This Photographer Set Out To Prove Skateboarding’s Global Reach — The Results Are Awesome

LOIC BENOIT / Skate the World

Skateboarding has gone global. Marble ledges, untouched plazas and lenient security in China and Russia beckon pros. Skatistan in Afghanistan encourages kids, girls specifically, to utilize a skateboard as a tool for empowerment. The construction of skateparks and donated boards in South America and Africa are spreading the sport like wildfire.

Photographer Jonathan Mehring knows all of this better than anyone. His new book, Skate the World, a collab with National Geographic and Levi’s, showcases the sport’s worldwide reach. He focuses on skate spots both legendary and secret and shows that skating has no boundaries (besides a little gravity).

We recently got on the phone with Jonathan to discuss his new book, how it came about, and what it’s like to search your own name at a Barnes & Noble help desk.

Jonathan Mehring-Skate the World