On Monday, Los Angeles City officials airlifted jackhammers, an air compressor and other equipment to demolish the illegally-created stone and wood “fort” of Southern California’s “Surf Bullies,” who for years allegedly used intimidation and violence to keep non-local surfers away from the prime waves on the shoreline of Rocky Point.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the demolition, removal of debris and final cleanup of the Bay Boys’ hideout in Lunada Bay is expected to be completed Friday. The group had begun building it over 30 years ago. The fort was deemed a public safety hazard by authorities.
Lunada Beach, located beneath the Palos Verdes Estates, is a public beach.
This past July, the Palos Verdes City Council unanimously approved removal of the structure, which reportedly consisted of a patio with a stone table, fire pit, rock bench and wood canopy. The Times notes that the city council awarded a $61,511 contract to AMPCO Contracting Inc. to dismantle the surf bullies haven, which had also been the site of alleged repeated drug and alcohol use.
A video from the late 1990s, which was posted to YouTube, captured some of the gang-like behavior exhibited by the middle-aged Bay Boys, who made it clear to outsiders that they don’t belong:
Users reacted to the news over social media:
Stupid politically correct bullshit…. https://t.co/ZgTH8DO8vo
— B K (@ginmichaelvodka) November 29, 2016
https://twitter.com/ACGuittard/status/803526838727405568
I'm sure this is making some people very unhappy #BayBoys https://t.co/1V5AHqNjue
— Stephen Larkin (@stephenlarkin) November 28, 2016
“That the city is moving forward with plans to take down the fort is indeed a good first step,” Noaki Schwartz, a spokeswoman for the California Coastal Commission, told the Times. “We will continue to work to make sure measures are put in place to ensure the public is not discouraged from enjoying Lunada Bay.”
Follow Adelle Nazarian on Twitter and Periscope @AdelleNaz
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