The weird and wonderful things you see on Venice Boardwalk

Rachel Windler

I was skating down the boardwalk when Rachel’s bright orange hat and matching sports bra caught my eye. I came to a screeching halt and asked about her vibrant style. Rachel is in her second week working at Muscle Beach Yoga, located directly across the outdoor workout area on Venice Beach. “Our boss makes us wear orange,” she told me, which matches the building.

If you have an Instagram, you can follow Rachel’s sporty style at @rachwindler.

Uba Uba!

Venice Beach is home to all different types of street performers. This man chose to entertain a crowd by showing them he could walk on a huge pile of broken, jagged glass bottles without cutting his feet. Generally I would have walked right passed his show, but having experience with getting glass stuck in my feet (long story), I decided to check it out.

Take a look at the video from my Instagram account (@thenewyorker524).

Once he stepped off the glass there wasn’t any blood, his feet were perfectly fine. I checked afterwards to make sure the bottles were actually glass and indeed they were. Venice never ceases to amaze me.

‘If it makes dollars, it makes sense’

Meet Yorel, an LA native that bikes around the boardwalk playing gospel music with his two pet snakes. He explained the biblical relevance to the snakes, mentioning that when Jesus held up a snake, all those who looked at were saved. He likes to spread the good word and positive as he bikes up and down the boardwalk on his tricked out tricycle.

“I’ve been hustling all my life,” Yorel told me. He told me people will give him money so they can have one of his snakes around their arms and neck.

“If it gets their attention it gets some money in your pocket.” Wise words from the one-man two-snake Venetian street attraction. If you happen to see Yorel on the street, check out his snakes; tell him Jack sent you.

Venice skateboarding stuff

Venice Skateboarding  Stuff is a family-owned business run by the Medinas on the Boardwalk. With competitive prices and prime real estate in the thick of the Venice atmosphere, the store is a hot commodity for the skating community. “During the summer it’s really hectic,”  Ruby Medina tells me. She is the only daughter of Mr. Medina, the owner of the shop. The family also has another location, run by Ms. Medina, located a few blocks north of Mr. Medina’s store. Venice Skateboarding Stuff offers all different types of boards, from less expensive starter boards to more high end gear for the more skilled skater.

“We give you the knowledge, even if you’re not buying,” says Ruby.

Ruby grew up in Venice, always skating with her brothers at the park. “I don’t like any other beach to be honest.”

She continued by telling me the summer is when the store experiences its high traffic days. Skaters come into the store from all over the world in search of particular equipment. Ruby laughed telling me how eating lunch could take up to two hours because of all the customers looking for skate gear. The company has a big pool of customers that are avid YouTube vloggers with millions of followers. As a result, the store’s business has expanded overseas, with significant popularity in Brazil and Germany.

Ruby explained that people will come into the shop exclaiming how they saw the store online. “I saw your shop online” is a common first sentence from many of the customers. YouTubers will even come and tape footage in the store and of the gear they purchased.

Mr. Medina told me about a family that came all the way from London to shop at their store. Ruby informed me that they get a lot of Australian customers due to the much higher prices for skateboard gear in the land down under. Brazilians will  come to the store year-round. After years of working in the store Ruby has learned that certain nationalities tend to look for particular gear. The Medinas keep in contact with their international customers, fostering relationships with shoppers and increasing their exposure.

Ruby told me it “would be cool to run a skateboard company”. With all the experience interacting with internationals, she’d like to sell her merchandise worldwide.

LA Native trick skaters

Alex is an LA resident who grew up in Venice. He’s moved a few times, but has been there for the past three years. Alex started skating 15 years ago, put it down for a bit, then picked it back up.

When he’s not busting tricks in front of the Venice Skate Park, he’ll longboard around the LA area.