Category: Naturist travel

Recent articles on nudity and naturism, 2/29/20

  1. The Joys of Living Naked
    Dan, of The Meandering Naturist, found the recent New York Times article – which I discussed here – to be problematical in several ways, even though it presented a generally postive picture of naturism. Like Dan, I though the article was somewhat shallow and superficial. While having positive articles about naturism in prestigious mainstream media is a good thing, it’s obvious that non-naturist reporters generally don’t quite really grok what naturism is about. Naturism isn’t only about senior citizens who go about their daily lives naked in resorts that cater to them. That doesn’t quite get to why it is that people want to do such a strange thing.

    Dan wonders “whether a media splash like this actually helps or hurts the naturist cause.” He wishes (as I do) that the article had broadened the topic to explain the Joys of Living Naked. He notes that it wasn’t necessary to go to Florida to learn about the naturist lifestyle, because there are naturists right in New York City “who embrace the clothing-optional lifestyle, but not just on vacation or in retirement, but on a typical Sunday morning when the apartment is warm enough to be naked at home, even in December, and clothing is simply an option that isn’t necessary.” It’s just not necessary to go to a Florida resort to enjoy living naked, because nudity is enjoyable even in one’s own home.

    We can all, like Dan, welcome “the seemingly growing trend amidst the general public as related to the tolerance of social nudity” – as evidenced by the Times article. It’s encouraging that there’s even “a photo of a fully nude woman – from the backside – working in the kitchen” – which suggests “we’ve all finally agreed that the nation’s children will not be harmed by the incidental sighting of unadorned buttocks.” Well, maybe readers of the Times, at least, are enlightened enough to get that.

    Dan argues that naturists themselves, and the resorts they frequent, aren’t helping naturism by being “at least inadvertently, self-deprecating if not outright ridiculing themselves,” because they “simply can’t seem to resist nomenclature, sign-posts, and newsletter headlines that actually perpetuate the idea that ‘You naked people are all a little crazy’.” Sure, being lighthearted about one’s enthusiasms, instead of overly earnest about them, is OK – but going too far with that can backfire and give the wrong impression. Naturism isn’t a weird eccentricity or crotchet, but it’s not a solemn religion either. There are aficionados of many things – sports, physical fitness, computer games, etc. – who may veer too far in either direction, and naturists can do the same. But avoiding either extreme is probably the best way to go. Living naked is an enjoyable lifestyle – no more, perhaps, but no less.

    So much for the philosophy of naturism. Dan concludes with several very good points about how best to start living naked. Here’s the list (but go read the article for the details):

    • Talk to your neighbors
    • Be an advocate
    • Understand your windows
    • Landscaping and sight-lines
    • The wood burning stove
    • Pareo or sauna towel
    • Display nude artwork
    • Naked gourmet dining
    • And what about the WNBR?

     
    I’ll be posting another article soon with some similar suggestions for enjoying a naked lifestyle – and at the same time normalizing nudity.

  2. Constructive Ways to Celebrate and Promote Nudism
     

    Here’s another voice supporting the idea of normalizing nudity: “Lately, we have been happy to see the hashtags #normalizenudism and #normalizenaturism going around social media.” Probably almost everyone who’s read this far will agree with the idea. But it will take more than that to make it actually happen. So this article adds six more suggestions about how to do that.

    • Lobby your local government for nude beaches & other naked places
      While the goal is certainly important, this may put the cart before the horse. To be successful in the effort, there needs to be plenty of support in your community for designating nude beaches and naked places. And that probably means first convincing many in the community that nudity should be considered normal. How? Other suggestions here would be good places to start.

    • Come out to your family and friends
      Absolutely. These are the first people who need to be persuaded that nudity is good. Watch here for much more about that.

    • Take a stand against anti-nudity policies
      This is another cart before the horse. Official policies won’t change unless there’s community support for that. However, individual naturists should be supported publicly if they’re unfairly treated because of, for example, unreasonable complaints from neighbors.

    • Support nudist networks and businesses
      If you’re fortunate enough to have naturist-friendly businesses in your area, you should certainly support them. If “networks” refers to regional or national organizations, they should be supported too – if they can, in return, support local naturists. Being active in online naturist groups will help individual naturists support each other and naturism in general.

    • Stop shaming others
      Be careful how you deal with naturists who may have personal values different from yours. Shaming should be reserved only for people who link non-naturist values to naturism or behave unlawfully in ways inconsistent with naturism.

    • Share your first-time stories
      Assuming you are “out” as a naturist, why stop with only the first-time stories? Don’t hesitate to let others know of all the enjoyable naturist things you do. Yes, most people feel a little awkward the first time they’re naked “in public”, so it’s good to let anyone who might be interested in naturism know that’s a very temporary problem. But also tell about how much can be enjoyed after becoming comfortable with nudity.

     

  3. British Naturism books out Hollywood Bowl in Ashford for naked session
     

    The news is that “The British Naturism (BN) has organised a social event in Ashford for its naked members.” British naturists are very fortunate to have a national organization that actually arranges for many local naturist events around the country. Naturists in the U. S. and other countries should be so lucky.

    Wait, what? Bowling??? Isn’t that something that went out of fashion, oh, 20 or 30 years ago? Well, yes, perhaps to some extent. But people – including naturists – still do it. Just stop to think about it for a moment. Bowling, despite its stodgy image, is an almost ideal activity for naturists. Bowling alleys (those still in business) are private (when reserved for naturists) and (usually) have comfortable temperatures regardless of the weather outdoors. The activity is generally very social, and individuals can concentrate on their own performance, instead of trying to defeat an opponent or win a competition (as in tennis and many other sports). Best of all, success in bowling depends more on skill than on strength, speed, or endurance – so people without exceptional physical gifts can do well. If naturists live somewhere there’s an alley nearby and they can get a sufficiently large group to rent the facility for a few hours, a bowling party could be a fun naturist activity at any time of the year.

    More details: here

  4. Naked bathers want to ‘piggyback’ on Wild Atlantic Way’s success
     

    Nudity on certain public beaches in Ireland has actually been legal only since 2017. Yet many beaches in Cork County have been used discreetly by naturist for years. According to a spokesperson for the Irish Naturist Association, “West Cork boasts several beaches that have been attracting naturists for decades.” As I noted here, Ireland is rapidly becoming a good place for naturism.

    The “Wild Atlantic Way” (WAW) “is a tourism trail on the west coast, and on parts of the north and south coasts, of Ireland.” The spokesperson is calling for “providing signage and officially recognising many of the secluded ‘unofficial’ nudist beaches dotted along the region’s coast” – along the WAW route. The hope is that, given recognition, naturist usage of the beaches will become “very normal very quickly”, and consequently, naturists “will spend time and money in these areas.” Arguments like this should be effective in promoting naturist destinations elsewhere. This has definitely happened with Blind Creek Beach in St. Lucie County, Florida.

  5. I Went to a Nude Beach With a Friend, and We Loved It
     

    This is a pretty good first-time story. James, whose story this is, certainly had the right attitude: “Beach days are hard to beat. You are lying in the warm sunshine, have sand between your toes, and can hear the sound of waves crashing. What could be better, right? Maybe . . . going naked?” He invited his friend, Nicole, to go with him to check out Black’s Beach while he was visiting San Diego. Neither of them had been to a nude beach before, but they “were excited to see what it was all about.” Not surprisingly, for first-timers, James says that once on the beach, “it was very awkward for the first 20 minutes or so.” But after that, he dropped his “shorts, and ran straight into the ocean. Nicole quickly followed, and within minutes, it just wasn’t weird anymore.” Most readers who’ve tried it know that’s usually how it goes – if they get naked at all. Unfortunately, most non-naturists find this truth hard to believe.

