A Rocky Mountain High

You can go nude
Tanners in the buff surprising, but legal, at Boulder Reservoir

By Brad Turner
The Daily Times-Call

BOULDER — Stan doesn’t expect any grief when he heads to Boulder Reservoir for an afternoon of full-body tanning.

The Lakewood resident brings a cooler, a chaise longue and three large signs warning passers-by they are entering a clothing-optional stretch of shoreline.

“There’s plenty of room for everybody,” Stan said on a recent Saturday, wearing only a camouflage hat. “But I always put up the signs.”

Clothed people just down the beach from Stan spent the afternoon violating posted rules against swimming on the reservoir’s north shore.

But Stan and a half-dozen nude sunbathers in a nearby aspen grove on the lake’s north shore did nothing illegal.

Boulder leaders banned nudity at nearby Coot Lake in 1987 after neighbors complained for years of unruly behavior there.

However, the city’s ordinances say nothing about being in the buff at Boulder Reservoir, or any other city park, according to ranger Matt Claussen.

A person who walked around the lake and exposed himself or herself to others would be arrested for indecent exposure. But nude sunbathing is not a malicious activity on par with flashing people, he said.

Rangers at Boulder Reservoir field occasional calls from surprised hikers, but Claussen said most park employees have a friendly rapport with the nudists.

“We tell them the reservoir is used by multiple visitors, and it might cause concern,” Claussen said.

Stan, who declined to give his last name, said he learned to enjoy nude sunbathing at European beaches when he was in the military.

He said he used to hang out at a nudist colony in the mountains but now prefers Boulder Reservoir because it is closer to his home.

In 20 years of visits to the reservoir, the only time Stan ever caught flack was when a family of beachgoers stumbled upon him as he was lounging in his birthday suit, he said. He began posting warning signs on the beach to prevent more scrapes.

At Longmont parks, nude sunbathers would get indecent-exposure tickets. A city ordinance prohibits indecent displays, including nude bathing, at Union Reservoir and McIntosh Lake, city Parks and Open Space superintendent Don Bessler said.

Brad Turner can be reached at 720-494-5420, or by e-mail at bturner@times-call.com.

http://www.longmontfyi.com/Local-Story.asp?id=8538

Come on in, the Water's...Naked

Naturists hold beach try-out days

BBC News

July 5, 2006

BRITAIN -- Nervous naturists are being offered an introduction to the pastime with taster days on five designated beaches.

Through July and August members of British Naturism will be on the beaches to hand out leaflets and offer sports and refreshments to would-be naturists.

The five beaches are in Kent, Dorset, Hampshire, Gwynedd and Norfolk.

"The first steps into naturism can be quite difficult - we have all been there," said Steve Doerr, Kent and the South East representative.

"I have lain on a beach for a couple of hours trying to pluck up the courage to take off my clothes.

"Eventually you do that and then 10 minutes later you wonder what on earth you were worried about."

British Naturism said it was now a mainstream lifestyle and holiday choice in the UK.

More and more people were sunbathing nude on foreign beaches and did not want to wear a swimsuit when they returned home.

It is a growing pastime, but ironically membership of our organisation is currently slightly down," said Mr Doerr.

"One of the motives of the beach days is to improve membership."

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/5149574.stm

These Tasmanians Aren't Devils

Naturists to shed their gear and inhibitions on Coast

THEY'RE naked, they love it and they're coming to a town near you.

A new nudist group members prefer "naturist" plans to operate along the North-West Coast.

"If we can get as far as Circular Head, it could be good," spokesman "Gordon" said yesterday.

"Gordon", from the Devonport area, said the North-West Naturist Group Tasmania was trying to get 20 to 30 members, which he described as a "nice, comfortable little number".

He said the group, which had been advertising, already had nine people interested.

It will hold its first function swimming at a heated pool in the Devonport area this Sunday.

Gordon said it was hoped to assemble at beaches in summer.

He said the group would talk to councils and the State Government about assigning beaches which could be used for nude swimming.

"At this stage there are no legal beaches we can actually have as a group."

He stressed the group was not sexual in nature.

"We do get some weird phone calls, mainly because you get these single guys who think we're a swingers' group or a sex thing they can come along and perv at.

"We've got to be very careful who we're letting into the group.

"We're people who enjoy the freedom of being in control of our own bodies and enjoy the sun and fun."

He said Tasmania was great for nudity, at least in the summer.

He said the group had four women and five men, aged from their late 30s to about 60.

10 Good Reasons

Top 10 Reasons to Vacation at a Clothing Optional Resort this Summer
(PRLEAP.COM) Vacationing at clothing optional resorts is a booming business. This niche market has over $400 million in annual revenues. In a recent Roper poll, 25% of American's have gone skinny dipping.

