Thursday, Jul. 08, 2010

The Nekkid Truth

Clothing not an option as local skinny dippers try to break record

Skinny dipping is a time-honored tradition of summer.

For generations, people have escaped from the blazing heat by shedding clothes and inhibitions and jumping into the nearest convenient body of water completely naked.

Or, to use the more down-home spelling, nekkid.

In most places, including the Grand Strand, you can't legally skinny dip in public because it's against the law, so people who want the nekkid-swimming experience have to either do it in private or get the minor thrill of hitting the ocean or the pool in the buff after dark, hoping nobody calls Johnny Law.

For one day only, however, the general public is being invited to take it all off and jump in the pool.

On Saturday, the Whispering Pines Nudist Resort in Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., about 25 miles north of Myrtle Beach, will host its second annual World Record Skinny Dip event.

The resort participated in the inaugural event, held in 2009, when 13,648 people at locations around the United States simultaneously stripped down and hit the water for an event sponsored by the American Association for Nude Recreation (www.aanr.com/skinny-dip.html). The event was officially recognized by Guinness World Records. This year, organizers are hoping to break that record, and folks who want to try skinny-dipping for themselves are invited to Whispering Pines for the attempt. The event coincides with National Nude Recreation Week (July 5-11), and is billed as an effort to promote "wholesome, happy skinny dipping as an American tradition."

The rules for enjoying the world-record dip are simple.

"You have to bring a towel because you need something to sit on and something to dry off with, some sunscreen, and other than that a smile," said Whispering Pines owner John Frick, who is also a full-time resident at the resort.

The 2009 event drew more than 260 dippers to Whispering Pines, which has been open for more than 35 years.

Just like last year, the resort is also hosting an open house on the day of the record dip. Visitors can come through the gates without paying a fee starting at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, meet members, and enjoy activities including volleyball, horseshoes, shuffleboard and walking trails.

Just because it's a nudist resort doesn't mean visitors have to shed their clothes as soon as they enter, Frick said. They can stay clothed all day if they prefer, unless they want to take part in the skinny-dip itself, which takes place at 3 p.m.

Even then, shy people can jump into the pool with swimsuits on. However, once the dip itself takes place, they'll need to shed the suit and hold it over their heads to prove they are really and truly skinny-dipping.

In order to certify the record, everyone who participates has to register and be counted. The numbers are what count. Photographs will be taken, but camera-shy people can turn their backs if they don't want their face shown.

Last year's event drew dippers from around the Carolinas and Southeast, and from as far away as Pennsylvania and Florida, Frick said. He noted ages ranged from young adults in their early 20s to retirees in their 70s, and he estimated more than half of participants were first-time visitors to the resort. More than a few have been back for repeat visits, he said. The resort is open year-round and offers rental RVs, plus RV hookups and campsites.

"The skinny dip event is a fun idea to get people to come out and learn there's a great way to relax, de-stress and get back to innocence, and it's right here in your backyard," said Cheri Alexander, a Columbia resident who participated in the 2009 event.

The draw of the dip

What is it about skinny-dipping that is so exciting - or even taboo? For people who never strip all the way down unless they're stepping into the shower, there is, of course, the thrill of the forbidden. For others who make skinny dipping a regular part of their life, however, it's simply a great way to relieve stress.

Alexander first skinny-dipped on a vacation to Martinique. The trip included a visit to a "clothing-optional" beach.

"I initially said I'll go, but I won't disrobe," Alexander said. "I was the last person to disrobe and the last person to put my clothes back on, and ended up thinking 'Why didn't I know about this a long time ago?'"

That experience changed Alexander's life. She now is a proud nudist who lives her life according to the mantra "nude when possible, clothed when practical."

Alexander is also the founder, owner and coordinator of Travelites, a "non-landed" social nudist club based in Columbia, with a membership of more than 100 people from around the state and the U.S. Members regularly meet up for outings, recreation and special events, and many will be at Whispering Pines for Saturday's event. (The club's name is a play on the phrase "traveling light," Alexander said.)

You don't have to be a nudist to enjoy skinny-dipping, Alexander said, although she said there are some people who might attend the event and decide to become "real card-carrying nudists."

An event like the world record skinny-dip can simply be a way for people to have fun, relax and maybe become more comfortable with who they are, she said.

"A lot of people regularly swim naked in their own pools or in a creek somewhere and think nothing of it," she said. "This event is just a way to let Americans know it's OK to swim naked. They can have fun once they realize they're OK with their body."

