What this trick is

A transition kickturn is a quick 180° change of direction on a ramp or quarter pipe: you ride up the transition, lift the front wheels, rotate your body and board, then come back down. It’s one of the key building blocks for skating ramps confidently.

Before you try it

You should already be comfortable with:

Riding transition — being able to roll up and down a quarter pipe

Pumping — using your knees and body to gain/maintain speed.

Flatground kickturns — especially a backside/frontside 180 kickturn, so the rotation itself isn't completely new.

How to do it

The setup — In your usual riding position, start with enough speed to comfortably ride partway up the transition. Keep your knees bent and your shoulders roughly parallel with the board.

Just before you slow to the point where you are pulled back down the ramp, lift the front wheels by bringing your front foot up slightly. At the same time, turn your shoulders and head in the direction of the kickturn; your hips, legs and board will follow as you start to decend back towards the flat bottom. Keep your knees bent rather than standing up.

Let the front wheels come back down onto the transition after you've rotated roughly 180°. Look down the ramp in the direction you're now travelling and absorb the landing with your knees. Keep your weight forward through the trasition as if dropping in and let the ramp carry you back down.

Learn more here!

Video by GRANTIHERO

Common mistakes

Trying to turn too early — You'll feel like you're fighting the transition and the board wants to shoot away. The turn should be timed with the natural flow of gravity as it pulls you back in.

Turning only with your feet — If your shoulders stay facing forward, the board often won't rotate properly. Look and turn your shoulders first; let your lower body follow.

How to know you've got it

Keep working on kickturns on a quarter pipe until eventually you can add kicktuns to your pumping on a miniramp/half pipe whilst still maintaining speed. Work on Frontside and Backside until you have them both evenly!