Sunny Palm Springs, CA is one of the major travel destinations for nude vacationers. The Terra Cotta Inn Clothing Optional Resort and Spa http://sunnyfun.com is a popular nudist resort. Called the most mainstream nude resort in America, they are perfect for trying nude and topless sunbathing for the first time.

If you want a fun summer vacation this year, try a clothing optional resort. You have nothing to lose, but your tan lines!

The Top Ten reasons:

10)No Sand in swimsuit
9) No need to take a vitamin D supplement
8) No Laundry when you return from vacation
7) Waves don't knock off swim suit top
6) The natural look takes on a whole new meaning
5) No luggage to check at airport
4) No shoes, no shirt, no problem
3) Everyday is really casual Friday
2) Friends aren't bored hearing about your vacation
1) Clothing optional resorts are just plain fun!

On US Toplessness, Nudity, Etc.

Fight for topless rights as US cools on nudity

To bare or not to bare? The question of whether women should be able to sunbathe topless is set to become the hottest controversy on American beaches this summer. In a nation notoriously prudish in its attitudes to public nudity, the issue of how much can be decently exposed arouses strong passions. The mayor of one Californian beach resort is facing calls for his resignation after suggesting that his town should lift its ban on skimpy swimming costumes.

Bob Benz, the mayor of Hermosa Beach, caused an outcry last week when he turned up at a town council meeting with a female model, who bared her breasts in front of council members to support his case. He said: I can go topless - why can't women?

Hermosa Beach, near Los Angeles, is one of many resorts across the country with strict laws on what is acceptable wear on the beach. A 1987 local ordinance makes it a criminal offence to sunbathe topless, wear thong bikinis or expose female navels. Benz, a colourful character who was once fined $271 (about £170) for drinking beer on the beach, and who plays in a rock band called the Testoster-Tones, calls his opponents "a severe anal-retentive element". The council will vote on the issue next month.

Other resorts will be watching closely. They include the beaches of Kaloko Park in Hawaii, where the authorities recently banned all public nudity, saying it offended cultural standards. The local branch of the Naturist Society is planning a legal challenge.

However, few American women would consider sunbathing topless or even allowing small children to run naked on the sand. Those resorts where it is allowed are often heavily dependent on foreign tourism, such as Miami's South Beach. While some towns have set aside remote nudist beaches, many of these are now under threat.

New Jersey, whose long Atlantic sands are packed with millions of holidaymakers every summer, is considering a new law which would ban nudity on all state-owned beaches. The move follows complaints from some residents of "lewd behaviour" by sunbathers.

Erich Schuttauf, of the American Association for Nude Recreation, says he is baffled by all the opposition. He said: "You can see the most gratuitous things on television, and yet a soap commercial showing a mother washing her naked baby would be banned."

The association says its membership has doubled to 50,000 in the past 10 years, adding that opinion polls show that 70 per cent of Americans support the provision of nude recreation areas. They also show that 40 million Americans have gone skinny dipping in mixed company, said Schuttauf.

The reality, however, is that there is little sign of a relaxation of public dress codes in a country founded on Puritan values. In Ohio last year, state legislators began enforcing a ban on topless swimsuits and thongs. Offenders face 30 days in prison or a £160 fine. Earlier this year, university authorities at Princeton, New Jersey, banned a traditional naked run by students through the campus.

Supporters of a more liberal attitude towards toplessness - which they call "topfreedom" - are pinning their hopes on equality laws, arguing that men and women should not have different standards in beach wear. The American Civil Liberties Union is fighting a number of cases. In one, a Florida professor says the refusal of Miami University to allow him to wear a thong in the college swimming pool is a violation of his constitutional rights.

National Nude Recreation Week: July 10-16: Pack Light!

What a coincidence! Mrs. Musings and I will be in Palm Springs that week, mostly at Desert Shadows.

Nudist Resorts Celebrate 31st Anniversary of Nude Recreation

NewswireToday - /newswire/ - Palm Springs, CA, United States, 07/04/2006 - Every year, Nude Recreation Week reminds people there are interesting and fun nude travel destinations around the world. Pack light!


Nude sunbathing and swimming have a long history in America. Some of the more famous early nudists were Presidents George Washington and John Quincy Adams. Ben Franklin took daily "air baths" as he called them "au naturel." Many more presidents such as FDR enjoyed skinny dipping. And Norman Rockwell's painting titled No Swimming showing skinny dipping at the local water hole, graced the front cover of The Saturday Evening Post on June 4, 1921.

This July, celebrate the 31st anniversary of Nude Recreation Week from July 10th to 16th. The American Association for Nude Recreation is one of the major sponsors. The purpose of this week is to inform and educate people about all the fun they are missing out on by not taking nude vacations.

