# How to Impossible

> An impossible wraps the board end over end around your back foot, nose up and back over the top, and lands grip-up under you. A step-by-step guide from Skate AI (getskateai.com).

Canonical: https://getskateai.com/tricks/impossible
Last updated: 2026-10-19

Flat ground · Level 5 of 5 · Learn first: [Pop Shove-It](https://getskateai.com/tricks/pop-shove-it)

## The short answer

An impossible wraps the board end over end around your back foot, nose up and back over the top, and lands grip-up under you. Put the ball of your back foot in the toe-side pocket of the tail, toes about 5 cm over the toe side, and your front foot just below the front bolts at about 45 degrees, half of it off the heel side. Scoop the tail forward instead of popping it, keep the back foot on the grip as the board wraps round it, and lift the front foot out of the way.

## Where your feet go

- **Regular:** Ball of the back foot in the toe-side pocket of the tail, toes about 5 cm over the toe side. Front foot just below the front bolts at about 45°, half of it off the heel side. Scoop the tail forward instead of popping it, keep the back foot on the grip as the board wraps round it, and lift the front foot out of the way.
- **Goofy:** Ball of the back foot in the toe-side pocket of the tail, toes about 5 cm over the toe side. Front foot just below the front bolts at about 45°, half of it off the heel side. Scoop the tail forward instead of popping it, keep the back foot on the grip as the board wraps round it, and lift the front foot out of the way.

## Step by step

Each step is a part of the trick Skate AI scores when you film a try.

1. **Set up:** Ball of the back foot in the toe-side pocket of the tail, toes about 5 cm over the toe side. Front foot just below the front bolts at about 45 degrees, half of it off the heel side.
2. **Scoop:** Scoop the tail forward instead of popping or snapping it.
3. **Wrap:** Keep the back foot on the grip the whole way as the board wraps round it.
4. **Clear:** Lift your front foot out of the way so the board can come over the top.
5. **Land:** Stomp it once it is grip-up under you, over the bolts, and roll away.

## Troubleshooting

### The board never wraps

**Why:** You are popping the tail instead of scooping it forward.

**Fix:** Scoop the tail forward, do not snap it down.

### The board comes off your back foot

**Why:** Your back foot is lifting off the grip.

**Fix:** Keep the back foot on the grip the whole way round.

### The board hits your front foot

**Why:** The front foot stays in the way.

**Fix:** Lift the front foot out of the way, then stomp.

### You land on it upside down

**Why:** You are stomping before the board has finished wrapping.

**Fix:** Wait until it is grip-up under you.

## Drill

Practice the forward scoop on its own, back foot staying on the grip, before you try to wrap the whole board.

## FAQ

### What is an impossible?

The board wraps around your back foot end over end, nose up and back over the top, and lands grip-up under you.

### Is an impossible a flip trick?

Not in the kickflip and heelflip sense. The board turns end over end around your back foot rather than flipping sideways.

### Why is an impossible level 5?

The board wraps around your back foot, so the scoop, the wrap and clearing your front foot all have to be right.

### What should I learn before an impossible?

Start with the pop shove-it. It uses the same idea of scooping the tail with your back foot instead of popping it straight down.

## What to learn next

- Learn first: [Pop Shove-It](https://getskateai.com/tricks/pop-shove-it)

App: [Skate AI: Kickflip Ollie Coach on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6814983538)

## Related

- [Intermediate tricks, easiest to hardest](https://getskateai.com/intermediate-skateboard-tricks)
- [The 8 hardest tricks, ranked](https://getskateai.com/hardest-skateboard-tricks)
- [Foot placement chart for every flat trick](https://getskateai.com/skateboard-foot-placement-chart)
- [All 64 trick guides](https://getskateai.com/tricks)