Red Bull’s documentary series “Greetings From” added another installment this week: “Greetings from Richmond.” The series highlights local skateboarders shredding throughout the town and down the streets of the city. The director, Jonathan Mehring, grew up in the city of Richmond, has been a skater for most of his life, and is now an acclaimed skate photographer.
Mehring pitched the idea with Red Bull due to a good work relationship established years prior when he began photographing for them. He recognized the potential of the area and saw a personal aspect to the project “because not only did I have history here, but I’d also been gone for 20 years. So, in a way, I was rediscovering the city, too. I had stuff to learn, but I also knew a lot of information.”
The documentary highlights many skate spots around the city, including Mehring’s personal favorite, skater made location. The “River Bowl” sits between the James River and the local train tracks and is a home-made shallow concrete pool. Years ago, local skaters saw a slab of concrete over a pipeline by the river and got an exceptional idea. A group of friends got together, carried bags of concrete to the riverbank and got to work. The dedication of the skaters in Richmond truly defines them.
They believe that the poor skating conditions in the city are what inspires the emphasis on their DIY skate parks, like River Bowl and Texas Beach. Texas Beach has essentially been given to the local skaters by the city, saying that they are allowed to build what they want.
Locals say that the skate scene in the city has only continued to explode; the new generations have enthusiasm and dedication to the sport. Local skating legend, Gilbert Crockett, commented about the city of Richmond saying the “young kids are super into it. . . I feel like skating is in good hands here.”
“Greetings from Richmond” premiered exclusively in Richmond last week at the Grace Street Theater, where the showing was sold-out. This past Monday, it became available to everyone on Red Bull TV and the Red Bull website.