According to a Wall Street Journal article, nude recreation is one of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry. Nude vacationers now have choices such as cruises (on such lines as Holland America, Carnival, and Star Flyer sponsored by Bare Necessities), upscale resorts, and rural campgrounds and clubs. Guests feel very safe and comfortable at nudist resorts as inappropriate behavior is not allowed. One upscale resort owner was even President of the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce.

As can be expected, the most popular clothing optional resorts are located in warm parts of the country. Most notably Palm Springs, CA and Florida.

Cypress Cove Nudist Resort located just outside of Orlando, FL in Kissimmee is Florida's most famous nudist destination. It is very popular especially because it is close to all the attractions of Orlando like Disney World.

In Palm Springs, the popular place is The Terra Cotta Inn Clothing Optional Resort and Spa. Sunny Palm Springs is a very popular nudist destination as it has the best weather in America. Averaging less than 3 inches of rainfall a year, there is no warmer, sunnier city in the U.S. Another very important reason that nudist love Palm Springs is there are no mosquitoes because it is a desert city. So save the bug spray for your Florida vacations.

The Terra Cotta Inn's popularity is also due to their catering to couples trying nude sunbathing for the first time. They don't require memberships or mandatory immediate nudity like many nudist resorts. A first timer could initially wear a bathing suit or beach wrap if they so desired. Guests from around the world stay with them. Mary Clare, the owner says, "women are more intimidated by nude sunbathing at first, but ultimately they love it because they love the sense of freedom. You don't have to worry how you look in a bathing suit as you aren't wearing one. Some women are nervous the first time they come here, and will go topless sunbathing at first. But usually, after maybe 30 minutes, they feel comfortable and will completely disrobe just like everyone else. Guests always ends up nude sunbathing here because of our safe environment. Woman really appreciate it that we think of their feelings and well being and allow them to go nude sunbathing when they are ready."

This technique of allowing women to to feel comfortable is very successful. Terra Cotta Inn has one of the highest repeat guest rates in the travel industry at just over 75%.

Nude recreation week is to remind people that you don't have to settle for the same old boring chain hotel vacations this year. There really are fun places where you can relax and feel totally free. Isn't it time for a new, fun vacation? Give a clothing optional resort a call. Celebrate Nude Recreation Week this year in your birthday suit. You will be glad that you did. Week July 10th - 16th.

More Than Rain and Coffee in Seattle

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/276327_nude04.html


Nudists share the naked truth
Tuesday, July 4, 2006

By KERY MURAKAMI
P-I REPORTER

Among the people who were happiest when warm weather arrived to bake their bodies was Larry Holman.

He was sitting in a small, secluded beach north of Leschi Park the other afternoon, having decided like a lot of people on an 80-degree day to take his work outside. An architect, he sat cross-legged on a grassy area by the sand, drawing sketches for a house in the notebook set on his lap.

Under the notebook, he wore no pants.

Nearby, a 65-year-old consultant lay on his back, a tennis hat covering his face. Nothing covered anything else.

Holman said he comes to Seattle's unofficial nude beach for the quiet. Set at the bottom of a gravel road, it is curtained by trees that make it invisible from Lake Washington Boulevard above and two homes nearby.

The waves of Lake Washington lapped gently on the shore, and there was a sense of tranquillity -- and not just from the pace of city life.

Holman said it's a place to get away: from work, from the radio, from judgment.

There's also a mutual respect here that's not so evident in the world outside, where horns are honked and birds are flipped.

Only rarely do gawkers come by, he said. There's nothing voyeuristic or sexual about lying out naked, said Holman, who is married.

Sure, he said, he notices attractive women. "But you don't want to make anybody else uncomfortable and you don't want to be made to feel uncomfortable." So you might notice, but you don't really look. There's no class status on a nude beach. Brooks Brothers in the closet doesn't mean much when everybody's in their birthday suit.

There's no shame either in being fat or skinny, because there are others who are fat or skinny.

Mark Storey, co-founder of a group called the Body Freedom Collaborative that staged a rally two years ago to get an official clothing-optional beach, said by phone that's one of the reasons why naturists think the world would be a better place if it were clothing-optional.

Storey said, "You learn there's all kinds of normal and we're all pretty OK."

Parks spokeswoman Dewey Potter said the parks department does not consider simply being naked illegal, and she doesn't remember any complaints during the 13 years she's worked for the city about nudity in the parks -- though a man threatened to complain if people went nude at a rally Storey organized two years ago.

Still, Storey said, police have interpreted indecent exposure laws to mean that being nude in public is illegal.

He said that at the rally in Discovery Park, a man who lives nearby threatened to complain if anyone were to take off his or her clothes. Police said they'd make arrests if anyone stripped, so Storey and the other protesters decided to leave their clothes on. However, he said, someone got there late, took off their clothes and got a ticket.

Storey said he still wants a clothing-optional beach in the city so people don't have to worry about being busted. So, he and other members of his organization are organizing light-hearted events to get people used to seeing naked people. On Sept. 9, he wants people to garden nude.

