A backflip is rotating yourself and the bike backwards a full turn in the air off a jump, and riding away. It is a serious trick: learn it into a foam pit or onto a resi ramp, never straight onto a hard landing.
What you need first
- Confident, controlled airs off jumps or a quarter pipe, with the bike level in the air.
- Access to a foam pit or a resi ramp, ideally at a skatepark with a coach or experienced riders around.
- A full-face helmet and pads.
Step by step
- Start in a foam pit or onto a resi ramp. This is not optional. You cannot bail out of a backflip half way round.
- Pick a jump with a steady lip. Roll in with the same speed every time, so the only new thing is the flip.
- Ride up the lip standing tall. Do not pull early. Let the ramp send you up first.
- Throw your head and shoulders back. At the lip, look back over your head and pull the bars towards your hips. The bike rotates with your upper body.
- Keep looking back for the landing. Tuck your knees in to keep the rotation going.
- Spot the landing and push the bike out. Once you see the ground, push the bike level under you and land on both wheels, knees bent.
Common mistakes
- Committing half way. Stopping the rotation is the most dangerous thing you can do. If you go for it, go all the way, into the pit.
- Pulling too early. Throwing before the lip loops the bike off the ramp. Wait until you are leaving it.
- Looking down. Your head stops the rotation and you land on your back. Keep looking back over your head.
- Too little speed. Not enough height to get round. Keep your run-in speed the same each time.
Stay safe
- Wear a full-face helmet, gloves, knee and shin pads, and ideally a back protector.
- Only try backflips into a foam pit or onto a resi ramp until you land them every time.
- Never try one alone. Have a coach or experienced rider with you.
- Stop for the day when you are tired. Most flip slams happen on the last attempts.
More on gear and bailing on the safety page.
What’s next
Once backflips are consistent onto a resi ramp, the next flip is the flair: a backflip with a 180 turn out of a quarter pipe. More Advanced tricks →