RI skaters deliver a raw look into the local scene with Portfolio
On the evening of December 21st at the Casino Theatre in Newport, skateboard enthusiasts, gathered for the premier of Portfolio; filmed by Greg Mallozzi and edited by Reilly Graham, featuring a number of individual local skaters– some who identify with the 401 Krew and others who consider themselves as affiliates. The night of the premier, an elite few from Rhode Island’s local skateboarding community were projected on the theater’s screen, landing tight tricks and doing so with style that provoked shouts of excitement from the already buzzed and rowdy crowd. Footage was set all over the state in places like downtown Providence and the University of Rhode Island’s campus streets.
Portfolio was filmed as raw as its participants skated. The project started small, beginning early last year, and eventually grew as more people became involved. Editor Reilly Graham, describes the video as, “42 minutes of straight skateboarding with little to no artsy filler footage”. Greg and Reilly’s goal was to create a “classic” skate video and Portfolio delivers. Apart from the introduction, no skits appear in the video, not even scenes of people bagging it on the hard pavement. The video focuses solely on exposing the innovative skating styles of the locals and the use of the urban parts of Rhode Island’s terrain.
The sold out Newport premiere of the video was largely thanks to Kevin Demello and Water Brothers Surf and Skate, located on Memorial Boulevard in Newport. Water Brothers helped, not only to rent out the Casino Theatre and sell raffle tickets, but also held the before and after parties for the energetic group which I can only refer to as hooligans. After the film ended the crowd was directed to Jimmy’s Saloon, a neighboring bar to the theater. There the drinking commenced while Water Brothers gear was raffled off. A local metal band, Balam, performed while the video played on a screen behind the band members for a second time that night.
If anyone had doubt before, the release of Portfolio made a statement, that the style of skating in Rhode Island was impossible to overlook. In the smallest state there is a large amount of talent, backed by what become apparent that night, a very supportive community. Along with Water Brothers Surf and Skate another Rhode Island skate shop, Civil, located at 86 Main St. East Greenwich, helped make the premier of Portfolio possible. For those who missed both the Newport and Providence premiers, copies of the video can be purchased at Civil in East Greenwich. The video can also be streamed through Vimeo at vimeo.com/perimetercollective/portfolio. For more on skateboarding in Rhode Island you can visit reillygraham.com/video.html and view the first of Reilly Graham’s skate segments called Trapper Keeper, that include skaters who were featured in Portfolio.