He acknowledged, though, that people probably aren't ready to see nudes lying out at Alki.

In the meantime, and for a couple of months when it's warm enough, people such as Holman can stretch out.

There's no shame.

And there are no tan lines.

P-I reporter Kery Murakami can be reached at 206-448-8131 or kerymurakami@seattlepi.com.

© 1998-2006 Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Terra Cotta Inn, Famous Nude Resort, is For Sale

Nudist resort has seen change
Terra Cotta Inn still on the market

Marilyn Chung, The Desert Sun

Tom Mulhall, owner of the Terra Cotta Inn, welcomes new guests Susanne and Jim Shepard of Fontana.

Before it was the Terra Cotta Inn - and long before it went clothing-optional - the hotel at 2388 E. Racquet Club Road in Palm Springs was known as The Monkey Tree.

Opened in 1960, it is reported to have played host to celebrities like President John F. Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, and members of Frank Sinatra's Rat Pack.

In 1988, the resort was bought by an Orange County businessman and renamed The Legacy.

It was purchased in 1994 by Tom and Mary Clare Mulhall, who renamed it the Terra Cotta and offered it up as a clothing-optional resort, one of a handful of such places in the valley with an international clientele. The property has been listed for sale for about the past year, with an asking price of $2.6 million.

The 17-room hotel features Palm Springs' now celebrated mid-century modern design by architect Albert Frey.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Terra Cotta Inn has been up for sale for the past year. But its current owners are not anxious to part with what is a small piece of Palm Springs history - and still generating steady business among the valley's niche clothing-optional resorts.
"It's one of those things where we're not itching to sell, but if someone made us an offer we couldn't refuse, then I would sell," said Tom Mulhall, who opened the Terra Cotta with wife Mary Clare in 1994.

Right now, that unrefusable offer would be around $2.6 million - the Mulhalls' asking price for the 17-room hotel at 2388 E. Racquet Club Road.

The owners insist that's not just naked greed. Tom Mulhall said the inn consistently has at least a 75 percent rate-of-return business - much of it from international travelers who first heard about the hotel from the numerous publications around the globe that have spotlighted it.

Mulhall added the inn is nearly full throughout the year and consistently generates more than $70,000 annually in transient occupancy taxes for the city.

And the asking price is set at just around three times the hotel's annual revenues, which would be more than $800,000.

In their early 50s, neither of the Mulhalls is actually ready to stop working. But when it comes time to sell, Tom said he would like to see the inn rest in the right hands - with someone who will look to preserve what makes the property unique.

The resort was not clothing-optional when it opened in 1960 as the The Monkey Tree. But legend has it that it quickly became a popular and secluded getaway spot for political and Hollywood royalty.

It is reported to have played host at various times to John F. Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, as well as members of The Beatles and Frank Sinatra's Rat Pack.


What also set it apart was its distinct design by noted architect Albert Frey, who made his name in the Palm Springs area with several buildings constructed in the now celebrated mid-century modern style.
The Monkey Tree had ceased to exist by 1988, when it was purchased by an Orange County businessman who changed its name and operated it for a while as The Legacy.

Shortly after the Mulhalls bought it in 1994 and reopened it as Terra Cotta, they received a surprise visit from the master architect himself. Frey, by that time in his early 90s, liked what had become of his creation.

"He had traveled to nude bathing resorts in Europe when he was young," Tom Mulhall recalled. "He loved what we had done with the place - he definitely approved."

Though the Terra Cotta hasn't yet snagged its asking price, some local experts say it is not unusual for the valley's smaller vintage hotels, particularly around downtown Palm Springs, to fetch premium prices.

The market is not like it was during the valley's frenzied real estate climate of early 2004 - when about a dozen local small hotels sold for prices two and three times their previous purchase prices .

But experts contend smaller hotels are still attractive to investors.

About a decade ago, the rule of thumb was that local small hotels could be sold for around $30,000 per room. With valley real estate prices rising in recent years, several have sold for around $100,000 per room - especially vintage properties dating back to the 1950s and 1960s.

"Depending on the hotel, it's sometimes as much as $300,000 per room," said Char Sharp, an agent with commercial real estate firm Sperry Van Ness. Sharp is not representing Terra Cotta, but currently has about eight "boutique" hotel transactions in various stages of completion, mostly in Palm Springs.

She said those kinds of hotels - usually under 50 rooms and offering more personalized services than chain hotels - have become popular with buyers looking to make transitions in life.

"Some people are buying them for a change in lifestyle, and some people want to run a hotel as a way to change careers," Sharp said.

Source: http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060625/BUSINESS01/606250311/1003/business

See www.sunnyfun.com for Terra Cotta's website.

