. You kick this front foot down and out against the side of the deck, right near the front truck. This downward kick, not an upward flick, is what starts the rotation.

Common mistake: Letting the board rocket away. If your front foot stays low and you don’t jump high enough, the board shoots out in front of you. You have to commit upward.

Step 3: The catch. This is the make-or-break moment everyone struggles with. The Longboard Store emphasizes the critical role of the front shoulder here, while some Reddit users advise focusing on jumping high and putting most weight on the front foot. If you pull it back instinctively, your front foot can’t get back over the board. You must keep your shoulders squared and your body centered over where the board will be. Stomp down with both feet to stop the rotation.

The Red Bull guide, while for skateboards, nails a universal truth: “You should be jumping upward more than forward.” On a longboard, this is even more vital. You need airtime for the slower, heavier deck to complete its flip.

Why It’s Harder: The Physics of Weight and Length

A skateboard kickflip is hard. A longboard kickflip is harder, and the reason is simple physics.

Weight. A skateboard deck is generally lighter. A longboard deck is heavier and longer, which changes the physics of the flip. That’s more mass your foot has to accelerate into a spin. It requires more force from your kick and more strength to control in the air.

Wheelbase. The distance between your trucks is longer. This increases stability for cruising but decreases the board’s willingness to rotate quickly. The flip is inherently slower, which throws off the timing you’ve practiced on a shorter board.

Center of Gravity. On a drop-through or drop deck, you’re standing lower to the ground. This makes popping the tail harder, as you have less downward travel before your foot hits the pavement.

This is why the foundational ollie on a longboard is the essential prerequisite. If you can’t reliably get the board off the ground and control its height, adding a flip is a recipe for frustration. The popping technique for longboards is a different beast, it’s more of a forceful stomp than a quick snap.

Practice Plan: From Zero to First Landed Flip

You won’t land this in an afternoon. Learning the trick on a longboard requires significant adaptation and practice. Here’s how to structure those months.

Weeks 1-2: Foundation. Don’t even try the flip. Ride your board constantly. Practice jumping on a longboard while rolling, getting comfortable with leaving the feet and landing back on the bolts. Dial in your ollie until you can do it rolling, every time.

Weeks 3-4: The Motion. At a standstill, practice the footwork. Pop the tail and perform the downward kicking motion with your front foot, but don’t try to catch the board. Let it flip and fall. Your goal is to consistently make the board rotate one full rotation. Listen to the sound, a clean flip has a distinct whoosh; a bad kick makes a hollow thunk as the edge slaps the ground.

Weeks 5-6: Low-Speed Attempts. Start trying the full trick at a very slow roll. Don’t focus on landing. Focus on jumping high, kicking correctly, and watching the board’s rotation. Your shin guards will earn their keep here.

Week 7+: Commitment. This is the mental hurdle. You’ll start landing one foot on, then bailing. The trick now is to commit to bringing both feet down. This is where most people stall. Drill the motion stationary ten times, then immediately try one rolling. Repeat.

The old adage holds: the trick capabilities of a longboard are vast, but they demand a tailored approach. What works for a skateboard often needs reinvention.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a ghostride kickflip a “real” kickflip?

It’s a valid trick with “kickflip” in its name, but it’s not the kickflip most skaters refer to. The community is split. Some see it as a legitimate, beginner-friendly variation. Others argue that a modern kickflip implies an ollie-based flip while staying on the board. If you tell a street skater you can kickflip and then do a ghostride, they’ll likely correct you.

What should I learn before attempting a longboard kickflip?

The ollie is essential. The Red Bull guide calls it “the most important of all of the tricks you should master first.” You need the pop and the board control it teaches. After that, get comfortable with simply jumping off and back onto your board while it’s rolling. Board control is everything.

Can you kickflip a Landyachtz Evo?

Yes, but it’s a feat of extreme adaptation. The Landyachtz Evo has a negative tail, it angles downward. It has been demonstrated that with enough skill and force, even boards with a negative tail like the Landyachtz Evo can be flipped. For a beginner, it’s the hardest possible starting point.

How does the technique differ from a skateboard kickflip?

Three key differences:

1. Foot Placement: Your front foot is farther back, behind the front trucks, not near the bolts.
2. The Flick: It’s a deliberate downward kick into the rail, not a slide up and off the nose.
3. Weight Distribution: You need to keep more weight over your front foot to keep the board underneath you.

Are longboard kickflips dangerous?

Any skate trick carries risk. The longboard’s weight increases the impact force on shins and ankles. This is a YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) topic, following the manufacturer’s safety rules (helmet, pads, pre-ride checks) and using protective gear like shin guards significantly mitigates that risk. The Street Surfing manual warns to never ride where cars are driving, at night, or on wet, oily, or sandy surfaces, all good rules for trick practice, too.

Before You Go

The question isn’t really “can you kickflip on a longboard?” The footage is out there, people are doing it on drop-throughs, on Evos, on pintails against all odds. The real question is “should you try it on your longboard?”

If you have a classic pintail cruiser, the answer is probably no, not unless you want a masterclass in frustration. Your effort is better spent on other tricks you can do that suit your board’s design. If you have a kicktail or a drop-through and you’ve nailed your ollies, then the path is open. It will be harder than a skateboard flip. It will take longer. You will whack your shins.

But the feeling of landing that first one, hearing all four wheels clap the pavement after a full rotation, is a unique victory. It’s proof that the fundamentals transfer, even when the equipment tries to tell you otherwise. Start with the gear, master the pop, and trust the slower, heavier physics of the board. The flip will come.