Oververt challenge honoring local tie to iconic Thrasher Magazine photo held Sunday

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. ( WHNT ) — Skaters from across the country came out to Get-A-Way Skate Park Sunday as a part of the Oververt Challenge.

The challenge was inspired by an iconic Thrasher magazine photo that shows Huntsville’s Pat Wachter shredding at the original Get-A-Way Skate Park. Wachter was in attendance watching as skaters tried to replicate his gnarly photo.

“Just tickled that the City of Huntsville and Paul Ledbetter and Paul Gierow would create an event to repeat this history,” said Wachter. “We guarantee that somebody’s gonna do it again today, even bigger than when I did it.”

The original photo was taken in August 1980 and featured in the Thrasher in February 1981. It has become one of the most iconic photos in Alabama skate history.

Wachter remembers hitting the trick and the day the photo was taken.

“I worked a long time to get up there and grind it. That shot that in Thrasher magazine was taken in August of 1980 by a photographer named Tom Ledbetter,” said Wachter. “It went on to be the most iconic photograph in Alabama skateboarding and is pretty well known around the world.”

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After the challenge, a skate clinic was held by two USA Olympians, Bryce Wettstein and Jordyn Barratt.

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