For our latest merch we collaborated with Japanese illustrator Momoe Narazaki. We first spoke with Momoe after her and her partner Will published a series of zines interviewing a number of skaters including some rad Ramallah locals - Malak, Nadeen and Zaina and Maen Hammad. We spoke to Momoe about the inspirations behind her wholesome drawings and how family and farming comes through in her work. Momoe: Hello, I’m Momoe Narazaki, born in Japan 1991. I studied graphic design at a university in New York and that’s where I met my partner Will. We moved to Japan in 2016, and now we are living in ..read more

Nora Zeid is an Egyptian independent illustrator and visual artist based in Dubai. Coming from a graphic design background, Nora shifted the focus to her practice in early 2021, building a roster of clients including Google, VICE, Diwan Publishing and Kerning Cultures. 2021 saw her first solo exhibition entitled ‘Cairo Illustrated: Stories from Heliopolis’ in Dubai, followed by another solo show: ‘Cairo Illustrated’ in Cairo in 2022. We worked together with Nora on SkatePal’s new merch capsule collection dedicated to three locations in Palestine where SkatePal is currently active, showcasing t ..read more

Mais is a Syrian graphic designer and illustrator living and working in Budapest. Mais first reached out to us a few years ago as a supporter of our projects. We’re very excited to now launch our collab Dates tee. What inspired you to pursue a career in graphic design and illustration? Back in high school, I took a graphic design course having absolutely no idea what it is and it thrilled me. I’ve always been a hands-on type of kid and was always painting, crafting, making whatever I could. Even today I’m constantly working on different types of creative mediums. During my university years, I ..read more

We're excited to announce we are working with Betongpark.Ltd and Inash AlUsra to build a concrete skatepark in Al-Bireh/Ramallah, Palestine. Established in the city of Al-Bireh in 1965, Inash AlUsra is a non-profit, charitable and developmental Palestinian women’s association. We’ve been discussing the project with them since the beginning of the year and have now been granted a space at their girls orphanage located in Al-Bireh. Although small, it will provide the girls with a safe space to learn and practice skateboarding under the guidance of local skateboarders, fitted with a concrete min ..read more

Eija Vehviläinen is an illustrator and visual designer based in Helsinki, Finland. We first got in touch in the midst of lockdown, whilst Finland was coming out of a long and dark winter. Eija’s use of bright and bold colours, interesting shapes, and playful compositions as well as references to nature quickly stole our hearts and inspired us to work on something together. Photo: Aino Huotari How did you start your journey as an illustrator/visual designer?  I studied graphic design at the university but realised pretty soon that illustration was my main interest. So after I graduated, I ..read more

Based in the Old City of Jerusalem, Izzeldin Bukhari (عزالدين البخاري) of Sacred Cuisine (بيت البركة ) promotes traditional Palestinian cooking. Cooking that reaches back to its initial vegetarian and vegan roots. If you haven’t yet heard of Sacred Cuisine, you can probably remember Izzeldin from SAHTEN, where he shared with us the recipe for the Hemp Seed Tabboula. As a fellow skater, he understands all too well the importance of healing from various injuries, and so he put together a dish perfect for sprains and breaks, but also for your daily dose of calcium and anti-inflammatory nutrients ..read more

Photo: Ahmed Idea We’re excited to see more and more skaters embrace their overall physical health and understand how various exercises can affect not just their performance and the longevity of it, but also mental health and the relationship between them. Yoga has a proven track record of having a huge potential to improve both physical and mental wellbeing.  We reached out to Majdal Sobah, a Ramallah-based yoga instructor and kindergarten teacher (who you may remember from SAHTEN) to discuss this further, as well as the yoga scene in Palestine, and the many benefits of daily yoga prac ..read more

Whether it’s falafel in between spots, coffee and pastries at the skatepark or home-cooked Maqlubah after a long day - food plays a key part in the Palestinian skate community as it does within the Palestinian culture. SAHTEN - The SkatePal Cookbook, pays homage to this, whilst painting a picture of the current skate scene in the West Bank through recipes sourced from the community and beyond.  We wanted to take the opportunity to highlight some of the fantastic Palestinian cookbooks through which you can experience the Palestinian cuisine beyond the skate family as well as find more tra ..read more

The results of the 2020 Survey of Social Skateboarding Projects Worldwide by Skateistan and Pushing Boarders are out!  Like in previous years, the survey aims to better understand and document the goals, impact and activities of the social skateboarding communities, this time focusing on the impact of COVID-19 on the sector.  The survey received responses from 117 skateboarding projects working in 60+ countries pushing forward despite the ongoing pandemic. Although 97% of the surveyed projects reported negative effects of the pandemic, many adapted to new circumstances, developing ..read more

We’re excited to share with you SAHTEN - The SkatePal Cookbook. The book paints a picture of the current skateboarding scene in Palestine, told in the form of a cookbook.  It features recipes collected from various figures in Palestine’s skateboarding community, shop owners, local heroes, past volunteers, and even by Palestine’s own international master chef, Sami Tamimi.  Each dish has been illustrated by Palestinian-Canadian animator Noor Abouseido, and coloured in by young skaters in Palestine and the Palestinian diaspora in Canada. All proceeds will help support our continued ..read more