Peak Pulls Papers for Potential Council Run

The  race could have a new candidate.  Commissioner Skylar Peak picked up nomination papers from  Thursday morning. He has until Jan. 18 to return the papers along with signatures from at least 20 registered Malibu voters to make his candidacy official. Peak told Malibu Patch he will run.

The 27-year-old Malibu native had his K-12 education in this city and graduated from  after transferring from UC Irvine. Peak is the son of longtime local activist Dusty Peak, who died in 2009. If elected, he would be the youngest person ever to serve on the council.

"The council could use a more youthful voice and perspective on things, somebody who is a bit more forward thinking," Peak said in a Thursday interview with Malibu Patch.

Peak owns , a local electrical contractor and service company started by his father in 1978. He is the co-founder of Sicky Dicky Productions, which promotes concerts and events, and also works as a surf instructor and county lifeguard.

"I have been urged by many people in the community to run for council, even in the last election, but now is a better time for me," Peak said. "I spent the past two weeks with my family talking about it, and this is the right decision for Malibu and me."

Peak gained international attention in 2008 when he and fellow Malibu resident Phillip Hildebrand were involved in a physical altercation with paparazzi attempting to photograph Malibu actor Matthew McConaughey at a local beach. The two were charged with misdemeanor battery. A trial in 2010 resulted in a hung jury, and the charges were eventually dismissed. 

While prosecutors saw Peak and Hildebrand as criminals, many people thought of them as heroes who were protecting Malibu's beaches from the influx of intrusive, and sometimes dangerous, paparazzi.

There are five other potential candidates seeking the three seats being contested in this election. They are incumbents Jefferson "Zuma Jay" Wagner and John Sibert as well as Andy Lyon, Joan House and "Malibu" Hamish "The Illusion" Patterson.

As of Thursday morning, only Lyon had returned the nomination papers to City Hall. He became on Thursday. All the other potential candidates told Malibu Patch they intend to run.

Election Day is April 10.