Dynamic photograph of Patti McGee, skateboarding’s first female professional and one of the most noteworthy riders of the sport’s first wave (1959-65), performing her signature handstand trick at the 1965 “Young Women on Wheels Program” which was held in Covina, CA.

After learning to ride on a homemade board crafted by her brother, she went on to win the first national Skateboard Championship for Women, held in Santa Monica in 1964. The next year, at the age of 19, McGee went pro and joined Hobie / Vita-pakt, earning $250 dollars a month and extensively touring the country. She appeared on the 1965 cover of LIFE Magazine, performing her signature handstand trick in what is now considered one of Skateboarding’s iconic images, and appeared regularly on television programs such as Mike Douglas and Johnny Carson. In 2010 she was introduced into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame.