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Nudists take the plunge for Guinness skinny-dipping record
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Heidi Klum enjoying a little skinny dipping. Photo:Russell James
As a short follow-up to the "Coming out of my Shell" article of earlier this week, here's notification of the AANR World Record Skinny Dip attempt. On Saturday, July 11, at 3:00 in the afternoon, members of nudist resorts and legal public beaches across the country (and in several Canadian provinces) will participate in the age-old practice of skinny dipping: diving into cool water, sans clothing, to chill down on a warm summer day. It's freeing, it's fun, and, in this case, it's a community effort.
The attempt will serve as the finale to Nude Recreation Week (July 5-11). There are 115 clubs in the United States and nine in Canada in which members and new visitors will take the plunge for a spot in the renowned
Guinness World Record Book. Guinness has only recently created this category and the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) threw its support behind the effort in a big way. Organizing so many indepdendent clubs and facilities and getting the word out is no easy undertaking. Substantial information is available on it's parent site as well as on resort's and club's sites individually.
If you've never participated in a nudist event, Saturday would be the ideal time to give it a try. According to Carrie, a member of the staff at Turtle Lake, "We expect many first-time and day-visitors for this event. Guests must bring a photo ID and plan to arrive before 3:00 so they'll have plenty of time to register and make their way to the beach before the big event." Since Turtle Lake already had their activities calendar complete before AANR announced the world-record attempt, there will be plenty to do at the resort both before and after taking that dip. The "King of the Grass" Volleyball Tournament till take place on Saturday as well as a DJ'd dance at 8:00 pm.
There are several nudist clubs in Michigan: The Apple Cider Nature Club with contact information in Lansing, Forest Hills Club in Saranac, Spruce Hollow in Mesick, Sunshine Gardens Resort in Battle Creek, Whispering Oaks in Oxford, and Turtle Lake in Union City. You can find the appropriate contact information for each of the clubs on the AANR site. Only Forest Hills, Spruce Hollow, and Turtle Lake will participate in the Guinness attempt this weekend.
Nudist, or "naturist" clubs, are either "landed" or "traveling". A club that is landed has property on which it's members can gather. It may be a simple place, offering little more than camping spaces, or as elaborate as any five-star resort. These high-end resorts tend to be located in tropical regions where their members and visitors can take advantage of their facilities all year. Traveling clubs consist of like-thinking nudists who gather at different places: beaches, lakes, etc., to enjoy the practice of nudism. Some clubs have chartered cruise ships and arranged to "take over" small resorts for a week of naked fun in the sun.
You've heard of "staycations?" How about "Nakations?" According to Forbes Magazine, nude travel had grown into a $400 million a year industry by 2003 and the AANR boasts more than 50,000 members. As our population ages and the rebels of the 1960's find their comfort-zone in this free-feeling, non-conformist mode of travel and relaxation, that number continues to grow. No longer satisfied with gathering in something that resembled a wildlife refuge from forty years ago, members of many resorts are insisting on the same pampering and luxurious accommodations they would expect at a high-end "textile" resort. Resorts, such as Hidden Beach in Mexico and Cypress Cove and Caliente in Florida have every amenity a person could ask for.
So shed you're skepticism. Toss your self-consciousness and worries about body image and pre-conceived notions of what physical beauty is all about aside. It's going to be in the 80's and humid on Saturday. Take the plunge!
Note: While I looked for photos of "average" folks like you and I skinny dipping to post in association with this article, most showed bare buns, etc. and would not have been appropriate for this site. Instead, Heidi Klum has been very vocal about her support of the nudist lifestyle and I was able to find the great shot of her on a skinny dipping adventure (by Russell James) to post above. Her expression reflects the unfettered joy that one feels after spending a day on the beach unconcerned about tan lines :)
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