Underflip

also known as: Under Flip

flip freestyleflatground difficulty 4/10
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roll 0° yaw 0° pitch 0° body 0°

Shown for a regular-footed rider. Teal ring + arrow = the rider's facing direction; teal band = the tail; a dot is where a hand holds the board - bright yellow for the front hand, amber for the back one, which is the whole difference between a mute and an indy. Board and rider rotate independently - each follows its own component. Drag to orbit.

How it works

A flip generated from beneath the board: the front foot slides under the nose so the deck's underside rests on the instep, and an upward-and-across kick with the top of the foot rolls the board over its long axis - canonically toward the rider's toe side, the heelflip direction, though it can be thrown either way. A small pop off the tail lifts the board into the kick, and because the kick pushes it up as well as around, the flip floats rather than snaps, and the trick is usually done from a standstill or slow roll, or as the exit kick from casper positions. Strongly associated with Rodney Mullen, whose kickflip-underflip combinations built entire lines from this single mechanic.

Step by step

  1. Stationary or rolling slowly, slide the front foot under the nose so the toe and instep cradle the board's underside.
  2. Keep the back foot lightly on the tail or hovering, ready to clear.
  3. Hop slightly off the back foot as the front foot kicks up and across, rolling the deck over from below.
  4. Withdraw the kicking foot the instant the rotation is loaded.
  5. Let the board complete its full flip and spot the grip.
  6. Land both feet on the bolts and settle.

Body mechanics

Front footWedged under the nose; its upward-across kick off the instep is the trick's sole engine.
Back footProvides the small hop and clears space, then leads the two-foot catch.
ShouldersFace the board squarely, dipped slightly toward the kicking side during the wind-up.
ArmsCounter-swing against the kick to keep the hop vertical, then steady the catch.
GazeDown at the nose through the kick, following the underside-over-topside roll to the catch.