  6. Albemarle Co. yoga studio to host another nude class
     

    Charlottesville, a smallish city located in Albemarle County, Virginia is a college town, home of the University of Virginia, and the county population is about 150,000, so it’s not especially surprising that there are more than a dozen yoga studios in the area. However, only one of them, apparently, offers nude yoga sessions – the Elements Yoga Studio. Unfortunately, the sessions aren’t coed. There was a session for women in February, which “turned into a sold out event earlier in the month,” according to the article. A session for men was held on February 29, according to the studio’s calendar, and another one for women is scheduled for March 13.

    “The body-positive yoga allowed women to step into a safe, judgement-free [sic] space where they were free to take off as much clothing as they felt comfortable with,” the article says. So the class is actually just clothing-optional. There’s no information on how many opted to be naked. It’s a good thing, at least, that the option is available – even only once a month. Perhaps interest in nude activities will grow as more people have the opportunity to experience them.

    More: here

Recent articles on nudity and naturism, 2/19/20

  1. Dining unclad de rigeur at Zipolite’s annual nudist festival
    Although there are some food-related stories below, this isn’t really one of them. Zipolite is a popular clothing-optional beach in Mexico on the Pacific Ocean coast south of Mexico City. This is the fifth year of an annual and very popular naturist festival on the beach. This year’s attendance was about 6000. The beach has had clothing-optional use since at least the 1950s, but has only recently become much better known outside the local area.

    Since many attendees spend much of their time on the beach, they often eat there too – but that’s only in addition to a variety of other common beach activities. For instance, volleyball, body painting, musical performances, yoga, or simply sunbathing. Since the beach is only about 15° north of the Equator, temperatures in January-February are quite comfortable – in the 80s (F).

    More: Everything You Need to Know before Visiting the Zipolite Nudist Festival 2020, The Zipolite Nudist Festival 2020: Our Experience

  2. Florida bill would make it legal to be naked at a nude beach
     

    Under section 800.03 of Florida’s legal code “exposure of sexual organs” is illegal in public or if visible from someone else’s property if it’s done in a “vulgar or indecent manner”. It’s also illegal simply to be “naked” in public “except in any place provided or set apart for that purpose”. However, both of these provisions are somewhat vague, especially in case of simply being naked on a beach that’s traditionally “clothing-optional”. And what about exposure of female breasts?

    In particular, there are several beaches in Florida that have long been popular with naturists, including Haulover Beach in Miami, and portions of Apollo and Playalinda beaches in the Canaveral National Seashore. And a new clothing-optional beach has just been approved near Fort Pierce (as noted here). It’s not entirely clear that those locations have officially been “set apart for that purpose”. This new legislation would take care of the ambiguities – if it becomes law, which isn’t a foregone conclusion. The bill would expressly allow being “naked in public … including, but not limited to, clothing-optional beaches.”

    The bill could well become law, since Florida is slowly waking up to the benefits to its tourist industry of people interested in clothing-optional recreation. Given the prevalence of many naturist resorts around the state, local tourist bureaus may want to attract naturists to their own clothing-optional places. (The article is also here.)

  3. Nude beach quietly routine at Volusia’s southern tip
    The beach in question is the aforementioned Apollo Beach in the Canaveral National Seashore. (There’s an unincorporated place of the same name on the opposite side of the state, which should not be confused with the actual beach.) Clothing-optional use is traditional only in the southern portion, adjacent to parking lot #5. Unfortunately, the parking lot has only 35 parking places, and it fills up early on any day with decent weather. (There’s sometimes a similar problem with parking lot #13 at Playalinda Beach, adjacent to the clothing-optional section.)

    The small parking lot is a problem, since it’s a 2-mile hike to the next parking lot to the north – especially if you need to carry much, like beach chairs or a cooler. Of course, if you’re not alone, you can drop companions and gear off, then go back to park. Still it’s a hassle, especially since the lagoon on the side of the road opposite the ocean is quaintly named Mosquito Lagoon, and appropriately so. Fortunately, the beach itself at lot #5 is not only clothing-optional but also less popular with the mosquitoes.

    According to the article, regulars at the clothing-optional part of Apollo Beach are a fairly laid-back bunch. They’re not all naturists, but they have relaxed attitudes towards nudity, and are generally content to share the beach with others, whether or not they’re naked. One beach regular, who doesn’t get naked, was quoted remarking “Some people get naked, other people don’t, and everyone gets along.” If only the same level of tolerance prevailed in many other places…

  4. Top 10 U.S. Nude Beaches
     

    Articles like this appear periodically in widespread sources (at least in the western half of the world). Usually these are found in media having a general readership. But this one is on a naturist resort’s website – DeAnza Springs in southern California. Even so, all places mentioned are actual beaches, not resorts, and are open for public use (with at most small charges for parking). Another list, which includes 5 U. S. beaches and 5 in other countries, was discussed here. (The 5 U. S. beaches are also in the present article.)

    Some of the beaches mentioned, such as Haulover, are frequently included in lists of best clothing-optional beaches worldwide, but others probably wouldn’t qualify. The actual criteria for inclusion of beaches here aren’t stated. Perhaps it’s mainly popularity, which would be related to convenience of access (certainly one important criterion). However, Black’s Beach is notoriously difficult to reach, as it requires steep climbs down and up tall cliffs just behind the beach. The reviews would have been better if they’d included more information on the convenience factor – things like distance from population centers, physical ease of access, typical climate, etc. Instead, there’s often more about the history of the beach, which isn’t necessarily useful for potential visitors.

    In one case (“San Gregorio Private Beach”) the information given is confusing. San Gregorio State Beach is part of the State Park system, and as such is not clothing-optional. But there’s an excellent large beach adjacent to the north that is clothing-optional. It’s “private” in the sense that the parking area is on private land and not always open. The beach description, however, clearly describes the State Park beach. What a shame the description here isn’t better. The history of San Gregorio is actually relevant, since it’s regarded as the oldest established clothing-optional beach in the U. S. The location of the beach isn’t fortuitous, because it was selected in 1966 by a few young people from San Francisco’s nascent hippie culture as the most suitable beach for skinnydipping after scouting many locations not too far from the city.

  5. Public speaker and The English Cream Tea Company boss Jane Malyon gives a talk at a Bournemouth hotel to 180 naturists
     

    The article is an account by the speaker, Jane Malyon, about the talk she gave in January to a naturist group (which wasn’t named) that was spending the weekend at a hotel (also not named) in Bournemouth (UK). What’s interesting about this article is how it treats as something quite normal a talk given by a public speaker to a large group of naturists. Jane was fully informed beforehand to expect the audience to be completely naked, and evidently she wasn’t fazed at all by the prospect. Not even, according to her report, when “immediately upon entering the hotel, I was surrounded by lovely, smiling, friendly people, all of whom were totally stark naked.”

    To some extent, her reaction wasn’t too surprising. Jane describes herself as “a professional speaker and author, and an expert on the history and etiquette of afternoon teas, appearing regularly on TV and radio.” She’s also a managing director of a company in the UK “afternoon tea” business. So she’s paid to do these talks promoting somewhat of a niche industry. Why, after all, pass up another good opportunity to talk about something she loves merely because the audience comprises “people who have no clothes on. Absolutely nothing.” She was even “advised that my own clothing would be optional.” Evidently she didn’t immediately dismiss the idea, but eventually declined based on advice from her agent, on the basis that there would be a photographer.

