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.
Buy your copy of Huck 83 here.
Enjoyed this article? Follow Huck on Instagram and sign up to our newsletter for more from the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture.
Support stories like this by becoming a member of Club Huck.
You might like
Inside Parkuir: the art project queering sport, space and our bodies
Lie and play — Founded by Maria Laudes and Guiu Gimeno, it provides a framework for engaging, subverting, and celebrating the small details that make people unique – and queer.
Written by: Molly Lipson
London’s largest indoor skatepark to be demolished for padel courts
Better Extreme — The Barking skatepark’s fate follows that of similar indoor spaces in recent years, with operators GLL citing falling visitor numbers as the reason behind the decision.
Written by: Isaac Muk
In the pit at one of the UK’s last stock car & banger speedways
Stock Car Racing Isn’t Dead — Photographer Liam McCarthy spent time in and around the Arlington Raceway’s circuit, capturing the diehard community that keeps the sport alive.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Burning rubber with the Middle East’s women rally racers
Ripping dirt — Across the Middle East and North Africa, women are increasingly chasing the thrill of speed, competition and freedom that comes with driving on gruelling terrain, as well as podium positions. Roxana Diba speaks to trailblazers of the scene, who are reshaping ideas of what women are capable of behind the wheel.
Written by: Roxana Diba
The London sword fighters reviving medieval combat
Schola Gladitoria — Studying ancient textbooks and techniques, the historical European martial arts community duel with centuries old systems of engagement. Mads Jensen swings a blade in an Ealing church to find out more.
Written by: Mads Jensen
Rab’s adventures on film at Love Trails Festival
Adventure Film Night — Taking place between July 2-6, Rab are screening six documentaries at the festival that explore the remarkable world of the adventure sport community.
Written by: Roxana Diba