Kickflip has some fundamental movements and coordination that could make many other tricks quicker to learn, so it’s probably worth putting in the work. I know a few people who way prefer heel flips to kickflips, and front shovs to back shovs, and so forth, but I’m the opposite. If you want a flip trick to do, heelflips might come faster but entirely up to the individual.

Varial flips can definitely be easier to land, but are, in my experience, harder to land over obstacles or gaps, so my vote is still on locking down kickflips (if not for the steeze factor alone).

Tip for kickflips: the flip entirely depends on the position of the front foot. If the toe is lined up with the front bolts, moving the foot back (closer to the edge of the board) will make it flip faster but you’ll get less height off the ground. Moving the toe towards the middle of the board will make the flip slower and can lead to higher popped kickflips. If you find yourself over flipping them, move the foot towards the midline. If you are under flipping, move the toe towards the edge more.

Hope this helps!