    The balance of the article has only laudatory things to say about the naturist audience and the overall experience. She “didn’t find the nakedness in front of me particularly off-putting, though perhaps a little surreal.” However, she does observe that “the majority of attendees at this event were middle-aged or older.” Still, one has to wonder whether her invitation to speak might have perhaps been less likely if the group were mainly younger and less interested in the “afternoon tea” business.


  6. The Joy of Cooking Naked
     

    On one hand, it’s generally a positive thing when naturism gets attention from such a thoroughly mainstream organ as the New York Times. Articles like this can help by exploding prevalent misunderstandings about naturism, such as the notion that it’s all about sex or swinging. On the other hand, in the process of doing that articles haul out trite bromides such as “don’t cook bacon while you’re naked”. So while dissing some common clichés they fall back on promoting others. Give it up, eh? Naturism can really be understood only by trying it, not just reading about it. Sort of an acquired taste, you might say (if you want to play on the culinary metaphor). Keep that in mind when discussing naturism with your friends.

    The subtext in this article is that naturism has some “special” relationship with cooking and eating. Actually, what’s probably going on is that the writer had to stress the food connection so the article could enliven the Times’s food section. The truth, of course, is that not only cooking and eating but almost anything that people take pleasure in can also be enjoyed naked. And besides, you might get naked to use a swimming pool or spa, and then get dressed afterward. If you’re not usually naked at home, there’d be little reason to get naked for cooking and eating. But if you are usually naked, you’d probably stay naked at mealtimes. Still, there is a connection, tenuous though it may be, between naturism and food, because some early forms of naturism also embraced vegetarianism. But that’s not much of a thread to hang a story on. Vegetarianism is certainly a valid choice, but these days the preferences of naturists with respect to food are as varied as among most other types of people.

    The naturist element of the article focuses on life in Florida’s Lake Como Family Nudist Resort. Presenting the stories of various long-time habitué’s there – often in their own words – allows for highlighting some of the unique aspects of naturist lifestyles. In particular, sharing meals together informally or having more orchestrated dinner parties has always been especially popular with naturists – because it’s a natural justification for getting together naked with others. Just about everyone likes to eat, whereas not everyone cares a lot for board games, dancing, jigsaw puzzles, or what-have-you. Sharing food together is as old as humans and even their ancestral species. Those prehistoric folks were probably naked, too, as least in the warmer climes.

    Having decent restaurants is a must for upscale naturist clubs and resorts. More recently there have been attempts to start clothing-optional restaurants as a business. One-off events of that type often sell out long in advance. Unfortunately, however, such things have had rather little commercial success. Even the mainstream restaurant business is very hard to break into. With a much smaller potential customer base, business is even harder for naturist restaurants. That’s not necessarily such a bad thing for naturists, though. Socializing in a familiar, comfortable space with others who share an unorthodox lifestyle – is bound to be more satisfying than what’s possible in restaurants full of strangers.

  7. Inside the World of Nudist Cooking
     

    This is basically a concise summary of the New York Times article above. But it makes the most important points much more succinctly:
    “There are millions of nudists in America, and because they are people, they do many of the same things other people do — they just do them naked. As revealed in a recent New York Times feature detailing the lives of the naked residents of the Lake Como Family Nudist Resort in Lutz, Florida, this roster of otherwise normal tasks and activities nudists happen to perform naked includes cooking, because why wouldn’t it?”

  8. Food in the nude: Switzerland to get its first naked restaurant
     

    Despite the immense difficulties of making a restaurant for naturists into a sustainable business, hope (seemingly) springs eternal. According to reported plans, the establishment will be called “Edelweiss Basel – Nudisten Lounge” and will open at the end of February. Patrons will be able to leave their clothes in a cloakroom, although anyone not brave enough to be naked can keep their underwear on. (Ewwwww. Seriously?) And waiters will be naked. If this isn’t somebody’s idea of a joke, we can certainly hope this one does better than the O’Naturel in Paris. Switzerland isn’t exactly noted as a popular place for naturism – although naked performance art has been done publicly in the streets of Zurich.

  9. Look Ma! No Hands!
     

    Fred is a southern California naturist who enjoys a wide spectrum of naturist activities – most of which aren’t confined to private naturists resorts. The annual “Bare to Breakers” run in San Francisco in May is one of his favorites. He has a whole post about it here. But that’s not all. Mainly he simply enjoys nudity, either alone or with others:
    “I just enjoy being nude. Period. Don’t need an excuse for it. Have no interest in rationalizing it. I enjoy it alone. I enjoy it socially. I enjoy it if I’m the only one nude and I enjoy it just as much if everyone is nude. I enjoy it up on a stage doing improv in front of a hundred complete strangers or in a living room with a couple of friends or alone on the trail miles from anywhere.”

    He notes that “nude public events have become much more common.” “Bare to Breakers” is just the informal name used by naturists who run or walk naked in the official Bay to Breakers event. But there are a number of similar examples where public nudity is allowed, some also in San Francisco. Additionally, there are also World Naked Bike Rides in many cities around the world, Seattle’s Fremont Solstice Parade, Spencer Tunick “installations”, political protests of many sorts, body painting events, public naked performance art events, and occasional naked museum tours (see below).

    A more novel type of event with public nudity is do-it-yourself theatrical projects as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival, which can involve nudity and which Fred is planning to do, as he describes here, here, and here. Another Fringe Festival event with plentiful nudity was a production of the play DISROBED, which was reported on here.

    Fred also enjoys nude hiking, and his blog contains a number of reports of these treks. He summarizes his naturist interests thusly:
    “As far as nudie activities go, I prefer to get off the reservation. Resorts can easily turn into expanded closets. They can become well-appointed ghettoes if you let them. Trips to hot springs, hiking in the wild, camping in remote places, parties, public events, that’s where I’ll find my space. I am not a big fan of highly regulated environments.”

  10. Australian museum opens its doors to an exhibition aimed at nudists
     

    This article appeared on the Brazilian Os Naturistas site (without a link to the original), so it’s in Portuguese. But translations into other languages are available by selecting the flag of the country whose language is closest to yours.

    Although the linked article is recent, it apparently describes an event in January 2018 at the National Gallery of Australia. A better, contemporary account is here. 120 people who wished to be naked for the tour got tickets to attend. According to the article “The event was held around his hyper-realistic exhibition exploring the human figure through a series of sculptures and paintings.” So much of the artwork on display involved nudity. Some of it was so “hyper-realistic” – as in the picture – that it’s difficult to distinguish the attendees from the art. There’s a video at the link that conveys the best impression of the event, even though the nudity of the attendees (but not the art) was censored.

    The National Gallery has had naked events before, for example a 2015 event described here, here, here, here, here. and here.

    Twitter link

  11. Japan’s naked art of body positivity
     

    For almost all practical purposes, naturism doesn’t exist in Asia (except for Thailand). In Japan, however, there is a bizarre kind of pseudo-naturism. That is, full nudity – but only (for the most part) in rigidly gender-segregated facilities. The Asian mind is, as usual, inscrutable to westerners.

    Naturists may not be especially excited about Japan as a travel destination, but it’s at least worth noting a couple of things. First, there are two types of public bathing facilities where nudity is required. There are the well-known onsens, which are natural hot springs. Since these are located near volcanically active areas, they’re usually far from urban centers. There’s also another type of public bathing facility known as a sento. Since these heat water from the local water system, they may be found almost anywhere. Second, since onsens are mostly in unurbanized areas, they provide a much more “natural” experience and are a bit more likely not to require gender segregation. In either case, however, note that Japan, being what it is, has many unbreakable customs and rules which must be observed. In addition to many rules of proper etiquette for using any bathing facility, there are other “gotchas”, such as a strong Japanese prejudice against tattoos anywhere on the body.

    Much more information: here, here, here

Recent articles on nudity and naturism, 2/10/20

  1. Naturists. Are we all protesters?
    Nick and Hannah make so many excellent points in this post on their relatively new blog (already referenced here) I wish I could quote most of it. Many, perhaps most, naturists don’t think of themselves as protesters hopeful of spreading a message and changing society. They simply enjoy being naked, for a variety of good reasons. One thing that most naturists don’t do is publicly protest naked to promote naturism itself. If they do protest fully or partly naked, it’s for some other worthy cause, such as in favor of bicycle safety and against the use of fossil fuels, as in World Naked Bike Rides. Or, as mentioned in this article, Dr. Victoria Bateman‘s protest against Brexit.
     

    Nudity has been used in a variety of other protests over the years, e. g. the Doukhobors, PETA, and Femen. I recently reported on other protests here. It’s no mystery why nudity is used in such protests: it definitely gets attention.

    There have, actually, also been a few protests for the right to be publicly naked, particularly in San Francisco when a stricter law against public nudity was passed a few years ago. (But naked protests and certain other events with public nudity are still allowed there if permits are obtained.) Nevertheless, this is pretty rare. In fact, this kind of protest could be counter-productive in most cases, because a right to even limited public nudity isn’t considered a compelling issue for most people – unlike, say, animal rights or climate change. Yet Nick and Hannah correctly observe “There is no escaping, however, that for many naturists, whether they realise it or not, there is an element of protest to their desire to be naked in a social setting.”

    A general right to public nudity is too much to expect at this time. But what about a right to private nudity? Apparently even that is too much to hope for in backward places like Utah, as discussed here. While more enlightened places don’t put legal restrictions on nonsexual nudity in private spaces, such restrictions are still prevalent, simply because of social attitudes that nudity in most cases may be “offensive”, probably “immoral”, and certainly not “normal”. As the article points out, “We are brought up in a world where social nudity is anything but normal. Our bodies are emphatically not our own, they belong to ‘moral’ society. It is ‘moral’ society which dictates what we should wear to which occasions.”

    Of course, the idea that simple nudity in itself is “immoral” is ridiculous – except in a very twisted notion of “morality”. The source of this aberrant notion is not hard to understand: it is the imperative for social control. Quite simply, as the article points out, “Step over the line and the disapproval will try to bring you to heel. ‘Moral’ society fears those it cannot control.” It would be one thing if society had a rational view of the morality of social nudity. But a rational view doesn’t exist now – not of nudity, nor of many other things as well. Unfortunately, society isn’t great at controlling serious crime, gun violence, racial prejudice, etc. But controlling nudity is easier, so it gets controlled instead.

    In their article, Nick and Hannah observe that simply by doing what isn’t “normal” and enjoying nudity when and where we can “we are protesting, albeit to varying degrees and sometimes more subconsciously than consciously.” Furthermore: “You may not previously have considered yourself a protester but you should not be embarrassed by the protest element of naturism, rather you should celebrate it.”

    It may not be clear to most naturists what their nudity is protesting. However, aren’t we “quietly protesting against being unreasonably controlled? Protesting in favour of issues such as body positivity and confidence, tolerance, inclusiveness and respect? Protesting about the sexualisation of the naked body?” They conclude “Our ultimate goal should be to take the protest out of naturism and to make social nudity entirely normal and unremarkable.” In other words: normalize nudity.

  2. Normalising Nudism
     

    It’s not necessary to say much about this – the idea speaks for itself. “#NormalisingNaturism” is now a Twitter hashtag. I prefer to express the idea as “normalize nudity”, because many people aren’t interested in being labeled, yet they approve of nonsexual social nudity and probably enjoy it when they can. The article suggests that it’s not necessary to surprise your friends by going naked with them without any warning. (Exception: at your own home, if you have a swimming pool or a spa, you might suggest a skinny-dip.) But that shouldn’t stop you from mentioning to open-minded friends that you enjoy nonsexual nudity and explaining why. Perhaps some will even invite you to “get comfortable”. Wearing nothing needs to become just another acceptable choice of attire when practical.

    By the way, notice how often the idea of normalizing nudity comes up in many of the articles here. Naturists need to emphasize to anyone who’ll listen that nonsexual social nudity really needs to be considered normal, not some crazy, deviant eccentricity.

  3. Nothing wrong – and lots right – with a bit of public nudity
     

    The picture is of Munich’s Englischer Garten, where nudity has been normal and accepted in this part for at least 50 years. (This part happens to be only about 100 meters fron the back of a major art museum, in the center of the city.) But the story is from New Zealand. In fact, it appeared in the New Zealand Herald, which has the largest circulation of all newspapers in the country.

    The writer, Vera Alves, a “Social Media and Trending Reporter” is responding to a couple of incidents – a nursing mother was asked to cover up while breastfeeding, and a family that was “shocked” to see naked bathers at a clothing-optional beach. Vera doesn’t mince words. “For such a progressive country – first to split the atom and all that – we’ve still got some pretty archaic views on things,” she says.

    This really is an amazing article that naturists should share with as many people as possible. Vera goes on to make many very incisive points on public nudity, which I’ll quote or paraphrase. I don’t know whether she’s a confirmed naturist, but I don’t know how anyone could make all these points much better.

    • The first point is in the headline: There really is nothing wrong with public nudity (assuming it’s in appropriate places and respectful of others).
    • Too many people are “hung up on the unclothed human body.”
    • There shouldn’t be any serious trauma from “seeing a stranger’s intimate body parts.”
    • People who are bothered or offended by nudity should start asking themselves why.
    • Given how many real problems there are to worry about, seeing “nipples and penises should be the least of” one’s worries now.
    • “Children who are soon going to be adults” will “grow up with some really messed up views of what bodies look like, if we keep restricting them to the bodies they see on porn sites or in fashion magazines.”
    • “This repressed and archaic view of the human body as something to be hidden and ashamed of is nothing if not a form of oppression – and there are far too many people going along with it without questioning it.”
    • People can change their negative way of thinking about nudity to understand it the way naturists do, “and absolutely nothing bad at all will happen.”
    • Children whose parents are more open-minded about nudity “will not grow up to be depraved – if anything, they might just grow up more confident and empowered.”
    • The real problem “is not nudity. The problem is the over-sexualisation of the human body, which leads to all kinds of issues.”
    • “‘Normalising’ the regular human body can be a really good thing. If our children are to grow up with healthy views of what a normal human body is, we need to shed these archaic taboos.”
    • If your child has questions about seeing someone naked, you have “a golden opportunity to talk to them about things like boundaries, consent and respect for others.”
    • The human body is not immoral – stop making it so.
    • “The bottom line is: if you’re getting your knickers in a twist, maybe the knickers are the problem.”

     
    Wow. Hits it out of the park with three on the bases.

  4. Is Naturism the solution to low body confidence?
     

    It’s a rhetorical question to which naturists know the answer very well. A writer for a non-naturist site demonstrates how obvious the answer is. Here’s the nut graf:
    “In a world dominated by social media, many of us are used to seeing men and women with perfect bodies on our screens every day of every week, and it’s no secret that this can have a negative effect on our own body image. However, people all around the world are using Naturism as their way to feel more comfortable in their own skin.”

    Mark Walsh, a spokesperson for British Naturism, is quoted pointing out that naturism often “starts at home, just by shedding your clothes, existing and just being comfortable in your own skin. As soon as you’re comfortable in your own skin, it really doesn’t matter where you’re comfortable in your own skin.” Provided that others you live with aren’t bothered by your nudity, the more time you spend naked, the more it will seem normal to you. That’s why your home is usually the best place to start experimenting with nudity – the people you live with are probably more likely to accept your nudity than random people you know, let alone (non-naturist) strangers. (However, if people you live with aren’t comfortable with nudity, you’ll need a Plan B.)

    Mark explains that the basic reason naturism is the solution to low body confidence is because “it reinforces that there is no normal standard – we are all made different, and that’s who you are.” That assumes you’re ready to be naked not just in your own home, but also with a variety of others you’ll see in naturist activities and events. Stephanie Silom, the writer of the article, summarizes that “our body confidence and the extent to which we base our self-worth on our bodies improves massively once we learn that almost no-one has a ‘perfect’ body.”

  5. 7 Clothing-optional places to go naked in Colorado
    Articles like this, which are targeted to a mainstream audience, indicate that public nudity is – however slowly – gradually becoming normalized even in the U. S. The fact that an article like this was published shows recognition that people exist who know little or nothing about naturism but are interested in places they can safely get naked outdoors. All locations described here are clothing-optional, at least most of the time. All but one of them have hot springs to soak in, and may be either rustic or somewhat developed. The exception, Mountain Air Ranch, is a full-featured naturist resort, the only one in Colorado. The article is also here

  6. Corsica – a rough hewn, sparkling gem
     

    Looking a little farther afield – at least for folks in North America – there’s Corsica, a French island in the Mediterranean, known as Corse to the French, but which is nearer to Italy than France. Here’s a report from Olly Watts, a British Naturism member, on his stay on Corsica with a companion. Corsica is a smallish island of 8722 km2 (3368 mi2), about ⅔ of which is mountainous. Because of the size, distances between interesting spots are measured in just a few tens of kilometers at most. Olly spent the first part of his fortnight vacation in the vicinity of Porto Vecchio, near the southeast tip of the island. The area offers both beach and mountain places to be naked. Olly’s account makes the places he visited sound like a naturist paradise, where full-time nudity was often possible. The latter part of the trip was mostly on the eastern side of the island. That included a stay at Riva Bella, a four-star naturist campsite, where the stretch of sand “seemed to curve forever, north from the nature reserve.” Because Corsica is all part of France, there’s the additional attraction of French food and wine – with Italian influence as well.

    The Meandering Naturist blog has much more information on Corsica.

  7. Camping in heaven
     

    Looking further afield still, how about Thailand? Did you know that Thailand is about the only Asian country with attractive places for naturists? Well it is. There’s even a Thailand Naturist Association. This is article is about a visit to the Barefeet Heaven Naturist Resort.

    Although Barefeet is a developed naturist resort, Chew, the author of the article, chose to stay in a tent she’d brought. So that allowed for a real camping experience, but also access to resort facilities. The location is ideal for camping, since it’s located in the Hat Chao Mai Marine National Park. On one side of Chew’s campsite “was a river with spectacular rock formations. The other was [a] stunning limestone cliff that was so close to me. In fact, the whole surrounding was a wide and open fabulous view with no block in any corners.” There’s an “unofficial” nude beach just a short walk away. In summary, “Barefeet is a wonderful place not only for naturists but also nature lovers, birding activity and meditation retreat for its nature preservation and tranquility as well as its laid-back and peaceful atmosphere in the surrounding areas.”

    The Naturist Wanderings and Naturism Girl blogs have more information on Thai naturism. Here’s what Naturism Girl has to say about Barefeet. And here’s the Naked Wanderings review of it.

Recent articles on nudity and naturism, 1/25/20


  1. Forget ‘lewd behaviour’ – is being naked around your own kids good for them?
     
    The answer: “Probably it is!” To be more specific, according to the article, “Seeing a parent naked can help children learn what real bodies look like and better understand consent and boundaries.” An important part of every child’s education should be the “facts of life”.  And the best way to do that properly should assume that children will understand best if they’ve often seen others – of differing ages and sexes – in the family naked. That should ensure they know the names (and colloquial terms) for important body parts, and realize that there’s nothing “wrong” or “nasty” about a naked body – even though normal bodies can vary greatly in appearance. In particular, how a naked body looks shouldn’t be a source of shame or embarrassment for anyone.

    Of course, it’s also important to point out that “boundaries” should be respected, and that there are many people who are sensitive or even embarrassed about their bodies. In fact, in the presence of nudity, it’s straightforward to explain exactly what boundaries should be observed and when consent is necessary.

    This issue is now front and center because of a stupid decision by a local judge in Utah – one of the most backward, prudish states in the U. S. It was held that a mother could be prosecuted under an “indecency” law simply because, in their own home, her pre-teen sons happened to see her uncovered breasts. The mother, quite reasonably, believed it was good for her sons to see nonsexual partial female nudity. So, quite absurdly, naturism in a private home could be prosecuted as a crime, even if the only non-adult children present are family members – at least in Utah.

    One of the stupid things about the judge’s decision was agreeing with prosecutors that “lewdness is commonly understood to include women’s breasts in American society”. That’s possibly true in a theocratic state like Utah, which is an extreme case. Yet in states that are more representative of the country as a whole, like New York, simple exposure of female breasts – even in public, let alone in private – isn’t illegal. During the summer in NYC many women go topfree in Central Park, Times Square, and elsewhere. The case in Utah doesn’t even involve full nudity – which would apply equally to men and women. Was the fact that there were children involved relevant? According to this report, there were three kids – ages 9 through 13 at the time. How many boys of that age haven’t seen bare female breasts, at least in pictures, and have been hurt in any way if they have?

    To add to the absurdity of this judicial decision, last September a Federal Circuit Court of Appeals for the 10th district (which includes Utah), struck down a Colorado city’s ban on women exposing their breasts, even in public. And many states don’t consider even full nudity to be “lewd” if the behavior isn’t intended to offend others. So much for the Utah judge’s opinion about how commonly female toplessness is understood to be “lewd”.

    The biggest obstacle to the growth of naturism is the passing along from parents to children at a very early age the ridiculous idea that almost all nudity is inherently “wrong”, “indecent”, “lewd”, or “obscene”. And that nonsense is based on the false belief that seeing nonsexual adult nudity is “harmful” to children – the exact opposite of the truth. Naturists need to strongly oppose this nonsense. In order for naturism and nonsexual nudity to continue becoming socially acceptable, they need to be recognized as perfectly normal and harmless choices for individuals and families. Of course, children shouldn’t be forced to be naked if it’s uncomfortable for them. The best way for nudity to become normalized is for parents, from the beginning, to make clear that nonsexual nudity by family members in their home is always acceptable, at least as long as anyone who might be uncomfortable with nudity isn’t present.

    In this article there is more about the judge’s reasoning. It’s basically that the Utah law is about “lewdness” in front of children, which applies to both men and women. The law, however, also requires either “intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desires” or knowing that the behavior would cause “affront or alarm”. Neither of those conditions seems to apply in the current case, so the defendant should be acquitted at trial – especially considering the harshness of the possible penalties. However, this interpretation is still very threatening for naturists, as all the criteria are highly subjective – especially the idea that exposed female breasts are inherently “lewd”, even though male breasts aren’t. That latter point was key to the Colorado decision that such laws allowed unconstitutional discrimination against women.

