Great Wall of Ryan

BEIJING -- Note to self: Don't ever move away from a media scrum surrounding Ryan Lochte.

You see Lochte, and listen to him, and if you are fortysomething, well, it's all about "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."

Lochte has the laid-back surfer vibe of Jeff Spicoli, Sean Penn's character in the classic 1982 teen movie. (I've been waiting, swim meet after swim meet, for Lochte to say, "Learning about Cuba and having some food.")

But duty called on Wednesday, and it was necessary to go listen to Aaron Peirsol, who likes the waves himself. Then word started to circulate that Lochte had said something about skateboarding the Great Wall of China, which cried out for additional investigation.

Luckily, a member of the Tribune family, Kevin Van Valkenburg of the Baltimore Sun -- also known as the chronicler of all things Michael Phelps -- was there in the scrum to hear what exactly Lochte said.

And he was kind enough to pass it along. Made me glad to have once provided him with a Katie Hoff quote back in Omaha during the June U.S. Olympic swim trials.

Question: "Do you think it would be fun to skateboard on the Great Wall?"

Lochte's answer: "That would be amazing. If they let me, I'll do it."

-- Lisa Dillman

Photo: Swimmer Ryan Lochte during a news conference at the Main Press Center on Wednesday. Credit: Bob Donnan / USPRESSWIRE