Spyder Surfboards' Kelly Slater Mural Questioned

In honor of surf legend Kelly Slater's 10th world title capture this month, a feat that puts him in a realm as the greatest athlete in the modern sports era, has started to place a massive mural on its recently remodeled PCH storefront.

But the Hermosa Beach Community Development Department is saying hold that wave.

The department shut down the mural, about three quarters of the way to completion, because the Quiksilver logo on the artwork violates municipal code stipulating the size of advertisements that businesses are permitted to exhibit. The display is too big, the department said.

The mural was slated to read, "Spyder Surfboards thanks and congratulates Kelly Slater for his support."

But whether those words will be seen by PCH anytime soon remains in limbo.

"Quiksilver did this co-op with us," said Alonso Vargas, who has been a manager at Spyder for more than 10 years. "There's a tiny Quiksilver logo on the sign and we thought there may be a gray area there, but certainly not enough for the city to come in and shut us down."

But the city's code for the C-3 commercial zone, where the surf store sits, reads that the amount of signage allowed is determined by multiplying the size of a business' building frontage by three.

For example, if a building is 100 feet long, the business is permitted 300 square feet of permanent commercial signage.

Code Enforcement Officer Bob Rollins told Patch that, as of now, there is a gray area as to whether the sign is considered art or advertisement.

"What it comes down to now is how you define the sign," he said. 

Depending on how the sign is defined will determine what kind of permit needs to be issued.

For example, as a mural, the sign would be considered art and would need the Planning Commission's approval, but could not have Quiksilver's logo on it.

Rollins told Patch that Spyder may have some wiggle room if the store is able to allocate its advertising elsewhere, such as move it to a different section of the store or downsize the sign, and then the shop may be permitted to leave the Quiksilver logo on the project.

Vargas counters that when Spyder renovated its building during the summer the store took into consideration the size of its own logo, keeping it on the smaller side so the company would have free space available to support large displays of art. 

Speculation also abounds as to who called to alert city officials about Spyder Surfboards sign. Store staffers told Patch they believe the Kelly Slater project is being singled out.

For example, they say, multiple businesses along PCH violate the sign rule, including the large advertisements on the  and , and the big banners in front of .

Rollins said that those businesses are under review now, and he plans to pay a visit in the near future to better ensure their cooperation with the signage rule. 

Code enforcement officers have the authority to issue citations to any business violating the sign rule, with first offenses starting at a $100 per day fine and going up to $500 a day as a measure of last resort, Rollins said. 

"Our whole goal is to get compliance," he said. "It gives everyone a more level playing field. If anybody could put out as many signs as they want then McDonald's or Taco Bell could flood the market and your local mom and pop stores couldn't compete with that."

But, as a local establishment, Spyder Surfboards' tribute to Slater goes beyond its commercial value, Vargas said.  

"The city doesn't understand how much this means not only for our shop, but for the sport of surfing," he said. "We're a small family-owned and monthly-operated surf shop that's been here since 1983. We love our city, we love our community and we're here to show our support to the lifestyle that gives so much to us and we want to give back."

As of now, Spyder Surfboards plans to leave the tribute above its store, but the final status of the sign will be determined by the city's Community Development Department or the Planning Commission in the coming weeks.