A Brief History of Organized Nudism in Ohio

Outdoors, au naturel

Area nudist camps gained exposure in '30s

By Mark J. Price - Beacon Journal

June 26, 2006


AKRON, OH -- There was absolutely no truth to the rumor that Akron residents took everything off and ran naked through the woods.

Some of them wore shoes.

When looking back on the halcyon days of the 1930s, nude volleyball may be the last image that springs to mind.

Well, OK, nude baseball is probably a close second.

In the summer swelter of the Great Depression, however, a merry band of men and women decided to leave everything behind -- including undergarments -- to frolic in the great outdoors.

A back-to-nature movement that originated in Europe had cartwheeled into the United States, and self-confident Akronites were eager to join. Much to the chagrin of starched society, nudist camps began to pop up on the outskirts of town.

Club members gathered at secluded areas on weekends to exercise and socialize -- with minimal concern for sunburns, mosquitoes, thorns and splinters.

Former Akron barber Chester W. Riel, executive of the Natural Friends League, created a flap in June 1934 when he announced the opening of a nudist camp in Portage County.

Happy campers converged in the woods on a 55-acre farm about two miles from Rootstown. (Ahem. If an off-color remark is beginning to form in your mind, please stop it.)

Membership cost $5 to $8, but anyone wishing to join was required to pass a “strict character examination.'' The official camp roster included 85 men and women ages 21 to 61. Their children were welcome, too.

The resort touted itself as a place “where the sun may shine on all equally.''

Riel posted a sign to explain the Natural Friends League's principles of nudism:

“You may consider yourself on your honor to be ladies and gentlemen, although I hardly believe a true nudist could be anything else,'' he wrote.

“It is the purpose of this league to inspire within a clean body the fundamentals of health and higher morality. We have been said to be seekers of health through nudism. But I want it made clear to you now that we are not seekers of health but the leaders for others to follow.''

Nudists followed a strict regimen every Sunday at the camp. The day began at 5 a.m. with group exercises and a brisk swim. Breakfast was served at 7 a.m. followed by a relaxation hour. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., campers enjoyed volleyball, baseball, handball and tennis.

A work session was held from 1 to 3 p.m. Club members were instructed to clear brush, repair roads and perform other chores.

The day ended with entertainment from 6 to 8 p.m.

“We sit around and sing or talk or tell stories, just like they do in clubs,'' Riel noted in 1934.

Akron journalists were eager to cover the nudes -- so to speak. In the pure interest of journalism, reporters offered to slip off their skivvies to land a big scoop. But Riel would have none of it.

“No, you can't go back there, and you can't take any pictures,'' he told a Beacon Journal crew. “For some of our members don't care to have their neighbors know they are nudists.''

Reporters could only stand at the gate and listen to shouts of glee from the woods.

When Akron's newspapers did publish photos of nudist camps, the artistic images were from Europe and other far-away places. The chances of recognizing someone greatly diminished.

The Portage camp's opening was controversial, of course. Some citizens expressed outrage. Some registered amusement. Some wondered how the heck to get there.

Inevitably, the law got involved.

“Nudism is a lot of hooey,'' Portage County Sheriff LeRoy Jones announced. “We're going to take action if these reports are true. What action? Well, we haven't decided. Maybe we could arrest them for indecent exposure.''

Jones conducted a raid in July and found a group of naked, middle-aged men clearing brush to set up a picnic table. The sheriff also found a group of women, all wearing dresses, looking after toddlers in the camp office.

He declined to arrest anyone.

“Those fellows back there aren't exposing themselves to any women,'' Jones decided. ``I guess there's nothing wrong.''

Following a rent dispute, the camp moved in 1935 to Eli Breitenstein's 140-acre farm near Clinton in Summit County. Breitenstein wasn't a member; he just rented the land.

Nudists weren't as happy with the new site. Camp members constantly had to shoo away curious onlookers who trespassed onto the farm.

To make sure there was no hanky-panky at the camp, Summit County Sheriff Jim Flower took a look, too.

“From what I've gathered, most nudists look upon nudism as a sort of religion in which the development of the body is the chief aim,'' he noted. ``If that is so, I don't intend to interfere, no more than I would with the members of one of the recognized religious sects.''

Jeepers creepers, there were peepers. The Cleveland League of Naturists, which had a camp near Macedonia, got tired of all the gawking and moved to a 50-acre farm near Sharon Center in Medina County.

Naturally, this demanded further scrutiny from officials.

“I don't favor nudism,'' Medina County Prosecutor L. Ashley Pelton announced. “I feel sure it must be against the law.''

Dr. Russell Bigelow Abbott, leader of the Sharon Center group, was elected national president during a nudist conference at the farm. Fifty nude delegates from across the nation cast ballots at the gathering.

Abbott explained that going without clothes provided comfort and freedom.

“I do it unconsciously,'' he said in 1934. “I'm so used to it now. And I run around naked in the house. Of course, I have to be careful out in the yard.''

