Patti McGee
#146,096 Most Popular
About
Skating's first female national champion and public ambassador for the sport. In 1964, she won the women's division of the first National Skateboard Championships in Santa Monica. She appeared on the cover of Life magazine in May 1965. She was pictured performing her signature move: a handstand on her skateboard.
Before Fame
She began surfing in the year 1958 and was the captain of an all-girls surfing team. She started skateboarding four years later.
Trivia
She was on the game show What's My Line? She appeared on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson and The Mike Douglas Show. She and her daughter launched a skateboard and apparel company called Original Betty.
Family Life
Her daughter, Hailey Villa, was also a skateboarder. She divorced Glenn Villa. Her second husband, William Chace, died in 2015.
Associated With
Tony Hawk posted a tribute to her on social media saying she helped "pave the way for all of us."
