It's a Tuesday night in mid-May and dozens of people are arriving at a parking lot just south of the Santa Monica Pier. Most are on skateboards of all shapes and sizes. Some ride skates, scooters and bicycles. A guy arrives on a mountain bike armed with a toy gun that blows bubbles, wrapping the woman on skates who he pulls behind him with a rope.
It looks like a party is about to start. The sun is still high in the sky and the ocean breeze is blowing. Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” plays from a knee-high amplifier as women, men and non-binary people congregate and glide across the pavement on the wheels of their choice. Most are between 20 and 30 years old.
A few minutes before seven p.m., a thin 29-year-old man with shoulder-length dirty blonde hair, a turquoise backwards cap, and a pink tie-dye shirt cuts the music and speaks into a microphone.
Brandon DesJarlais rides down the grassy hill during a meet-and-greet with Vibe Ride LA at Ocean View Park.
“Who is living their best life? That’s what we’re here to do,” Brandon DesJarlais tells the crowd of 50 people here for Vibe Ride, an event he created to skate, dance and connect with other people. Tonight they'll travel together about 1.7 miles to the Venice Skate Park, stopping along the way for moments of revelry before turning around and heading back as the sun sinks beneath the Pacific.
DesJarlais is a professional longboarder who created a non-profit organization called Beyond the board in 2021 to empower people and build community through skateboarding. Their desire to share the joy of the sport slopes with the reputation of the broader longboard community is relaxed and inclusive, in part because the longboard shape makes learning the sport easier and less trick-based.
“Longboarding is everything that traditional street skating or vert skating is not,” said Don Tashman, founder of Los Angeles-based longboard maker Loaded Boards. “It's inclusive. It is diverse. It does not have a defined dress, culture or music. “It’s a wild card… it’s a tool to spread enthusiasm.”
Shontel Anestasia holds her skateboard.
Kayla Drake stands in a meet-and-greet circle while wearing her skates.
Tonight DesJarlais serves as the event's DJ, emcee and flute player. He goes over the evening's itinerary before suggesting that the crowd form small groups to break the ice. Meanwhile, he stands in front of his pastel-painted bus, called the Shred Sled, reminiscent of the vehicle that Ken Kesey's followers, known as the Merry Pranksters, used to travel around the United States in the 1960s. (He even lived in vehicle, both to save money and while completing three national Beyond the Board tours in which he visited more than 25 states and hosted 250 events).
After the introductions, he passes the microphone to one of his co-organizers, Daniel Chiu. The health coach and event producer offers a brief guided meditation with just a little courtship and a few deep breaths before the group heads south.
Finally, DesJarlais takes the group to the bike path along the sand, his amp resting on the front of his board, playing tunes like “Low Rider” by War, “Shake Your Groove Thing” by Peaches & Herb, and “Eye of the” from Survivor. Tiger.”
As they move forward, the group disperses. Most use longboards. There are a lot of people who are new to skateboarding tonight, some of whom ride longboards provided by one of Beyond the Board's sponsors, Landyachtz. Vibe Ride is a no-one-left-behind event with a sweep that follows the flock to ensure no one is turned off.
Kayla Drake rides her rollerskates with the group. Skateboards are lined up along a “Beyond the Board” bus. A group of mostly skateboarders ride along the boardwalk.
Many Vibe Riders simply head from point A to point B. Others make soulful turns, or “carves,” that recall an expert surfer riding a wave. A few groove up and down their boards as they roll, otherwise known as “dancing” (a popular style of longboarding).
The vibe tonight is especially social. Skaters chat as they glide. At one point, the group stops for a “hill bomb” — racing from the top of a small grass hill to the bottom. At the next, in front of the Adda and Paul Safran Senior Housing in Venice, the dance party kicks into overdrive. The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” blares from the amp, as a woman on the building’s third floor appears in a window to see what the commotion is about. Observing the party, she smiles and waves with both hands.
Even as the group embraces a carefree playfulness, DesJarlais is sure to lead by example. When he passes by a five-piece jazz band playing on the bike path, he cuts the music so as not to interrupt them. Participants look out for one another, calling out upcoming bicycles and sandy sections. When a Vibe Rider spots dog poop on the path, they fade back and block it, ensuring participants won’t ride over it.
The idea for the Vibe Ride came about during the early stages of the pandemic, when DesJarlais and Chiu met while skateboarding in Santa Monica. At this moment of intense isolation, the two came up with a shared goal: “To get people outdoors to connect with other people,” said Chiu.
The first official Vibe Ride was in January 2022. Only about 10 people showed up. But as the group connected with other skate-centric communities, including the inline and roller skate group the Skate Hunnies, its size and network began to grow.
In addition to the weekly Tuesday rides, the group also gathers for one-offs. DesJarlais estimates they’ve hosted more than 200 events. His dedication stretches beyond organizing and attending the rides. He’s even “flowed,” or given, folks longboards — on the condition that they ride them regularly.
One of those recipients is Vu Le, whom DesJarlais met 2 ½ years ago.
“The vibe is whatever you want it to be,” says Le, as his knee-length, burgundy silk robe flows behind him like a cape while skating down the bike path.
Josefina Chebaia first attended the Vibe Ride in April after a friend introduced her to the event. The Argentina-born artist was just learning to skateboard and loved how supportive the group was.
“There’s so much joy, so much happiness and so much healing,” she said. “Everyone feels that sense of belonging.”
After a 3.4-mile group ride along the boardwalk, a group of folks with Vibe Ride LA meet back up at Lot 4 South to close out the night.
At the end of the ride, some people head home while others head toward the post-ride taco truck meetup. Chiu hangs back with his 7-month-old Husky, Serene, who trotted alongside him during the ride..
“If you want to find an open, welcoming community to skate with or learn to skate with and to do it by the beach, this is the place,” he says, before he and Serene drift off into the distance.