Seven nudist organizations were operating in Ohio by the mid-1930s. All professed the highest standards and principals for morality and health.

“Our camps are open to any skeptic who harbors the impression that immorality prevails amongst our members,'' Riel told the Beacon Journal.

After a few years, the uproar subsided.

Authorities determined that camp activities on private property were legal as long as they didn't take place within view of the public.

Officers left the nudists alone.

Nudist camps may have disappeared from local headlines, but they did not disappear.

Today, the American Association for Nude Recreation cites 50,000 members and more than 270 clubs committed “to fostering wholesome, nurturing environments that promote body acceptance and respect for all persons.''

Regional resorts can be found in Bath Township, Millersburg and Cleveland.

If the weather is nice, the great-grandchildren of those 1930s rebels might be playing volleyball this weekend.

Source: http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/14903517.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news

Some Random Bare Thoughts

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/saturdayspin/275160_sorbo24.html

Too prudish for nudish?
Saturday, June 24, 2006

By CATHY SORBO
SPECIAL TO THE P-I

My family is extremely comfortable with in-home nudity. By family I
mean myself, my husband and our child, exclusively. It's not like my
mom comes over for a visit and we all strip-off before tea and
doughnuts, but it isn't uncommon for one or more of us to be without
our clothes on.

One recent suppertime, our dinner festivities were coming to a close
and I realized that my husband had sat down for dinner completely
naked and no one took any notice at all. A week or so later, I
mentioned that to him and he said his European ancestors always ate
dinner in the nude.

Maybe that's where we get the napkin-on-the-lap rule.

Now it is officially summer, and because Seattle has no sanctioned
beaches for nude/semi-nude sunbathing, I will look forward to the
annual conversation I have with my daughter as to why she can't take
her top off and play on the beach, but boys can.

Although there is nothing in the Seattle Municipal Code with regard
to nudity, the Revised Code of Washington does define indecent
exposure in section 9A.88.010:

"A person is guilty of indecent exposure if he or she intentionally
makes any open and obscene exposure of his or her person or the
person of another knowing that such conduct is likely to cause
reasonable affront or alarm. The act of breastfeeding or expressing
breast milk is not indecent exposure."

No. And neither is lying naked in the sun on a blanket with a good
book. Or swimming nude. But maybe naked volleyball.

My first real experience with public nudity occurred during a visit
to St. Martin. I was there for three weeks, contracted to work as the
entertainment at one of the resorts. Luckily, the other comedian was
a good friend of mine. Otherwise it might have been overly awkward
during the strip-down process the first time out on the beach. You
would think that after three weeks we would run out of euphemisms for
genitals, but the comedy never stopped until he would disappear for
hours snorkeling and I was left with a private chunk of soft-sanded
beach all to myself.

Warm breezes and tropical water on fully bare skin was a delicious
experience. The strangeness was up on stage, looking out into the
crowd and recognizing some of the clothed patrons as naked sunbathers.

That was a fun time. I wouldn't dare venture out into the nude now
without first hiring a crack team of body hair wranglers.

If you thought group nudity was reserved for painted cyclists, I'd
like to introduce you to Forestia, a member-owned, non-profit nudist
community co-op based in Issaquah. Here you can enjoy non-sexual nude
recreation with others who love to be naked.

Coming up on July 1, the clothesless folks at Forestia host "An old-
fashioned Fourth of July, with sack races, penny toss, red, white and
blue bunting. Look for there to be hot dogs and goodies, too."

Hot dogs and goodies? The jokes just write themselves.

On July 16, Forestia presents the "Bare Buns Fun Run," a clothing-
optional 5K run and walk. Other organized activities include a
Saturday night dance, potlucks and karaoke nights.

I can't think of anything more horrifying than naked karaoke. I would
have to get really drunk for naked karaoke, and I mean gigantic
Polynesian-style rum-infused drinks-drunk.

There are certain songs you might not want to sing during naked
karaoke: "Touch Me" by The Doors, "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-a-Lot
and "Watching Scotty Grow" by Bobby Goldsboro are a few that come to
mind.

The events at Forestia continue on into the fall with an Oktoberfest
celebration that includes "a live German band, wurst, sauerkraut,
brodchen, rot kolbe (red cabbage) and all the trimmings."

And they mean ALL the trimmings.

Nudists enjoy the same recreational activities that clothed people
enjoy. I read an online account of a woman who organized an all-nude
bridal shower. That would be the ideal function at which to co-host
the bachelor party as well. There are cruises that cater to nudists,
although I don't think I could fully enjoy repeat visits to the
breakfast buffet while nude.

Here in Seattle we have the extremely popular clothing-optional
"World Naked Bike Ride" but I'd much prefer a section of beach over
an organized function. As the WNBR people like to say, nude is not lewd.

