Malibu -- it's not all Prada and paparazzi

Head north on PCH, past the the Malibu Pier and Surfrider Beach, past the fancy shops and crowded restaurants, and you'll come to Point Dume, the rugged headland that marks the end of the Santa Monica Bay. While paparazzi brawls raged over the weekend, here at the Point it was all open space, blue sky blending into blue sea, a slight breeze stirring on this still-wild scrap of land.

-- Veronique de Turenne

Photo: Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[melissa lion]

Make me homesick, why don't you?

[JR]

That stupid "fight" if that's what you want to call it, is just another case of people taking pictures of a celeb at a PUBLIC BEACH, and these rich surfer boys thinking that there as privileged as the celeb that was at the beach, thought like every other rich person thinks, that were ever the rich are, it is considered a priavet place, and to keep all the poor peopel out.

[Veronique]

Hey Melissa -

Come home, why don't you?

Veronique

[Kiala]

OMG. It just won't be summer here. It just WON'T.

I love you, ocean.

That sounded so hippy. Meh.

[Mr. MFIC]

I remember times when the local Malibu surf nazis would kick your ass and run you off just because you wern't a "local". I still remember the "locals only" grafitti.
Yeah the Paps are a pain in the ass but it looked like they were off by themselves with their big lense cameras. Not up in Matthews face like those drunk butt head locals were.

[jill]

Those Maibu surf nazis captured on video have set back the legit cause of banning paparazzi from violating people's privacy. They are a HUGE pain in the butt and a road hazard, blocking traffic, precipitating accidents, preventing people from access and parking on their own streets, and lowering prop values.

But in this case, it looked like the surfers provoked it and got violent -- there should be a DISTANCE LAW, say 500-1000 feet, from where paps can take pictures. Then the issue of selling photos of someone for profit comes up separately, but if the distance law is respected, at least public safety is ensured.

[RP]

The surfers weren't trying to keep out the poor, they were trying to keep everyone out. They were trying to protect the secrecy of their surf spot. Just think of what a story about Matthew Mcconnahey (yes I know that's spelled wrong) surfing at a local spot would do. It would totally destroy and overpopulate their little known spot. That was the reason for the skirmish dude. It had nothing to do with class. Your comments barely make sense, and you sound really ignorant dude.

[anon]

If you don't surf then don't comment, because you don't know the dynamic and you end up sounding like a pompous jackass.

Melissa, I can assure you that they were not "rich surfer boys". Surfing has a long history of traditions and practices that you, as a outsider, would not understand.

True, these particular young men aren't the best representation of that, but were merely trying to protect their area from these obnoxious stalkers.

Just because Johnny Starsearch doesn't smack the camera out one of these jerks hands when it gets shoved a foot away from his face and gets berated with insults while walking down the sidewalk doesn't mean the rest of us want it near our sanctuaries.

These paps need to learn some boundaries, public property or not. Not everyone will be willing to deal with their lack of respect.

[melissa lion]

Dear Anon, I have no idea why you're calling me out. I made no comment about surfers or surfing. I lived on Point Dume on one of the last undeveloped pieces of property in the area. I live in Portland now. I miss Malibu. That's all I was saying, and I feel like it was pretty clear. In fact, I don't know how much clearer I or Veronique could have been on the matter. But thanks for completely misreading the thread.