How to Do a Hardflip on a Skateboard

A hardflip is definitely a hard trick to learn, as the name implies, but learning the trick can only expand your arsenal of tricks and make you a better skateboarder overall.

A hardflip is basically a front side shove it combined with a flip, so you can think of it as kind of a front side varial kickflip.

Foot positioning

To be able to consistently land this trick, you need to make sure your feet are positioned correctly each time. You may, however, develop your own style and variation of this trick as time goes on. Set up your front foot exactly how you would for a kickflip. You also want to set up your back foot sort of like a kickflip, but hang your heel a little more off the board.

Understanding the hardflip

Start to ollie and get the board rotating in a front side pop shove it motion with your back foot. At the same time you are putting spin on the board, start the kickflip with your front foot. You want to then get your feet out of the way quickly so you can let the board carry out the trick.

For this trick, you really need to either jump really high, or keep your legs bent more than you normally would. I prefer the latter because I personally can't jump very high. Ideally, you want your legs to be higher in the air than your board standing up on its tail. When the board has finished its flip, you should be on your way down and able to catch the board, and ride away smoothly.

There are many common mistakes that people face when they first try to learn this trick. First of all, make sure your bend your legs and jump high as I emphasized earlier - if you don't balance out the spin and the flip in this trick, the nose of the board is going to end up in your crotch, which is not a good time.

Also, make sure you let the trick flow. Don't perform each step like a robot and get frustrated because it's not working out for you. If you study how people do this trick, you can understand what I mean. Just look up a few videos of someone doing a hardflip and this guide will help you understand even more, giving you a good shot at mastering the hardflip.