But naked volleyball is.

Cathy Sorbo is a Seattle-based comedian; www.cathysorbo.com© 1998-2006 Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Desert Shadows is the Setting for the Most Un-Blind Date Ever

No Secrets on This Blind Date -- Web's Katwoman Goes Native for ‘Jane Magazine’ at Palm Springs Resort


Actress Shannon Marie Codner Has Warm Words For Desert Shadows, Hot Naturist Retreat

Palm Springs, Calif. (PRWEB) June 28, 2006 -- Blind dates evoke all kinds of adolescent angst, but that persistent matter of “mystery” was quickly dispatched recently when actress Shannon Marie Codner experienced her latest pre-arranged rendezvous.

Both Codner (www.katwoman.com), the Web’s Katwoman, and her date – Anu McKnight, another Southern Californian – met in the altogether at Desert Shadows Inn Resort & Villas in Palm Springs. The matchmaker in this case was Jane Magazine, who paired Codner and McNight, for the sake of fun and good journalism. The encounter, which will be featured in the August issue of the magazine, was a winner. And for both, it was the first visit to a naturist resort.

“It certainly was a novelty being naked during the entire experience, but I found that it was possible to socialize without pretensions, as well as without clothes,” Codner said. “And Desert Shadows was as comfortable an environment as I had heard it would be – gracious, inviting, full of amenities.”

For Codner, Desert Shadows’ warmth clearly wasn’t limited to the Coachella Valley sun.

“Upon arrival, a guest couldn’t have asked for a more friendly staff,” she said. “From the moment I walked through the door, I was made to feel like part of the Desert Shadows family. The views surrounding the inn are breathtaking. People of all ages were already there lounging by the pool or taking up a game of tennis. My first stop was the café to grab a bite to eat. The food was delicious. Some folks had tan lines and some did not. I look forward to going back.”

Her visit to the popular resort isn’t likely to stop at Jane Magazine’s pages. She’s clearly been smitten with the naturist experience – an especially welcome turn of events, given her new-found appreciation of a lifestyle where a smile is indeed enough to get by.

Away from the languor of the desert, Codner has been busy, busy. She recently co-hosted the pilot episode of “The Rock & Roll Musical Circus” and serves as the host of “Models, Motors & Music,” currently airing throughout Southern and Central California as well as Nevada. In that capacity, Codner interviews musicians who range from GRAMMY® Award winners to the local indie band looking for a big break. She’s also an occasional guest co-host of the TV show “Musical Café,” a live call-in program that airs in Santa Barbara.

Look for Codner in the upcoming horror flick “Chiseled,” due out this October, just in time for Halloween. As she recounts it, “the film was already done and the studio came back and said that it needed to be sexier, so my character ‘Kirsten’ was then added to the script. I play opposite the lead actor in the film. Do I get killed? Well, you’ll just have to watch the film to find out! Just make sure you don’t watch while eating because this is one gruesome flick!’’ She was delighted to work with the cast and crew, describing executive producer Peter J. Abrahams as “the kind of producer any actor should hope for.”

Abrahams, responding in kind, described Codner as “very accommodating and very professional. The project will definitely have a definitive added value as a result of your performance.”

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/6/prweb404260.htm

The Golden State Needs More Bare Beaches!

“No nudity” is no joke to naturist group

by Paul Sisolak/paul@coastalview.com



Organization lobbies for clothing optional laws in Carpinteria and
Summerland

Select members of a nudist action group seeking the restoration of
clothing optional areas at two local beaches are prepared to give
government officials a “nude awakening.”

Tied to the nationally-affiliated Naturist Action Committee (NAC) and
the Southern California Naturist Association (SCNA), they have formed a
sub-group with plans to approach legislators about amending local
anti-nudity ordinances at Bates Beach and Finney Beach in Summerland.

The Nude Beach Alliance is comprised of 75 naturists from Ventura and
Santa Barbara counties.

Allen Baylis, an attorney and member of the NAC Board of Directors,
said
naturism, or the practice of nudism, particularly on beaches, is a
misconstrued and misunderstood activity.

“We feel nude or clothing optional recreation is a valid recreation and
should be enjoyed as so,” he said. “People who believe it’s immoral to
be without clothes have created these problems for us. This is an issue
for them.”

Baylis believes the main issue at hand is that many beachfront
residents
confused public nudity with public sexual behavior, complained, and
laws
prohibiting the practice were suggested and approved.

“It’s all a matter of context, that anything that invokes nudity is
sexual, and that’s just not so,” noted Baylis.

On the books, a few Santa Barbara County ordinances passed by the board
of supervisors disallow nudity in all county recreational areas,
including beaches and parks, according to sheriff’s lieutenant Darin
Fotheringham.

“Yes, there’s a section of the public who enjoy nudity. For them,
they’re a small portion of the community,” noted Fotheringham. “The
intent of these laws is for the majority of the public.”

