Banned in 4-Block-Long Shopping Area : Palisades Puts Skateboarders in Their Place

The sloping, downhill curves and uneven sidewalks in the central business district of Pacific Palisades formed a natural track for skateboarders, allowing them to gain speed, get airborne and occasionally make a pit stop at a local deli.

But on Tuesday, the only sidewalk surfer in sight sat glumly on his wheels, the victim of a crackdown by Los Angeles police.

In an effort to put the brakes on skateboarders in the area, police last week began warning aficionados of the sport that they face a minimum $65 fine if they are caught zipping along in the four-block-long commercial area around Swarthmore Avenue and Sunset Boulevard. Skateboarding is still allowed in residential areas.

“A law is a law, so what can you do?” said Andy Johnsen, an 18-year-old practitioner of concrete surfing who was warned by police Friday. “I could make it hard on myself and challenge them, but it won’t change anything. And I’ll lose 65 bucks.”

Los Angeles Police Sgt. Larry McKinley said the skateboarding ban was initiated after police received a letter from the Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce relaying numerous complaints from local merchants. He said it is the first known official crackdown on skateboarders by police in the city’s history.

“It’s a growing problem and there’s a real potential for danger,” the sergeant said. “These kids come speeding by where there’s a lot of elderly folks and traffic. We’re not trying to be Big Brother. We’re trying to make sure no one gets hurt.”

Store Window Smashed

Recently, a local skateboarder smashed the window of a video store and merchants throughout the area say they have experienced problems with the youthful acrobats.

So far, no skateboarders have been cited. Because there is no specific ordinance on skateboarding in Los Angeles, police will be using a section of the Municipal Code that allows them to cite pedestrians who obstruct sidewalks, or “unreasonably interfere” with others.

The cities of Hermosa Beach, Yorba Linda, Santa Barbara and others have approved ordinances regulating the use of skateboards and roller skates. McKinley said he has requested that a similar ordinance be drafted on skateboarding if the current crackdown does not work.

So far, merchants along the commercial strip say it is working. Where sidewalk surfers once had their way, only shoppers remain.

“It’s not that they mean to harm someone, because they don’t,” said Joan Trulio, owner of a Sunset Boulevard florist shop. “I’ve raised a family of skateboarders and they just like to have fun. But they were just sailing out there without thinking about the danger. I’ve seen some older people nearly get killed.”

But down at Olliepop Surf Shop, the town’s main skateboarding outlet, which is located in the restricted area, the action is about as popular as closing beaches during a heat wave.

“Nobody wants to be hit up for a $65 fine, so the kids don’t like it too much,” said Tim Howe, the store manager. “This is a surf-influenced town, so if they can’t skate where they want, they’ll probably just move on somewhere else. But I imagine the enforcement will lighten up in awhile.”

Police say they will monitor the streets during peak sidewalk-surfing hours, before and after school. They say only repeat offenders will be cited.

“We’re not trying to stop skateboarding, because we think it’s a good thing for kids to do,” McKinley said. “We just want them to stay out of certain areas and so far everyone has been cooperative. We still want them to have fun.”