Skateboard trick to be renamed in honour of deaf inventor

Skating legend Tony Hawk has announced how – and why – the ‘mute grab/air’ is being renamed to the ‘Weddle grab/air.’

For almost 40 years, the ‘mute grab’ has been a well-known skateboarding trick: grabbing the toe side of the board between your feet, rotating backside, and landing to face the opposite direction. However, many skateboarders will not know the origin or its inventor.

The first person to complete the skateboarding trick was deaf skateboarder Chris Weddle in 1981. It was proposed that the trick should be named after him. Chris Weddle was referred to the ‘quiet, mute guy’ (despite Chris Weddle being verbal) and so the trick was named the ‘mute grab.’  

Fast forward to 2020, and ‘Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2’ game will soon be released. Tony Hawk had reached out to Chris Weddle (who is still skateboarding today) and asked for his thoughts on the name of the trick. Chris Weddle responded that he would prefer the skateboarding trick to be renamed the ‘deaf’ or ‘Weddle’ grab. In the game, the trick will be renamed as the ‘Weddle grab’ to honour the skateboarder who invented the move.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDy21PIJWBZ

According to Tony Hawk’s Instagram post announcing the news, Weddle is ‘stoked’ about the name change.

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Independent writer, volunteer and performer from Lancashire, England. May every day be GEP: Good, Exciting and Productive!

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