Published 18:37 IST, August 17th 2020
Tony Hawk renames skateboarding trick after deaf creator, says he 'deserves recognition'
Ace Skater and creator of Pro Skater games Tony Hawks has renamed a complex trick on the name of its creator and a deaf skater Chrish Weddle.
Ace Skater and creator of Pro Skater games Tony Hawks has renamed a complex trick on the name of its creator. Making the announcement on Instagram, he wrote that famous ‘Mute Air trick’ would now be called ‘Weddle Grab Trick ‘, a change made 40 years after it’s invention. He added it would be a difficult change for the players of the video game, however, it was necessary to honour the creator.
Hawk’s announcement came ahead of the re-release of the first two games, which have been given a 2020 makeover. In his social media post, Hawk revealed that the trick was created by another skater named Chris Weddle in 1981, who is deaf since birth. Elaborating further, he wrote that due to his impairment, Weddle did not speak much about the trick, thereby prompting makers to keep the name as it 'Mute air trick'.
However, in recent years, Weddle, though gracious, has admitted that other name could have honoured his legacy better. “He has been very gracious in his response but it is obvious that a different name would have honoured his legacy, as he is deaf but not lacking speech. I asked him last year as I was diving into trick origins and he said he would have rather named it the “deaf” or “Weddle” grab if given the choice, Hawks elaborated.
'Chris deserves the recognition'
Therefore, to honour Weddle, the upcoming Tony Hawk -The game demo would have the trick named as 'The Weddle grab'. He added that it was going to be challenging, as everybody is habitual. But, he asserted that “Chris deserves the recognition."
Meanwhile, the news of the name change has been greeted warmly by fans who are happy to see Weddle credited for his contribution to skateboarding and for moving away from a distasteful name. One user wrote, "News of the name change has been greeted warmly by fans who are happy to see Weddle credited for his contribution to skateboarding and for moving away from a distasteful name". Another wrote, "Most of my family is deaf. Much respect for renaming the trick".
Updated 18:36 IST, August 17th 2020