Pro skating legend Tony Hawk continues to prove he is one of the most genuinely amazing people around. In a post on Instagram yesterday, Hawk revealed that the upcoming Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 remaster/remake will include a name change for an insanely popular trick. Previously called the "Mute Grab," it turns out the history behind that name isn't exactly progressive.
In a post on his official Instagram profile, Hawk writes, "Around 1981, a deaf skater and Colton skatepark local named Chris Weddle was a prominent amateur on the competition circuit. The 'Indy' air had just been created and named so somebody proposed that grabbing with the front hand should be known as the 'Tracker' air. Others countered that Chris was the first to do [it], so it should be named after him."
As Hawk recounts, everyone had referred to Weddle as the "quiet, mute guy" and that became the proposed name for the trick. Being the children they were at the time, no one really thought to question now inappropriate or discriminatory the name was. With the new game just around the corner, Hawk felt the time was right to correct the wrong that has existed for nearly 40 years.
"I asked him last year as I was diving into trick origins," Hawk explains, "and he said he would have rather named it the 'deaf' or 'Weddle' grab if given the choice. His exact quote to me was 'I am deaf, not mute'." As such, players will find the grab has been renamed to the "Weddle Grab" in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2.
In a blog post from developer Vicarious Visions, the devs write, "With the launch of the remaster, Vicarious Visions was happy to celebrate Chris' legacy with the renames and hope fans enjoy these tricks, and dozens upon dozens more, in this demo and in the full game."
It's a very touching story during a period where most people are starting to lose hope. Hawk wasn't comfortable after all the years of using the term and felt the need to reach out to the trick's creator to see if he was okay. If that's not a better example of the kindness in Hawk's heart, then what else could be?
Source: Instagram, Activision