Some projects we’ve been involved in, over the years:
Jerusalem Championship
WeSkate isn’t the first to create skateboarding competitions in Israel, but we are the first to create equal opportunity in skateboarding competitions. We annually produce the Jerusalem Championship - to date the largest competitions in Israel. We view these competitions as an important step for young skaters to gather experience, so they can go on and compete on national and international levels. The standards are high and so are the awards. and professional skate contests. This is the fifth year that WeSkate has been involved in the production of the Jerusalem Championship, the only competition in Israel using international judging apps and standards.
Promoting Women Skateboarding
From its inception, WeSkate has worked together with J.S.G. - Jerusalem Skater Girls to promote women's skateboarding in Israel, and in Jerusalem in particular. We’ve created women's skateboarding sessions to give women and girls a safe space to grow in, and cooperated in turning the women skaters into a strong community. WeSkate has set the standard and ensured that women are equally included in all skateboard competitions, with equal prizes. We feel strongly that this is the only way to grow this important community and allow them their dominant position within our skate community and scene.
Lisa skate spot
The heart of Jerusalem is a Wall. But would you believe - not the one you probably think?! Nope, we’re talking about another wall. Not the Western Wall, but just as special to our community. Similarly, people from all over the world go up it on pilgrimages - but then come right down. We don’t know exactly who built it, but generations later - we’re still working on it. Its been written about in books and articles, and seen in skate films. It has a crack running through - and just like Leonard Cohen wrote, that’s where the light shines through. We all hope that our hopes and dreams will be fulfilled through it. Everyone that comes to the Lisa falls in love immediately.
After all the years, the people, the endless efforts in renovation and graffiti work and reviving the spot, all we want is this wall - which is so important to our community and symbolizes, for us, something greater which helps open us to the worldwide community. Asking for one little wall isn’t too much, is it? So Just leave it there. Its perfect!
This text was written a few years back, when the city was considering destroying the spot in favor of a municipal park. Thanks to our work, the spot not only remains but will be preserved as part of the park!
Skateparks in Jerusalem
Our team has been active, working together with the Jerusalem municipality, since 2010 - long before WeSkate was created! In 2014 the Jerusalem municipality opened the first professional skatepark in Jerusalem’s Liberty Bell Park, following a campaign led by teenagers (who later became co-founders of WeSkate).
We’ve been pushing city hall to build more skateparks ever since.
According to urban renewal plans, the city planned to demolish the historic, non-professional Sacher Park skatepark, where our local scene began and where many of our leading skaters grew up. We insisted a new, professional park be included in the plans, and ultimately the new Street skatepark in Sacher park opened to the public in November 2021. Subsequently we oversaw the design and construction of a third Jerusalem skatepark in the Homat Shmuel - Har Homa neighborhood.
We are super stoked that we succeeded in placing Jerusalem to be at the forefront of the Israeli skate scene, and will continue working on fixing up local skate spots and making sure that the skate scene continues to thrive.