According to Fotheringham, existing anti-nudity mandates are important,
not because nudists practice sexual acts in public, but because some
people find sexual gratification by flocking to nude beaches, observing
naturists, and committing lewd and lascivious acts.

“What is drawn to the nudity is an element of perverts,” said the
lieutenant. “It draws another crowd because they’re no naturalists, but
they go to gawk.”

Many offenses to anti-nudity laws, generally considered a citable
infraction for the sheriff’s department, are committed unintentionally,
said Fotheringham, often by vacationing tourists from Europe, where
nudity is a more accepted practice.

“Obviously, our standards to what is accessible or offensive to the
public are a different standard than to another country,” Fotheringham
said. “Ignorance is not a defense under California law.”

“Nudists are a very unique kind of environmentalist” that keep beaches
clean and quiet while embracing nudity as a natural state of being,
said
Gary Mussel, president of the Southern California Naturist Association
in Calabasas.

According to Mussel, since nudity has been restricted, local beaches
are
now underutilized and have deteriorated to include large quantities of
litter left behind from the clothed that naturists once helped clean up
and maintain.

“The crime goes down, the drugs go down and the beaches are cleaner”
when beaches are nude friendly, said Mussel.

Mussel added that most Southern California naturists must travel to the
nude-friendly Blacks Beach in San Diego and San Onofre Beach in the
meantime.

Until then, the Nude Beach Alliance, with its Web site,
ournudebeach.com, has started its campaign to change the county’s mind
on its laws.

Mussel said last Saturday a dozen alliance members appeared at the
Solstice Parade in downtown Santa Barbara to hand out paraphernalia,
literature and t-shirts proclaiming “We want our nude beaches back.”

Mussel was surprised at the large amount of support they received, with
one or two negative responses out of 35 in the uninhibited surroundings
of the annual event.

“I expected a lot more negativity, or certainly a mixed reaction,” said
Mussel. “It was a lot more positive than I thought.”

The group, ever mindful that 2006 is an election year, according to
Mussel, will make the slow crawl, clothed, to officials on the city and
county level. A county board of supervisors ruling will require a
three-vote majority to enact new laws.

Mussel said the alliance also has considered pursuing a county
exemption
from Carpinteria City Council members that could improve nudists’
chances of returning to Bates Beach.

“This isn’t a bunch of crazies who are trying to seize the beach back,”
explained Mussel. We’re going to do it legally.

“We want to show that we’re part of the community and we’re just like
them. We’re not outsiders,” he continued. “We just want to see if the
Carpinteria community would welcome us back.”


http://www.coastalview.com/center.asp?article=13286

The Right Wing Can Still Get a Tan

As a Naturist who is also a Republican, all I can say is KUDOS to Kraus'.

Nudist GOP contributor's filing bares all

By Howard Fischer
Capitol Media Services

Tucson, Arizona | Published: 07.02.2006

PHOENIX — If the phrase "Republican nudist" begs for a little exposure, you might start by peeking into financial disclosure forms on file with the state.

Horst Kraus describes himself as a "dyed-in-the-wool conservative Republican." He said that's why he and his wife, Gisela, have donated to various GOP candidates for legislative, statewide and federal office.

Oh, and the Krauses are owners of the Shangri La Ranch in New River, likely the state's largest nudist camp.

This election Kraus has donated to the re-election campaign of Secretary of State Jan Brewer. Kraus met her about a decade ago when she was a Maricopa County supervisor.

"She's a no-nonsense type politician," he said.

Brewer said she presumes Kraus gave her money because he likes the job she's doing. Nor was she surprised that the owner of a nudist camp gave her money. "My base is so broad that everybody loves me," she said. "I appreciate everyone's support."

Kraus said Brewer isn't a member of his club. Nor, for that matter, has she ever visited. "I wish she would," he said. "It would be good for business."
Some legislators have been to the ranch, though.

Kraus said he hosted a forum for Republican candidates before the 2002 election. One of those attending was Sen. Dean Martin, R-Phoenix, in whose district the resort is located.

Martin said he was unaware when he was invited that Shangri La — which was not in his district until lines were redrawn in 2001 — was a nudist colony. But he went after being assured it was a public meeting.

And though the meeting was held in the facility's Bare Buns Cafe, the candidates, and the guests, all kept their clothes on.

Kraus' interest in politics is not limited to races for state office. He has given money for the upcoming campaign to re-elect Reps. Rick Renzi and John Shadegg, though the biggest check — $1,000 from him and his wife — went to help U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl win another six years in Washington.

A campaign aide to Kyl seemed amused by questions about the donation.

"Mr. Kraus is just one of a diverse group of more than 10,000 contributors to our campaign," said Andy Chasin. "And that's the naked truth."

http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/politics/136162.php