A decade of Palestinian skatepark graffiti gets turned into a clothing capsule
- Text by Ella Glossop
- Photography by SkatePal
Concrete canvas — SkatePal’s new collection draws on artwork left by local skaters and visiting volunteers at the Asira Ash-Shamaliya concrete skatepark – the largest of its kind in Palestine.
SkatePal, a UK-based non-profit that supports skateboarding projects and youth programmes in Palestine, has released a new capsule collection built from a decade of graffiti, murals and markings left across its Asira Ash-Shamaliya skatepark in the West Bank.
Timed to coincide with International Go Skateboarding Day (21 June), the drop marks 10 years since the opening of SkatePal’s largest concrete skatepark, set on a hillside above the outskirts of Nablus in the village of Asira Ash-Shamaliya. Since opening, the park has remained an active site for local skating, with regular sessions still taking place today.
Rather than treating the park as a fixed design, the capsule draws from its accumulated surface – layers of graffiti left over time by visiting volunteers and local skaters, forming an unofficial record of the people who have passed through it.
The apparel line highlights original mural works by artists such as Michael Tumani, Charles Myatt, Allai Abou-Chaker, George Gunn, Lizzie Heath and Arthur Bonal, alongside interventions from the local skate community.
Skateboarding sessions at Asira are now led by Skateboarding.PS, SkatePal’s local partner, who run ongoing workshops, classes and events to support the region’s skate scene. This year’s Go Skateboarding Day saw skaters gather at the park to mark its 10-year milestone.
SkatePal was founded in 2013 by Charlie Davis, and was key to introducing skateboarding to Palestine. On top of providing free lessons, boards and building skateparks, the collection continues SkatePal’s grassroots focus on community-led skate culture in the West Bank, with proceeds going towards youth programmes. The capsule is available worldwide via SkatePal’s online store.
Ella Glossop is Huck’s social editor. Follow her on Bluesky.
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