A dozen paparazzi were huddled on the sand — angling for a shot of
famously bare-chested celeb Matthew McConaughey — when suddenly they
were confronted by a pack of local surfers.
"Let’s go!" shouted one surfer. "We’ll draw a line in the beach, and
we’ll fight for the beach. If you guys win, you can have the beach."
A fight broke out, and L.A. prosecutors charged two of the surfers with misdemeanor battery.
Two years later, the trial against Skylar Peak and Philip Hildebrand is
getting underway. But the popular sentiment in Malibu is that the
surfers should be hailed as heroes, not hauled into court. The
defendants get pats on the back and words of encouragement as they make
their way around town, according to their lawyers.
Even the prosecutor on the case seemed a bit torn. "I’m ecstatic . . .
really," Deputy Dist. Atty. Bill Penzin deadpanned. Like many in
Malibu, Penzin believes the paparazzi are too aggressive in their
pursuit of celebrities. "Think Princess Di in Paris in the tunnel," he
said.
–Robert Faturechi in Malibu
PHOTOS: Surfers versus photographers.
Photo: L.A. County Sheriff’s Deputy Tim Braden asks paparazzi to leave Little
Dume beach in Malibu after an altercation between one of them and other
beach-goers ruffled feathers.
(Los Angeles Times / June 28, 2008)