“One of the most important aspects of skateboarding for me, is that it’s something you don’t do alone; it’s a group activity, you need people around you to motivate you, to take care of you if you get hurt, to share tips with,” explains Itamar Kessler, pro skater and one of the founders of Israel’s online skateboarding magazine, Dolores. “Skateboarding is really like a dance or a jazz concert, everyone has to move around one another harmoniously,” he says. Contradictory to the stereotypical skateboarder often perpetuated through media and popular culture as a burnout slacker who takes big risks on the board but isn’t highly motivated in life, the truth is, once you scratch the surface of the skateboarding community, you uncover a very different, authentic perspective.
Dolores, the brainchild of Kessler and Lior Pinto, is a local skateboarding website and community that hosts skateboarding events throughout Israel, coordinates sponsorships, and promotes skate culture. Its namesake comes from Mission Dolores Park in San Francisco and it is also a play on words, as it translates to “pain” in Spanish.
© Tamir Moosh
Pinto and Kessler, childhood friends, travelled through California during a skate trip, where they came up with the concept of Dolores. In their early 20’s they developed and organized all of the Dolores activity. Over the years, they have gained a strong following and have continued to see the community grow. Many pro skaters have become interested in the burgeoning regional skate scene as it has gained popularity in the last few years, including Cody Lockwood, an up-and-coming pro skater who came to Israel to help build the Haifa Skatepark. “He came back again ’cause he loved it here so much,” says Kessler, adding: “he really became a homie and a part of the scene.” Another VANS pro skater, Tony Trujillo, came to Israel twice and played rock jam shows with locals and skated all around Israel.
In a country that has a well-planned skate park in almost every one of its cities, year-round sunny weather, an innately laid back culture, and strong sense of community, Israel is an ideal setting for skateboarding culture. What sets the country apart from other skate scenes, is its ability to bring all genres and levels of skaters together in a truly all inclusive environment. It’s this sense and the benefits of skateboarding that drives Dolores to continue to grow and develop. “Skating is a big life metaphor,” explains Pinto. “It teaches you to get up and keep trying after you fall, it makes you understand your limits, and it makes you see the importance of having a group of people who take care of one another.”
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