Patti McGee was doing a handstand on a skateboard on the cover of LIFE magazine in May 1965 long before bra burning and protests outside the Washington Monument.

Patti was the first woman to become a pro skateboarder, after winning the Women’s National Skateboard Championship. She was sponsored by HOBIE skateboards and demonstrated her 360s on them around the world.

By the time Tony Alva and Stacey Peralta were ripping around SoCal, Patti had quit skateboarding altogether to become a turquoise miner in Nevada (!) and later a leathersmith. But her early exposure and talent paved the way for future generation of female riders.