The Most Difficult Skateboard Trick, Ranked

Voting rules: Choose the skateboard trick you think is the most difficult!

Updated on May 1, 2024 06:26

Skateboarding is as much about pushing limits as it is about personal expression. Every skater at some point wonders about the challenge certain tricks present. Ranking these can guide beginners on what to expect and offer pros a way to share their opinions and insights based on their own experiences tackling these difficult maneuvers. On this site, you get to have your say on what you believe are the toughest tricks in the skateboarding world. By casting your vote and seeing live updates on rankings, not only do you contribute to a collective wisdom but also help in shaping a shared understanding of skateboarding challenges. So, join in, vote for your top picks, and see how your favorites stack up against the opinions of the global skateboarding community.

What Is the Most Difficult Skateboard Trick?

1

73
votes
The 900

Tony Hawk

This is widely considered to be the most difficult skateboard trick, as it requires the skater to rotate 900 degrees in the air while still on their board. Only a handful of skaters have ever landed this trick, including Tony Hawk.
The 900 is a skateboarding trick that involves spinning two and a half rotations (900 degrees) while in mid-air on a skateboard. It is considered one of the most difficult and iconic tricks in skateboarding.

Rotation: 2.5 rotations (900 degrees)

Difficulty Level: Very high

Execution: Done in mid-air

Type: Aerial trick

Stance: Regular or Goofy
2

28
votes
The Kickflip Underflip

This trick involves flipping the board with a backside kickflip and then catching it with a frontside underflip. It requires a lot of control and timing to execute properly.
The Kickflip Underflip, also known as the Varial Kickflip or the Double Kickflip, is a difficult skateboard trick that combines elements of both the kickflip and the pop shove-it. In this trick, the skateboarder simultaneously kicks the board with the front foot while performing a backside shove-it motion with the back foot. This results in the skateboard spinning 360 degrees along its vertical axis while also flipping in a kickflip-like motion. The end result is a visually impressive and technically challenging trick.

Difficulty Level: Advanced

Stance: Regular or Goofy

Foot Placement: Front foot angled slightly towards the heel edge, back foot on the tail

Pop: Similar to a kickflip pop with added force from the back foot shove-it motion

Flip: Similar to a kickflip flip with the added rotation from the back foot shove-it motion
3

28
votes
The Hardflip Late Flip

This trick involves doing a hardflip and then flipping the board again with a late flip before landing. It requires a lot of coordination and precision.
The Hardflip Late Flip is a highly challenging and advanced skateboard trick that combines elements of both the hardflip and the late flip. It involves flipping the skateboard horizontally and performing a late flip simultaneously, resulting in a complex and visually impressive maneuver.

Catch: Timely catch of the board with front foot

Foot Position: Front foot angled slightly inward, back foot on the tail

Pop: Quick, forceful pop of the tail

Flip: Horizontal kickflip motion with a late flip

Difficulty Level: Very Difficult
4

8
votes
The Laser Flip

Rodney Mullen

This trick involves flipping the board with a heelflip and then catching it with a frontside 360 shove-it. It requires a lot of skill and practice to execute properly.
The Laser Flip is an advanced skateboard trick that combines elements of a 360-degree kickflip and a 360-degree heelflip. It involves the skater popping the board into the air while simultaneously performing a backside 360-degree kickflip motion with their front foot and a frontside 360-degree heelflip motion with their back foot. The board completes a full rotation horizontally and vertically before being caught by the skater's feet.

Difficulty Level: Very Difficult

Stance: Regular or Goofy

Foot Position: Front foot angled diagonally across the board with toes hanging off the edge, back foot on the tail

Pop: Quick and powerful pop with the back foot

Kickflip Motion: Front foot flicks downwards and outwards like a kickflip
5

17
votes
The Double Flip

Rodney Mullen

This trick involves flipping the board twice while in the air, usually with a kickflip and heelflip. It requires a lot of speed and control to pull off.
The Double Flip is one of the most difficult skateboard tricks, also known as the double kickflip or a double underflip. It involves flipping the skateboard twice in the air while performing a kickflip motion. The board rotates horizontally twice before landing back on the ground, requiring high-level skills, precision, and control.

Difficulty level: Very challenging

Board rotation: Double horizontal rotation

Flip motion: Double kickflip motion

Air time: Extended time in the air

Required technique: Advanced pop and flick
6

14
votes
The Varial Heelflip Backside 360

Rodney Mullen

This trick involves flipping the board with a varial heelflip and then spinning 360 degrees in the air before landing. It requires a lot of technical skill and timing.
The Varial Heelflip Backside 360 is an advanced skateboarding trick that combines elements of a varial heelflip and a backside 360. It involves flipping the board with a heelflip motion while simultaneously executing a 360-degree rotation in the backside direction.

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Foot Position: Regular or Goofy

Board Rotation: 360 degrees

Board Flip: Varial Heelflip

Spin Direction: Backside
7

6
votes
GualdimG · CC BY-SA 4.0

The Ghetto Bird

Eric Koston

This trick involves doing a 360 flip and then a 360 shove-it in the opposite direction before landing. It requires a lot of control and coordination.
The Ghetto Bird is a highly complex and challenging skateboard trick that involves combining a variety of different technical moves into one fluid motion. It is considered one of the most difficult tricks in skateboarding due to the level of skill, balance, and timing required to successfully complete it.

