Project description:

Association Skatepark Coperto Vanja was founded in 2008 in memory of Vanja Kojic, a young man from Ascona who died in a car accident in 2004 at just 18 years old. Building a skatepark had been his dream, and in summer 2026 his mother and brother brought that dream to life, opening the covered skatepark Vanja in his memory.

Today it is Ticino’s only covered skatepark, and it functions as much as a community hub as a sports facility — a safe, welcoming place where children, teenagers and young adults can meet, skate and simply be together. Riders of every age and skill level come through, and the space also hosts skateboarding and graffiti competitions, skateboarding lessons, birthday parties, dances and concerts. A planned redevelopment of the surrounding area should expand what the facility can offer, drawing in even more young people, children and families, and strengthening the sense of community that has developed around it.

The FAIR Foundation has supported the Vanja Covered Skatepark Association since 2024, helping bring this dream to life and realize this sports space for young people in the Canton of Ticino.