Steve (who is proud of being a nudist, but asked not to use his last name because some members of his family disapprove) a Travelites member from Holden Beach, N.C., said last year's world record dip was the first such event he's ever attended, although he's been interested in nudism since he was a young man growing up in the Midwest.

He said skinny-dipping with the crowd at Whispering Pines was a way for him to do something he'd often thought about, but might never have dared if it wasn't for the friendliness of other people who showed up. Seeing others "take the plunge," literally, is what leads many people to finally try it.

"It's so utterly pleasant," he said. "I was surprised how comfortable I felt."

Bare naked and busted

Want to swim naked but don't have the time or the bravery to head up to Whispering Pines? If you want the skinny dipping experience anywhere along the Grand Strand, you've got to do it in private. Your own swimming pool or hot tub, on private property, is the best way to go.

Virtually every municipality in Horry and Georgetown counties, and in Brunswick County, N.C., has public nudity laws that, in essence, state that any area usually covered by a bathing suit can't be displayed in public.

The City of Myrtle Beach, for instance, bans public nudity "on any of the streets, avenues, alleys, parks, beaches, or any other part of the pubic property within the corporate limits." The city's indecent exposure law forbids any person from "intentionally" appearing in any public place "in such a state of dress or undress so as to expose to the view of others the human male or female genitals, pubic area, pubic hair, buttocks, anus, vulva or any portion of the female breast at or below the areola thereof." The public nudity laws in North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, Conway, Horry and Georgetown counties, Pawleys Island and Georgetown contain pretty much the same wording.

These laws, of course, are frequently disobeyed by fun-loving tourists and locals alike, usually fueled by some sort of adult beverage. Most public skinny dippers wait until nightfall to hit the ocean or the hotel pool. If they get caught, they face a Class C misdemeanor and will generally have to appear in court and pay a fine.

Either most people don't skinny-dip in Myrtle Beach, or they're really good at not getting caught. Between June 30, 2009, and June 30 of this year, seven people were cited for indecent exposure by the city. Six of them were wearing swimsuits that were too small, according to Mark Kruea, public information officer for the City of Myrtle Beach.

Shedding misconceptions, along with clothes

Whether people shed their clothes for the Whispering Pines event or just for a quick dip in the backyard pool, they're most likely looking for fun, relaxation and a little freedom, enthusiasts say. An innocent dip does not automatically lead to activities more suitable for Penthouse magazine, despite what critics might think.

The biggest misconception about nudists, according to Frick and other skinny-dip veterans, is that just because they don't wear clothes, they must spend all their time engaged in some sort of Roman orgy.

"Some people mistakenly think it's like a swingers club, with hanky-panky going on, but that's not it at all," Frick said. "That's definitely not what we're about. People who come here believe in family. On a weekend, you'll see people watching fireworks, playing volleyball. People here do all same activities they'd do at any other park, except they're naked while they do it."

Visitors to Whispering Pines also won't have to worry about people staring at them, making lewd comments or inappropriate advances, Frick said. That kind of conduct goes against all the rules of the nudist culture, and will get you kicked out before you can get a foot in the water.

Many people who feel the urge to skinny dip somehow feel they're doing something illicit and dirty because American culture has a twisted concept of nudity, enthusiasts say. Images of scantily clad actresses and pop stars are everywhere, sex is advertised everywhere, but the idea of someone not wearing clothes while they swim or hang out around the house somehow becomes a taboo.

"Most people in general link nudity to sex, and that is the most widely held misconception," Alexander said. "At events like the skinny dip, profanity and inappropriate touching are not welcome. You should act just like you would at your church picnic." That would surely be an interesting church picnic.

Some people may also be reluctant to shed their clothes and take a dip because of body image issues. Regular dippers agree across the board that wash-board abs are not the norm for the folks who show up at Whispering Pines, and a few scars, stretch marks or love handles won't be noticed and won't be criticized.

Alexander said the freedom of skinny-dipping often makes people, especially women, feel better about their bodies.

"It's not about looking and being looked at," she said. "You will find people of all sizes, shapes and colors."

Conway resident Art Johnson, who participated in the 2009 event, said he first skinny-dipped on "a deserted beach in Okinawa" 45 years ago, and said he'd never wear a bathing suit again.

"Many people have distorted feelings of body awareness, and the general public might think that people who participate in nudism have perfect bodies, but something like the skinny dip is for people of all ages and all walks of life," Johnson said. "The best advice I can give to people is try it, you might like it!"