What is Skeleton Valley
The Skeleton Valley Association is a local organisation of skateboarding and urban culture enthusiasts based in Monopoli. It is an informal but structured group that brings together skateboarders from the area, with the aim of promoting skateboarding, fostering youth sociality and enhancing urban sports spaces.
Role in the realisation of the Monopoli skatepark
One of the association's most significant contributions was its key role in the design and implementation of the Skeleton Valley Skatepark:
Skeleton Valley initiated dialogue with the municipal administration by proposing the idea of a skatepark in a central area of the city, specifically in the former school area of via Procaccia / lungomare Portavecchia.
The group presented a project proposal developed with an expert consultant, supporting the idea of integrating the skatepark within a broader urban regeneration intervention.
The association's skaters worked directly with the technicians and contractors involved, also participating in the construction and quality control phases of the concrete structure.
This commitment was instrumental in ensuring that the public area could accommodate a facility of a level appropriate to the needs of local skateboarders and beyond.
Activities and community involvement
Skeleton Valley is not only a skateboarding community, but also operates as a sports and cultural promotion association, with activities that go beyond the daily use of the skatepark:
It organised skateboarding-related events, including contests and practice sessions, which were often incorporated into the city's larger events.
Over the Christmas festive period, for example, it promoted skate activities linked to the city's calendar of events, such as the “Game of S.K.A.T.E.”, as part of initiatives promoted by the municipality.
It has collaborated with street art projects and urban regeneration initiatives: in 2023 the association was cited as a partner in organising an artistic intervention by the artist Moneyless on the surface of the skatepark, confirming its role as a bridge between urban sport and creative culture.
Value for visitors and residents
For a tourist, getting to know and visiting a space like the Skeleton Valley Skatepark takes on a greater meaning knowing that behind that place is an active and involved community that has been able to turn a simple idea into a gathering space:
The association has helped to create a safe and recognised meeting place for young people and skate enthusiasts.
Thanks to its activity and presence, the skatepark is not only a technical infrastructure, but also a social and cultural landmark in the urban context of Monopoli.
https://www.uaoskateparks.it/monopoli