Smoothing space in Palestine: Building a skatepark and a socio-political forum with the SkatePal charity

The history of skateboarding’s development is closely connected to water and fluidity, with the birth of modern ramp practice commonly attributed to Californian surfers, who used the undulating asphalt and concrete of the urban LA landscape as a replacement for sea waves when the surf was flat. This fluidity and adaptability is echoed in scholarly and populist discourse, which tends to discuss skateboarders’ abilities to be resourceful and playful within environments available to them, to adopt simulation alongside innovative DIY approaches when building their own environments and to form supportive networks across cultural boundaries. There has also been much growth in recent years of skateboarding development projects, particularly in areas of conflict and political unrest. This article focuses on my experiences with the SkatePal charity – which has been building skateparks and teaching children to skateboard in the Occupied Palestinian Territories since 2013.