    The state of Utah is highly dependent on tourism. But there’s hardly any reason to go there, except for the spectacular desert scenery. Everyone – not only naturists – ought to boycott Utah because of its laws that flout gender equality.


  2. Call for naked art classes to benefit children in UK schools
     

    This article goes into more detail why it should be considered healthy for children to observe naked bodies – both male and female. It should be clear that drawing classes using live naked models are a fine way to normalize nudity and foster acceptance of it, while also helping youngsters develop their artistic skills and aesthetic senses.

    The idea is that this will help “improve body image issues caused by social media”.
    “Artists want models to disrobe for young people and display the unfiltered human form, counteracting distortions of shape, size, and normality young people receive online.”

    Some of the points made in favor of the proposal include:

    • Sketching naked men and women should be part of a balanced curriculum, and primary school students are more open to nudity than adults made prudish by socially ingrained taboos or judgemental by presumptions about what a body should look like.
    • Life drawing can educate children in bodily realities before they are influenced by the “nonsense we see on social media”.
    • Children become more accepting of what they are looking at – especially when concentrating on accurately reproducing what they see – whether the bodies are old, overweight, or hairy.
    • When somebody appears naked before others they are just human beings. That counteracts prejudices as to how a body should look. It’s great for body positivity and acceptance.
    • The naked human form is not inherently sexual, and life drawing is mistakenly seen as lewd.
    • Children can handle drawing nudes without hang-ups – unless they’ve already been affected by cultural prejudices, and early introduction to nudity can offset acquired prejudices.

     
    These points are strikingly similar to arguments in favor of naturism itself. In opposition to the proposal, this article, contains many comments such as: “children will ‘sneer and giggle’ at naked bodies at a young age”; children 9 years old “have no contemplation yet on body image”; “Put a naked man and woman in front of a class they would be laughing their heads off. You only have to mention a body part and they’re off”. People who say such things should just ask themselves where those reactions come from. They might then realize it’s due to the corrupting influences children have already been exposed to from prejudiced older children and adults – who themselves acquired the attitudes in the same way. Positive experiences of nudity – like seeing nudity in a child’s own family or drawing nude models – are needed to better inform opinions of the human body.

    More: Life Drawing for Schools,
    Advocates have a suggestion on how to use art classes to promote body positivity

  3. 5 Naturist YouTube Channels You Really Want to Follow in 2020
     

    Yes, YouTube does actually allow some nudity now in uploaded material. But, of course, it’s also classified as “Age-restricted video (based on Community Guidelines)”. This is even though most of the material (at least what would be of interest to naturists) is non-sexual. And a lot of it is self-censored in various ways besides. The glaring problem here is that young people – at least of school age – are exactly the audience that should be able to view non-sexual nudity in order to form a much healthier attitude towards it. Which is the main point of the preceding articles here. The whole reason for such stupid guidelines is that parents insist on it, because they themselves are victims of our society’s egregious misunderstanding of nudity. The nonsense is passed from generation to generation like an inherited disease.

    Naturists certainly will want to check out the video channels recommended in this article. One problem for English speakers, however, is that three of the five channels are mainly or entirely in other languages (French, Spanish, and Portuguese). Even so, naturists who are able to travel far from home can glean much about opportunities in other countries in spite of the language barrier. And people who already enjoy social nudity might want to recommend the videos to their open-minded relatives and friends who’d be interested in learning more about naturism – in the privacy of their own homes. For better or worse, people don’t read much these days and are far more likely to absorb information from visual media.

    There are two other options to check out. Vimeo, which is a competitor of YouTube, is actually more welcoming of naturist material. And you can do searches in both YouTube and Vimeo for topics of naturist interest, such as “body painting”, “nude art”, and “naturist information”. In particular, many naturist/nudist resorts offer videos that can give you a good idea of what type of facilities and activities the resort has to offer. A number of national naturist organizations have similar information on what’s available in their country.

  4. 21 Nude Festivals and Nudist Events in 2020
     

    The same source that provides the recommended YouTube channels also offers information on 21 naturist-friendly events around the world. Anyone who’s fortunate enough to have sufficient time and financial wherewithal could spend most of the year attending one event after another. By my count only six of the events are exclusively in North America (including Mexico and Canada). Three more are in Great Britain – which is impressive, and fortunate for those who reside there. Five of the rest that occur in just one place are in Europe, and there’s one each from South America, Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. There are also three that are celebrated in many places around the globe – such as World Naked Bike Rides, World Naked Gardening Day, and International Nude Day.

    However, the list is far from exhaustive. In the U. S., for example, both national organizations have several “gatherings” and meetings around the country. Large nudist resorts have events such as clothing-optional music festivals, 5K and 10K naked runs, other sporting events (e. g. volleyball), and so on. For naturists whose main experience is with home or beach nudity, it could be a very good idea to check out nearby naturist/nudist resorts for special events where non-members and first-timers are especially welcome.

  5. Watch these naked skiers get waist deep in Canadian powder
     

    This isn’t a “real” event, but rather a segment of a promotional movie called “Vallhalla”, which was created for Dynafit (a sportswear company), Powder Magazine (for skiers), and Whitewater Ski Resort (in British Columbia, Canada). The skiers are all professional athletes – which should be obvious from the video. All of them – male and female – are naked in this clip. It’s not clear whether the nudity was integral to the storyline or was mainly to get attention. Perhaps it’s both. In any case, the visuals are very impressive. The clip is also available on YouTube and Vimeo.

    One has to admire the fortitude, as well as the skill, of those appearing in the nude scenes, given that the outdoor temperatures were in the 20s (°F). This item is not actually “recent”, having been out for over 5 years. However, somehow it showed up in a news feed, and it certainly illustrates how nudity can be effectively normalized, albeit not for naturist purposes. It might be described by the current buzzphrase “cultural appropriation” – meaning something appropriated by members of a dominant culture from a minority culture. But it’s difficult in this case to see how this couldn’t confer some acceptability on nonsexual nudity, even if unintentionally. Skiers, of course, love the sport for the thrills, so it’s not surprising that some actually do ski naked occasionally.

    More: These pro skiers took to the hills naked for their latest shoot


  6. St. Lucie County could be a step closer to having official nude beach
     

    St. Lucie County is on the southeast coast of Florida. Its largest city, Fort Pierce, is about 130 miles north of Miami. That’s more than a 2-hour drive to Miami’s well-known Haulover clothing-optional beach. The clothing-optional beaches in the Canaveral National Seashore are about the same distance to the north. So naturists near Fort Pierce understandably want a more convenient “official” clothing-optional beach of their own. (The numerous naturist resorts of Pasco County are mostly even farther away, and aren’t adjacent to saltwater beaches.) The chances now seem pretty good that Fort Pierce naturists will be getting their own official nude beach: Blind Creek Beach. According to a local naturist, there’s been nudity on it for at least 50 years. It seems that the local county commissioners consider having an official nude beach to be a desirable tourist attraction, so there’s general local support for the idea. The main hindrance in the past hasn’t been local opposition but simply funding for needed sanitation facilities.

