And Now the Coast Is Here

And on Thursday, an excited group was auditioning for what could be this summer's hottest feature: Malibu beach-going.

Coastal-access advocates set foot on the sand at Tinseltown titan David Geffen's sprawling beachfront estate, some for the first time, celebrating the opening of a 9-foot-wide public pathway to the ocean.

Creation of the walkway came after Geffen reluctantly made good on a 22-year-old legal promise to let the public onto part of Carbon Beach, a mile-long stretch of sand east of the Malibu Pier. The public will have access to the path as well as most of the beach in front of the Geffen estate.

Geffen had installed video security cameras that scanned the paved path off Pacific Coast Highway and every inch of beachfront in front of his house. The cameras were watching for "trespassers" stepping out of the public right of way and onto his private sand.

Several times during the Thursday visit, a security guard came out to order visitors off Geffen's property. Once, a guard demanded that a beach umbrella leaning several inches over the imaginary boundary line be moved.

As one of Geffen's cameras zeroed in on them from about 15 feet away, visitors stood on the walkway and hoisted champagne classes toward its lens. As if on cue, dolphins frolicking a few yards offshore leaped into view as the group raised its toast.

"The ability to enjoy these dolphins and get in the sand is the right of everybody," said Sara Wan, a member of the state Coastal Commission. "The public owns this beach. The public has a right to get to this beach."

Sam Schuchat, executive officer of the state Coastal Conservancy, said the Carbon Beach walkway is the first new beach access point opened in Malibu in two decades. Three additional Malibu beach entryways are planned, Paul Thayer, head of the state Lands Commission, told the group.

Aside from invited guests taking part in the ceremony beneath chilly, overcast skies, Carbon Beach was deserted on Thursday -- except for Malibu resident Jayna Mims and her 8-month-old son, Ryder.

Mims lives across PCH from Geffen. She hurried over when she saw that the walkway's two gates were open.

"I've lived here 12 years and have never been able to cross the street and go to the beach," she said as her son played in the sand.

"We could see it and smell it, but we couldn't touch it."