Difficulty Level: Expert

Required Skills: Ollie, kickflip, heelflip, backside 180, frontside 180, late shove-it, and a varial kickflip

Stance: Regular or goofy

Pop: High and controlled

Execution: A quick succession of flipping, spinning, and shifting the board in various directions while maintaining balance
8

6
votes
The Nollie Heelflip Backside Noseblunt

This trick involves doing a nollie heelflip and then landing in a backside noseblunt slide. It requires a lot of technical skill and balance.
The Nollie Heelflip Backside Noseblunt is an extremely challenging skateboard trick that combines elements of technical flip tricks and grinds. It involves executing a nollie heelflip while simultaneously landing in a backside noseblunt slide on a ledge or rail.

Difficulty: Very Difficult

Stance: Regular or Goofy

Foot Placement: Front foot angled diagonally with the ball of the foot near the edge of the board, back foot on the tail

Pop: Similar to a nollie heelflip, with a combination of upward and forward motion

Flip: Heelflip rotation with a slight scoop motion
9

7
votes
The Inward Heelflip Backside Tailslide

This trick involves doing an inward heelflip and then landing in a backside tailslide. It requires a lot of control and precision.
The Inward Heelflip Backside Tailslide is a challenging skateboard trick that combines the elements of an inward heelflip, a backside tailslide, and a 180-degree rotation. It involves the skater flipping the skateboard with an inward heelflip motion while simultaneously sliding the tail of the board along a rail or ledge in a backside position. The skater then rotates their body 180 degrees before landing back on the board.

Difficulty Level: Advanced

Stance: Regular or Goofy

Speed: Moderate to High

Pop: Strong and precise

Foot Placement: Front foot angled slightly towards the edge of the board, back foot on the tail
10

3
votes
The Frontside 540

Tony Hawk

This trick involves doing a frontside 360 and then spinning another 180 degrees in the air before landing. It requires a lot of speed and control to execute properly.
The Frontside 540 is an incredibly challenging and technical skateboard trick that involves rotating the board and skater 540 degrees in a frontside direction while in mid-air. It is performed by launching off a ramp or a quarter pipe and utilizing the rotational momentum to complete the trick.

Rotation: 540 degrees

Direction: Frontside

Difficulty: Very high

Technicality: Advanced

Execution: Requires precision and timing

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Discussion

Ranking factors for difficult skateboard trick

Technical complexity

Consider the number of steps, spins, flips, or rotations involved in the trick and how difficult it is to execute them all together.
Body coordination

Assess how much body coordination is required to perform the trick, including foot and hand placement, body movement, and balance.
Timing and precision

Evaluate the level of precision and the timing required to execute the trick, as this can make a seemingly simple trick much more difficult.
Risk factor

Take into account the potential risks associated with the trick, such as the height of jumps, speed, or the possibility of crashing or falling.
Consistency

Consider how easily the trick can be repeated consistently by skaters at different skill levels. Tricks that are difficult to consistently perform can be ranked higher.
Degree of innovation

Assess the uniqueness and originality of the trick, as innovative tricks are generally more challenging due to the lack of existing examples to follow.
Terrain and obstacles

Evaluate the difficulty of performing the trick on different surfaces or with obstacles, as some tricks may be more challenging when executed on ramps, stairs, or rails.
Transition difficulty

Consider how challenging it is to transition into and out of the trick while maintaining speed and control.
Popularity and recognition

Take into account the popularity and recognition of the trick. Tricks that are less common and harder to learn may rank higher in difficulty.
Personal skill and experience

Lastly, keep in mind that the difficulty of a skateboard trick can vary among individual skaters due to differences in skill level, experience, and personal preference.

About this ranking

This is a community-based ranking of the most difficult skateboard trick. We do our best to provide fair voting, but it is not intended to be exhaustive. So if you notice something or Trick is missing, feel free to help improve the ranking!

Statistics

1774 views
187 votes
10 ranked items

Voting Rules

A participant may cast an up or down vote for each Trick once every 24 hours. The rank of each Trick is then calculated from the weighted sum of all up and down votes.

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More information on most difficult skateboard trick

Skateboarding is a popular sport and art form that has been around since the 1950s. Over the years, skateboarding has evolved into a highly competitive and skilled activity, with professional skateboarders pushing the limits of what is possible on a board. One of the most challenging aspects of skateboarding is mastering the various tricks that can be performed on a skateboard. From basic moves like the ollie and kickflip to more advanced maneuvers like the 900 and the heelflip, there are countless tricks that skateboarders strive to perfect. However, when it comes to the most difficult skateboard trick, opinions vary. Some argue that the kickflip underflip or the hardflip are the most challenging, while others believe that the tre flip or the double kickflip are the toughest to pull off. Regardless of which trick is considered the most difficult, it is clear that skateboarding requires a high level of skill, dedication, and perseverance to master.