Sicily (Italy)
‘Each town has its best spot: from bomb hills to smooth marble squares, traveling around Sicily you can really find everything!’
Interview with Ulisse Infranca
April 2023
Tell es something about yourself?
I am Ulisse Infranca promoter of this initiative for more than five years, thanks to the help of all the people who believed in our project we have created the largest and only skatepark (DIY) in our province! made entirely by us.
How big is the skate community in Sicily?
The skateboarding movement in the “Sicily west coast” has slowly begun to rise in recent years, groups of young people united by a passion for skate have begun to rise like mushrooms. the skate community in Sicily has been growing a lot in recent years, previously there were barely any skaters within a radius of hundreds of km, now instead, especially in the larger cities, a beautiful community is being created.
What are some of the best skate spots in Sicily?
Each town has its best spot: from bomb hills to smooth marble squares, traveling around Sicily you can really find everything! In the city of Trapani there are numerous street spots around the city: gap, steps, rails, bomb hill. One of the main street spots is the “crystal” which is located right in the center of Trapani.
Are there any official skate parks?
Speaking of Sicily in general, there are very few public skateparks around. These are mainly located towards the eastern part of Sicily. On the the west coast which is mainly the province of Trapani, ours is the only existing skatepark, “Terminal Skate Park” which is located in the bus terminal.
Is the government involved in the skate community?
Rarely do you see a coalition between government and skaters in our country even if in the last year. Due to the presence of a Trapani skater at the Olympics (Alessandro Mazzara), we have noticed an interest of our local government in designing a skatepark to be built in the distant bureaucratic future.
‘Without a doubt, our most prominent skater was born in Trapani: Alessandro Mazzara, Italian champion in skateboarding park, took part in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.’
Any talented local kids that are making a name for themselves?
Without a doubt, our most prominent skater was born in Trapani: Alessandro Mazzara, Italian champion in skateboarding park, took part in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. He had the opportunity to attend the best parks in Rome, such as Cinecittà and recently Ostia, which allowed him to reach these levels. Thanks to the Olympics, skateboarding is gaining a lot of interest in our area. This should lead to a change of mentality, skateboarding is not a sport for depraved and drug addicts but an Olympic sport and the administration in Italy should wake up to the potential of a skatepark in their city.
How close is the relationship between the skate communities of Sicily and the mainland of Italy?
The relationship of the Sicilian community is quite united despite the long distances between the main cities. Same thing for the rest of Italy. Skateboarding unites regardless of who you are or where you come from!
‘We have therefore worked hard to autonomously create the first public skatepark in the province.’
Tell us something about the Trapani skatepark project.
Our skatepark was born in early May 2021 after more than five constant years of struggle by the boys for a space, the complete lack of interest of the Trapani administration pushed us to act alone.
We have therefore worked hard to autonomously create the first public skatepark in the province. All made entirely by us guys, with our strength, redeveloping a completely abandoned square from scratch and cleaning up the waste, giving life to the “terminal skatepark”, which is located in a peripheral area far from homes and therefore ideal for a sport like skateboarding.
The abandoned esplanade came to life becoming one of the main meeting points for the skaters of the city and the province. There are many people who started going to the skate park and approached the world of skateboarding. Mainly the initiative pushes to promote skateboarding in our city for all age groups, especially for the little ones.
Everything was made possible thanks to the support of all those who believed in our project, helping us concretely by donating money to our fundraising made specifically to make this dream possible. we constantly take care of this urban area, we always keep it clean and the structures are under constant maintenance. We constantly continue to make it complete and as safe as possible.
Last question: If you could interview a person, who would it be and why? What would you ask?
Alessandro Mazzara to talk about his story to everyone.
