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Tony Hawk has announced that the “Mute” tricks have been renamed in the upcoming Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 to respect the creator’s identity (via USGamer.net).
In a post to his Instagram account, Hawk told the story of the trick, and how it was “shamelessly” titled the “mute air.” In the early 1980s, amateur skater Chris Weddle was carving out the competition. The “Indy air”—a move where the skater grabs the toeside of their board with the back hand— had just been created, and so it needed a name. Weddle was the first skater to practice it, and so it would be named after him.
“They referred to him as the 'quiet, mute guy,'” explained Hawk. “So it became known as the mute air, and we all went along with it in our naive youth.” Recently, Hawk expressed that he and a number of other skaters have reached out to Weddle, who is still skating, about the “mute air.” The chat has led to the renaming of the original trick, in order to respect Weddle’s identity. “His exact quote to me was, 'I am deaf, not mute,'” said Hawk, and now the move will be titled the Weddle Grab, Weddle Backflip, and Reacharound Invert.
“It's going to be challenging to break the habit of saying the old name but I think Chris deserves the recognition,” admitted Hawk. Weddle was reportedly “stoked” that the trick has a new legacy. He took a photo to celebrate, which Hawk then shared on his own Instagram account.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 will launch for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on September 4.
