The tre flip is a very fast, advanced skateboarding trick that combines a 360 pop shove-it with a kickflip. Learn how to pull it off.
It is a beautiful move that gets the skateboard rotating around its axis and is one of the most popular and fun flip tricks you could do.
The tre flip is basically a 360 flip and was invented by skateboarding legend Rodney Mullen in 1983.
If you watch it in slow motion, you'll notice how complex the spinning and turning really are.
To learn the tre flip, you'll need to be comfortable and master the ollie, the kickflip, the pop shove-it, and the varial kickflip.
Foot positioning is key to a well-executed tre flip.
Your front foot should be in the middle of the deck at a 30-to-45-degree angle, with your heel slightly hanging off the edge of the board.
Nevertheless, it's the back foot that will play a major role in landing the tre flip, so make sure your toes are "grabbing" the corner of the board's tail.
Your back heel should not be touching the deck.
Instead, most of the pressure should be applied to your toes so that you can have more pop power.
The scooping motion generated in the tre flip comes from the work done by the back foot.
The back foot will drag the board backward during the early pop stage while the front foot slides up, straight, and out of the deck.
However, you should make an effort to try to put the same amount of weight on both edges of the skateboard to get a balanced flipping motion.
The best place to learn the tre flip is on a smooth and slippery flat surface because it makes it easier to scrape the back wheels backward across the ground.
Also, start practicing the tre slowly moving forward - never stationary. Otherwise, the board may go behind you or off to the side.
Remember that after the board completes the entire rotation, you must be able to catch it with your front foot before leveling everything out with the back foot.
Tre Flip 101
Now, let's break the tre flip down to make it easier for you to land it:
- Push on your skateboard;
- Adopt an ollie stance with your front foot in the middle of the board pointed slightly more forward than usual and your rear foot toes hanging off a bit;
- Moments before popping the board, you'll notice that the back wheel will be touching the board on the toe side to bring it up on the kickflip side;
- Pop the board while simultaneously kicking the tail backward;
- As the skateboard gets up in the air, flick it with your lead foot;
- As the board starts spinning laterally, slide your lead foot up and out of the board like in a kickflip;
- Keep your eyes on the board and your feet clear;
- As soon as the rotations seem completed and you start seeing grip tape, catch the board with your front foot;
- Get the board parallel to the ground by trapping the deck also with your back foot;
- Land and skate away;
"If the board is flying forward, you may be flicking it too hard with your lead foot," underlines Per Welinder, author of "Mastering Skateboarding."
"Try to adjust your flick just a little to the heel side - like in an ordinary kickflip - until you are only spinning the board and not actually moving it."
"If the board isn't spinning around laterally all the way, try to land it just shy of the 360 and then drag the front around the rest of the way."