The surf shop that was the epicenter of the noted surfing and skateboarding community known as Dogtown has quietly closed as a result of the economy, the Santa Monica Daily Press reported Thursday.

Horizons West surf shop shut down last month, with owner and famed surfer Randy Wright silent on the matter for now. In 2007, following plans to redevelop the site that once housed the legendary Zephyr surf shop, the Santa Monica municipal leaders designated the location as a city landmark.

Zephyr, opened in 1977 by Jeff Ho and Skip Skip Engblom, was home to the Z-Boys skateboarding team, made famous in the film Lords of Dogtown and in the documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys.

There are rumors that the owner of the building might want to turn it into a museum. “The owner cares about the community and wants to continue the legacy of the building,” Assaf Raz of Dogtown Realty, which represents owner Juli Doar, told the paper.

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