Mehring’s Bearings Presents: Habitat TX.

Near the end of 2007 I went down to Houston to shoot with Guru Khalsa. Steve Durante came along with filmer Andrew Petillo. The first day we went skating at some spot by an abandoned building. Guru had gone to park the car and Steve, Andrew, and I started shooting an ollie over the fence. Within minutes cops came up and surrounded us. They were real dicks at first but soon figured out we weren’t from there and were about to let us go. Then the property owner showed up and demanded we be arrested. The cops weren’t listening to him so he called the DA’s office and the DA radioed the cops and told them to arrest us. The next 37 hours of our lives sucked beyond belief. We were shipped around from jail to jail to holding cell to holding cell. Freezing cold, orange jump suits, grey eggs, frozen solid baloney sandwiches, puke, piss, stench, drunk bastards, and one phone call. We called Fred Gall. It was the only number Andrew had memorized that could somehow get us in touch with Guru to bail us out. It was 9:00am and Guru was asleep. Around noon we got word that he was working on getting us out. Finally by around 2:00 am we were released from hell, court dates set for a month later. When we came back we brought Freddy and Lou Metal with us. The following are the photos from these two trips.

-Jonathan Mehring

Guru - Kickflip into bank.

Guru's place.

Steve Durante - The Jail Ollie.

Two days later at our bail bonds office.

Freddy in NJ. Our lifeline to freedom.

Our return for court in Houston. We ironed our shirts with frying pans in Guru's kitchen.

Ready for court.

Finally back to skating and fun.

Fred Gall - bluntslide.

Guru - backside flip.

Guru

Andrew happy to be free.

Steve Durante

Lou Metal

Lou and Steve

Steve Durante - blindside kickflip.

Fred Gall - Ollie.

Fred - gap to front board.

On the way to the pool.

Fred Gall classic - The A-Rab Money.

Lou Metal - Sweeper.

Guru Khalsa - switch flip.

Fred - 5-0-switchcrook.

Guru - bigspin.

Fred - bluntslide shove-it.