That casual Heelflip

Cover article: Mike Carroll ph. Bryce Kanights

There are some tricks that are considered basics, but for some reason we don’t do them
very often — even though they can still get us a letter in a chill game of SKATE with the
homies.
Heelflips are one of those tricks: either you’ve got them “on lock” every time, or you pretty
much never do them.
Maybe that’s why almost nobody puts a heelflip in a line?
I’m not talking about switch heels — I’m talking about regular heelflips.
Nollie heel? Check.
Fakie heel? Yes.
Varial heels? Well, not that much, but still…
We’ve seen tons of switch heelflips during a line, or after a banger. Maybe your favorite pro
did a nonchalant switch heel on flat after a tech line just to look cool (and he surely is).
But regular heelflips? Not so much. Think about it.
Sure, some skaters do them — like Neen Williams or Lindsey Robertson — but those are
“heelflippers,” skaters known for that trick. That’s cool, but sometimes it almost feels like a
stigma.
And maybe that’s why every time I see that simple trick on flat during or after a line, I notice
it.
“OH, A HEELFLIP!”
So, we picked a few heelflips from different videos, and we’re giving you the chance to use
your head and add your takes in the comments section.