Back to the ’90s!!! This was a very popular trick back in the ’90s when Chad Muska hit every spot with it, and everyone was trying to learn it. For that reason, it was called a Muska Flip back in the day… but why “Illusion Flip”? Well, that’s because it’s confusing.
At first glance, it looks like a frontside flip. Then suddenly, it resembles a hardflip. Before you know it, you’re wondering why you’re landing in switch. That’s the illusion. Today, we’re going to break down what’s actually happening in the trick and hopefully make it way more approachable.
To start with solid ground, we can say that the illusion flip is a mixture of a hardflip and a shove-it, plus a frontside body varial. It has to be done very precisely. Otherwise, it just won’t be an illusion flip.
Let’s start with the base, which is a regular hardflip. Set your feet in a comfortable position, but since you want your hardflip to go almost 90 degrees upward, don’t set your back foot right in the pocket. Instead, place the whole foot flat on the tail to help the board pop up more easily.
Just pop into the hardflip. But because you want the board to go more upward, you’ll need to move your front foot slightly away. This naturally starts to turn the board like a shove-it, which you don’t want. So your flick needs to be very precise to create that “illusional” mix between a hardflip and a shove-it.
This is where the illusion part comes in. If you guide the board too much, it will follow through like a hardflip. If you let it go too freely, it’ll turn into a shove-it. It’s really hard to explain this in words, so watching a few video tutorials should help give you a clearer picture.
Anyway, that’s only half the trick. We still need to add the frontside body varial. Once you’ve got a feel for the board’s rotation, you can start thinking about how to throw in the body varial. It can be tricky at first, because the board’s still rising and you can’t start turning your body too early. You’ve got to time it just right. Right after your front foot finishes the flick. Then, twist your upper body fast.
You’ll land in switch, just like with a frontside flip, which is why the whole trick ends up looking like a weird version of one. With tricks this technical, it’s tough to break down every tiny detail. You’ll have to experiment to find the right foot placement and timing that works for you.