Pole dancer enlivens Ocean City Boardwalk, riles many

The woman who set up her own pole-dancing operation on the Boardwalk last weekend says she's well within her rights to do so, and she's not going to stop anytime soon.

Chelsea Plymale is already calling herself "OC's only Pole Doll." She appeared twice on the Boardwalk in the last week, drawing extraordinary crowds including numerous men snapping photos. She's also getting a lot of attention on social media like Facebook, where the comments continue to pour in whenever people post a photo or video of her performances, one made in a bikini and another in a sports bra and shorts.

"Ocean City just needs to get with the times," said Plymale, 27, of Frederick. "I'm not doing anything trashy. I'm not out there in a thong and pasties. I'm not shaking my butt. I'm just doing pole tricks, and that's it. I'm doing something I really enjoy."

Of her critics, she said she is not reading the Facebook comments. " Those people aren't making me any money – they're just making me famous," Plymale said.

Thanks in part to two fedreal court decisions involving Ocean City, Plymale's show is legal. That doesn't mean, though, that it hasn't riled people, including a nearby store owner.

At Second Street, Joe Kroart has sold art prints from his Ocean Gallery since the 1970s. Kroart said the large crowds Plymale drew ended up blocking the flow of pedestrian traffic along the Boardwalk outside his shop. He said her appearances will have "a huge negative impact" for Ocean City.

"This is not the place for it, and it attracts attention," he said. "Where do you stop on something like this? Do we want this occurring at every street end? Would you want to take your family to a resort that had pole dancers all over the Boardwalk? We're talking about respect for human dignity and decency."

No 7 1/2 inch stilettos

Plymale's spending the summer living in Ocean City with her boyfriend; they're both Frederick natives and high school sweethearts. She said she came to Ocean City for an extended vacation, certainly not to perform in public. But she says she was inspired after seeing many other Boardwalk performers this year, from magicians to musicians to costumed characters.

"It was, what a cool thing, these people come out here, and do something they love, and make a little money on the side," she said. "I was like, I wanna get in on that, but what would I do? The only thing I do is dancing, since I do that for a living."

Yes, Chelsea Plymale is a stripper. It's been her profession since age 18. These days, she works part of the year in full-nudity gentleman's clubs in Baltimore and Washington. In the spring, she does her own thing, getting hired for bachelor parties and private events.

"I'm not doing anything raunchy or nude on the Boardwalk, obviously," Plymale said. "People are acting like I am, but I'm not."

"I don't wear my 7 ½ inch stiletto heels," she said.

First Amendment and the Boardwalk

She also did her homework before taking to the boards and knew the results of recent lawsuits involving the town of Ocean City and Boardwalk performers have landed on the side of the performers.

Two men separately sued Ocean City in federal court claiming the town violated their First Amendment rights to free speech in a public place. Spray paint artist Mark Chase won a preliminary injunction in his 2011 case. Violin player Bill Hassay and the ACLU reached a settlement with Ocean City in 2013.

The resort has seen many more copycat performers take to the Boardwalk this year.

"The street performer issue has been something that we as a town have been trying to address for some time," Ocean City spokeswoman Jessica Waters said.

"The Boardwalk is one of our best features; it's a large part of what makes Ocean City a family resort," Waters said. "We certainly take very seriously the family-friendly reputation we have. We would not want the presence of a certain street performer to make them feel like we're not the family resort that we are."

Indeed, Ocean City has kept itself free over the years of the exotic entertainment found in other popular seaside locales along the East Coast. It is not home to strip clubs and the like.

No laws violated

The town spent upwards of $200,000 in legal fees on the two federal cases, the results of which neutered the town's previous policy that performers or buskers had to register for a permit at City Hall. Now, anyone can perform, and they don't need permission.

"If you end up in federal court and you lose," said Guy Ayres, Ocean City's attorney, "it emboldens more people to do more things."

Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan said the pole dancing performance is "certainly something we didn't anticipate or condone" but said Plymale has not violated any laws and remains within her Constitutionally-protected rights of expression.

Ocean City's code does say it's illegal for any person "engaging in the permitted activity of peddling, soliciting, hawking or street performing on the Boardwalk" to use nudity, pornographic materials, or obscenity in any display or performance.

"What I would hope is, if the public doesn't condone this type of activity, the best way to discourage it is ignore it," Meehan said. "If they're not receiving those tips, they're going to go away. There are so many other things to watch and enjoy when you're on the Boardwalk. There's just so much else to do. Let's not let one or two individuals spoil that experience."

'Money, money, money'

Plymale's first Boardwalk performance was on Second Street recently. She waited until dark to set up her 9-foot tall metal pole, secured to a round 5-foot diameter plastic stage. She made sure not to set up near another performer who might attract young kids.

"I had butterflies. People were already stopping while we were putting everything together. I was excited because I was thinking" – she rubs the tips of her fingers together — "money, money, money."

Plymale wore a full-coverage bikini the first night, and then wore a sports bra and shorts the second time. Plymale turned the tables on her detractors, saying many of the young girls who walked by on the boards were dressed in their own even skimpier and revealing outfits.

"If their parents are OK with them wearing that, they should be OK with me doing what I'm doing," she said. "I'm having fun with what I'm doing. I know people are upset about it but I don't care. I'm within my rights."

What's next for the Pole Doll?

"Maybe there's a reality show in the mix for me," Plymale mused. "That would be a lot of fun. I could be, like, the next Snooki."

bshane@dmg.gannett.com

410-213-9442, ext. 17

On Twitter @bwshane