Nude Recreation Week

Nude Recreation Week is July 10 - 16, 2006. Here are some questions and answers concerning this annual event.

1. How long has there been a Nude Recreation Week?

Nude Recreation Week started as National Nude Beach Day on August 8, 1976. The idea had been conceived by Eugene Callen, founder of Beachfront USA, but it was formally introduced that year by Lee Baxandall, who founded the Free Beach Documentation Center, and later, The Naturist Society. The event has developed from a single day to a weekend and finally, to an entire week-long observance.

2. What kind of events or activities usually take place during the week? What do Naturists do to celebrate the week?

Nude Recreation Week is celebrated in many different ways. On some clothing-optional beaches, there are cookouts, competitions and other festivities. At nudist parks and resorts, there are often bands, family activities and special events. In past years, resorts have offered attractions like hot air balloon and helicopter rides, motorcycle poker runs and volleyball tournaments.

Naturists who don't go to a park or a beach for the fun often host smaller clothing-optional get-togethers in their own back yards. There, you can count on hamburgers and a little music, and usually there's a swimming pool involved. In fact, that's almost a requirement for some places.

Newcomers are generally welcomed year 'round, but during Nude Recreation Week, many clubs and groups make a special effort to attract first-timers.

3. How do I find out about events that are taking place locally?

Many clubs and groups have something planned. For an impressive list of local contacts, go to the web site of The Naturist Society. Check out the Naturist Network.

4. What is the mission behind having a week dedicated to nude recreation?

All sorts of groups enjoy celebrating their existence, and naturists are certainly no different. A special week for naturists brings attention to nude recreation and allows those who have considered it a chance to try it. It's part celebration, part promotion, and pretty much all fun.

5. What are the benefits of taking part in nude recreation?

Nude recreation is like being barefoot all over. The smile it puts on your face is the first benefit you'll notice, and that doesn't have to be taught. Beyond that, however, are the more subtle benefits that come from accepting others - and yourself! The value of that is immeasurable. You learn that things like personal dignity have nothing to do with the outer shell of clothing you've put on. An appreciation for concepts like personal freedom comes as part of the package. Did I mention it just feels good?

6. What do you say to people who question or disagree with Naturism? Do people ever tell you that they think it is wrong?

You can anticipate that an array of people will have an array of notions about everything, including nude recreation. It's fascinating to note, however, that a Roper Poll taken in 2000 indicates that 80 percent of the American population believe that people who enjoy nude sunbathing should be able to do so at beaches accepted for that purpose, without interference from officials. Getting eighty percent of the American public to agree on anything at all is pretty amazing!

Still, there will always be no shortage of people among the 20 percent minority who will jump at any chance to tell others what they should and shouldn't do. Those who attack naturists attempt to do so most often on grounds that simply ignore the fundamentals of personal liberty on which this nation was founded.

In that same Roper Poll, by the way, half of the people expressing an opinion felt that state and local governments should actively create areas for nude recreation, in much the same way that public lands are set aside for hunting, surfing or snowmobiling. The point is that half of all Americans are already beyond just shrugging at nude recreation. They want their government to become active in accommodating it!