Recent articles on nudity and naturism, 1/11/20

  • Artist creates exhibition of naked paintings after asking women to ‘send nudes’
    The misleading headline seems to suggest a nefarious scheme to collect nude pictures. But it’s not. The article is about professional artist Sophie Tea, whose conventional paintings on canvas may be seen on her Instagram page. But Sophie wanted to take things a step further. The article quotes her saying “I’ve always wanted to paint women” – and it’s meant literally: to paint on bodies in the same style as she paints on canvas. So she asked for volunteers – and received pictures from more than 1000 volunteers. Those she selected were duly painted and participated in a live exhibition (called Send Nudes) in which “Naked volunteers proudly walked the pink carpet after Sophie had painted them in colourful and abstract brush strokes.” Sophie’s objective? “to create work that was really meaningful” and to help “promote body confidence in women”.

  • 2019 HCA Holiday Campaign was a Success!
     

    Bodypainting, which can be done indoors, should be a popular activity for naturists during the colder months of the year. In the previous collection of articles there was one on the topic, and there’ll probably be more to come in the next few months. There are, already, two in this collection. The second of those spotlights the work of well-known bodypainter Andy Golub and his Human Connection Arts organization. Andy, who’s based in the New York City area, normally works outdoors, and in public. But he’s also active during the winter, and has scheduled work ongoing through January. It will involve “human canvas painting”.  Anyone interested in participating may submit an application here.

  • Spencer Tunick’s Latest Nude Artwork Causes Splash In QLD Hotspot
     

    Spencer Tunick, another artist who does unconventional work using naked bodies, is still finding new ideas after 25 years of making art out of “installations” of large numbers of naked people. (See the article on Tunick in the last collection.) He also enjoys working in Austalia (especially in the southern hemisphere’s summer). Two of his largest installations were in Melbourne and Sydney (4500 and 5000 naked people, respectively). According to the present article, he believes Australians have a “real heartfelt understanding of how important the body is in art”. That they deserve praise “for being body positive”.  And that “Australians are much more body positive and more open than [in] most other countries.” The last is probably true in comparison with the U. S. Even so, Australia’s laws aren’t quite so liberal as New Zealand’s, where there are generally no specific laws against nudity on the beaches. In the state of Queensland, for example, where Tunick’s latest installation was photographed, there’s well-known intolerance of nudity on the beaches.
    More about this event: Spencer Tunick Invites Australians to Bare All on Whitsunday Island

  • Nudists call for Kiwis to join them on international ‘Day Without Togs’
    Here’s evidence of the popularity and tolerance of nudity in New Zealand. A naturist group there, known as Free Beaches, has encouraged everyone in the country to celebrate an upcoming event in January. It’s called the “Day Without Togs”, was reportedly started in Spain in 2007, and will be celebrated on local beaches the last Saturday of January. (Understandably, the date’s not that popular among northern hemisphere naturists.) How many suitable beaches does New Zealand have? You can get a good idea from this Google Map. In our previous collection of articles, there were two related to New Zealand, both based on information from the blogger Naked Kate. Spencer Tunick should plan an installation in New Zealand, if he hasn’t already.
    More: New Zealand nudists invite newbies for ‘Day Without Togs’ celebration

  • Auckland nudists encourage families to join them at pre-Christmas beach event
    That January beach event wasn’t even the first one this season in NZ. There was already one just before Christmas, promoted by an Auckland naturist group. It was called “Barely Three Days Before Christmas”. And it wasn’t the only one – there was another further south on the same day: “If you are down south we will again be celebrating the summer solstice with a nude swim at St Kilda beach Dunedin. 6pm December 22,” according to one person quoted in the article. Actually, why use the solstice to have a special day for a summer skinny-dip in New Zealand? Merely a few extra minutes of sunlight? The same thing must happen every day in the summer there. Unfortunately, the event wasn’t completely without incident. A park ranger did stop to question what was going on, but ultimately did not try to stop it.


  • Strip down in Surrey for heart charity naked walk
     


    Here’s another example of an appropriate use of nudity to draw attention and support to a worthy cause. The backstory is that a naturist, Philip Baker, who was diagnosed with heart disease over 30 years ago but was eventually treated successfully for it, decided to become an active fundraiser for the British Heart Foundation to support research into heart disease. Philip stated that he’s “been a lifelong naturist quietly enjoying my garden in the nude and taking the odd Mediterranean holiday ‘au naturelle’.” What is hoped to be an annual event will be held on the summer solstice (in England) this June. Participants will pay an entry fee of £20 and pledge to raise an additional £100 for the BHF. In return, they’ll be entitled to take either a 2km or 5km walk – naked – (at night) through a very scenic local park. Even spectators are welcome (for a £10 fee). Organizers are hoping for as many as 500 participants.
    More about this: 500 people could walk naked in park so people don’t have a stroke; You can walk through Painshill Park naked but only for one night

  • Be at Peace with Yourself
     

    This is from the Bold & Naked yoga studio in New York City, but it offers good advice that’s not limited to yoga practice. Nudity’s not even mentioned explicitly. However, this is the very first recommendation: “The first step to being at peace with yourself is to accept yourself.” And the fifth is: “accept yourself with all the flaws and weaknesses you may have.” Clearly, this is a major worry people have that prevents them from wholeheartedly embracing social nudity, because of how they assume their body, no matter what it’s actually like, inevitably has flaws and isn’t “good enough”. Naturists know that worry can be overcome by accepting one’s body (which doesn’t preclude taking steps, such as yoga exercise, to improve what’s amenable to being improved). The other recommendations are also very appropriate.

  • Famous Naked Comedy DISROBED Returns to Hollywood
     

    This production was previously mentioned here back in May. You can read that account for more about the play. But it’s a good sign that it’s being done again – on a repeating basis, in fact, on the first Saturday of every month (but not stated for how long). It’s especially encouraging, since the play is based on Barely Proper, by Tom Cushing, which was written in 1931, but not performed on Broadway (in a revised version) until 1970 (to unfavorable reviews). In addition, the audience is required to be naked too. That shouldn’t be necessary, but it may keep out some voyeurs, and perhaps even induce audience members to experiment more with social nudity themselves. And the production last June was favorably received. According to the article that included “racking up rave reviews and winning the Producers Encore! Award along with a nomination for ‘Best Immersive Show’.”

Recent articles on nudity and naturism, 9/30/19

  • Late Summer Nights with Naturist Friends: My Humble Attempt at Writing a How-To Guide
    If you like the idea of more frequently having impromptu clothing-optional get-togethers at your home for friends, Dan Carlson has some suggestions that may make such occasions more enjoyable for everyone. But they aren’t exactly things you may not have thought of yourself. Your friends needn’t necessarily be naturists themselves, but they should be comfortable socializing with others who prefer being naked. And, if you provided enough incentives around your home, some may even try out the pleasures of social nudity. I’ve written before on the felicity of, when possible, mixing together friends who are naturists with others who are merely tolerant of nudity.

    So, what sorts of things will make such occasions better? Put a fair-sized hot tub or spa at the top of the list. Your family will thank you, even if you don’t have guests. Provide towels for everyone – for sitting on, of course, but also for drying off after the hot tub, and even wrapping up in loosely for those who’re a bit shy of full nudity. In gathering places open to the outdoors, such as on a screened porch, have a source of heat like a wood or propane stove for the colder evenings. A nice fire in an outdoor fire pit is also good (unless it’s pretty cold, raining, or snowing). If you want to be outdoors in the back yard, weather permitting (and if mosquitoes and the like aren’t a problem), you’ll want privacy from the neighbors (if you have some who aren’t naturist-friendly). The right shrubbery for your climate is the best way, but takes long-term planning if it’s not there already. However, good fences make good neighbors, and require much less time to put in place.


  • Naked On The Run: A New Craze For Racing In The Nude
    Naked running events aren’t anything “new”. A number of naturist resorts in the U. S. have held such events for years (example). That’s also true in many other countries, such as England. Naked running events that aren’t necessarily serious competitions are also frequent. Naked running has been touted as promoting body acceptance. In case you’re interested, there’s even advice on how to prepare. So naked running’s not a “craze” – even though some journalists (or headline writers) use that term to show their disdain for naked activities.

    The naked race described in the article selected here was scheduled for a beach in France. The organizers expected only a small number of participants, but were “overwhelmed” by the actual interest, and they had to limit the event to 60 runners due to the small size of the beach. If anything, the response is an indication of current enthusiasm in France for naturism and naked activities. According to the writer, “Nudism in France has become increasingly popular.” A spokesperson for the Paris Association of Naturists even claimed that “At the end of the 19th century, France became the birthplace of naturism.” Although Germans might dispute that, the Association also claims “France is the top world destination for nudists.” The response to the race might be evidence of the claim.

  • WTF?! Naked Mountain Biking Explained
    An activity that is a little more unusual is naked mountain biking. “Perusing the local paper over a morning coffee, I nearly choked when I saw the first entry in the “weekend happenings” section: a naked mountain biking group ride.” That’s how Jason introduces his article. At first, he thought the idea “seemed so uncomfortable.” But a quick Internet search turned up the testimonial “This is awesome!” Consequently, “as a journalist, mountain biker, and father of a toddler who likes to do everything naked, I figured I needed to investigate.” After the experience he decided that “This is awesome,” and reports that “everyone seemed to have a great time.” The article concludes with a dozen “Lessons Learned From Riding Bikes Naked”. Some of these are things most naturists know (use sunscreen), while the rest are intended for serious mountain bikers.

  • Reflections on a Naturist Life: La Jenny, France 2019
    Dan Carlson’s a world traveler, in addition to his professional job. He has “often cited” La Jenny “as the best naturist place in the world,” and notes that he and some or all of his family have returned “to La Jenny at least a dozen times over the ensuing years.” Nevertheless, it’s been five years since his last visit. (Previous reports are here and here.) Dan considers his first visit in 1997 with his wife “as a pivotal event in our naked lives.” He has much more to say in this post, but the key insight may be this:
    “as I read so many blog posts, tweets, and reddit musings from frustrated husbands and fathers who simply can’t find a way to sell naturism to their spouses and families, I can’t help but think, “That’s because you simply can’t find a place in close proximity to where you live to replicate the everyday normal naturist experience in France… or Croatia…or Spain.” Family naturism will never feel normal when you’re in an environment where it simply isn’t… NORMAL!”

    In other words, the experience in just about all naturist camps and resorts in the U. S. is very different from what it is in non-naturist places of an otherwise similar sort. Especially for families (which are rather scarce in U. S. naturist places). In France (and Spain and Croatia), however, on a vacation there’s not much difference between the experience and the people inside and outside a naturist place, except for the nudity. In other respects, most details are just about the same in either case. That probably has a lot to do with how in France naturism, in general, and family naturism, in particular, is increasingly popular (see above article on naked running) – in sharp contrast with the U. S. situation.

  • Why French Families Go Massively for Naturism
    There’s more on French family naturism in this recent post from Nick and Lins. They’ve spent much of the past summer touring naturist French places, large and small. It’s arguably true that “Ever since the beginning of naturism, France has been the number one country in the world where people like to drop their clothes.” But although France “provided so many facilities for naturists, the large majority of the naturists enjoying those facilities were foreigners.” Now, however, “things have changed a lot. During our nude road trip through France we were not only surprised by the huge amount of French naturists, but also by who they are. Lots of the French visitors we met at naturist campings around France were young couples and young families.”

    What accounts for this change? The post argues that “Naturist resorts around the country understood that the blame falls partly on them. They’ve never really tried to change the image of naturism in the media. Until today. Around the country, naturist places are opening their doors for the press.” So, many more people in France itself are learning about the pleasures of real naturism. (Something similar is beginning to happen in the U. S., but significant positive effects have yet to be seen.) And why has this change in France been especially significant for young families? The post is somewhat vague on this question. But I’d submit that the answer can be found in the post above from Dan Carlson. Namely, there are so many more “normal” recreational activities at French naturist places than there are in the U. S. counterparts. Nick and Lins give a great example of this in another recent post here. They do discuss family naturism in this May post: Family Naturism: Let’s All Just Get Naked. (All pictures in that article are from a French source.)

  • No clothes? No problem for visitors at ‘naturist’ camp in Croatia
    Croatia is a country far less well known in the U. S. than France, but it once had a thriving naturist culture. According to the article, “As an early pioneer of nudism, Croatia’s idyllic Adriatic coast has a long and storied history of people stripping down to swim and commune with their surroundings in the naturist tradition.” Late in the past century there was a significant decline in naturist facilities: “By the mid-1980s, Croatia had 34 nudist camps, leading the market along with France and Germany. Today that number is down to nine.” Much of the decline can be attributed to the very unsettled political situation around 1990, followed by stiff competition from naturist opportunities in Spain. But Croatian naturism seems to be rebounding now, with the country building on its earlier naturist culture to actively attract naturist tourists to the country. One observer opines that “Boutique naturism with small camps or apartment settlements, privately-run, that could make a new offer, could be a renaissance and a market niche.” Also, one “nudist camp in Istria, Valalta, has recently invested in apartments, beaches, and attractions for children.” I surveyed the Croatian naturist scene earlier this year here.

Northern California naturism

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Northern California has many places where naturism can be enjoyed. Among the possibilities are naturist resorts, clothing-optional beaches, rivers and streams for skinny dipping, commercial and non-commercial hot springs where clothing-optional bathing is possible, and occasional public events. There are also several non-landed naturist clubs. And, perhaps best of all, there are hundreds of thousands of acres of U. S. National Forests where innumerable secluded campsites allow for unfettered nudity.

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Croatian naturism

Croatia is a relatively small country (about 4.3 million people, roughly half as many as London). After World War II until it declared its independence in 1991, Croatia was a part of Yugoslavia. Like Yugoslavia and Croatia’s current neighbors it was strongly under the influence of the Soviet Union until 1991. Consequently, it is not well known to tourists outside of Europe.

As a Balkan country across the Adriatic Sea from the East coast of Italy, Croatia has a mild Mediterranean climate, ideal during the summer months for naturism. However, unlike most countries outside Northwestern Europe – including Italy – Croatia, in general, has a favorable, welcoming attitude regarding naturism. As a result, it has become a popular destination for European naturists, with a number of clothing optional beaches and campgrounds. In this respect, it’s a lot like France, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands.
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You’ll wish you could go to many or most of these

Excellent information from Naked Wanderings:

“More and more we’re starting to think that nude events might be the key to a bright future for nudism. Especially the younger generation nudists want to get from behind the fences of the naturist clubs and resorts and do something fun, something spectacular. Luckily the options for amazing nude events seem to be larger than ever before. There are naked bike rides, nudist games, nude contests, nude cruises, nude festivals, nude tournaments, you named it. Everything is there for some amazing nude experiences in 2019. If you don’t have any inspiration about where to spend your naked time this year, here are 12 + 1 tips!”

Full article: https://www.nakedwanderings.com/blog/2019/03/07/nude-events-2019/