Questions on doing bodybuilding naked

The Nude Bodybuilder

by Carlson Wade

Nudism is the ideal way in which to do bodybuilding and exercises. After all, is it comfortable to perform health giving physical rituals while wearing binding straps, tight garments, constricting shorts? Freedom for bodily movement is possible only in a state of compatibility with Nature.

Some time ago, at a small gymnasium, a group of well-muscled youths were performing handsome exercises. Their bodies were sculpted and magnificent. Youth radiated. One young bodybuilder came out wearing a pair of athletic supporters or a jockstrap. It brought a few muffled gasps of surprise, when he turned to expose his well-developed buttocks. In the midst of everything, the straps broke and he was in a state of Nature.

There were many red faces and embarrassed exclamations. Who was least concerned? The young bodybuilder. In fact, he was probably grateful to be rid of this confinement. It all illustrates how shame and prudery exist solely in the discolored minds of prudes. Now, suppose you, as a nudist, want to do some exercises. Here are answers to a few questions that are probably bothering you.

nude muscle man on the rock

QUESTION:

Will activity in a vigorous workout at the end of a day’s mental work help reduce fatigue?

ANSWER:

No. Strenuous nude exercise helps produce additional tissue waste products. But diversion from mental activity into physical outlets will help decrease fatigue caused by too much “brain work.”

QUESTION:

Since I do heavy muscle building, is a high meat (protein) diet my only source of energy?

ANSWER:

Not exactly. The other chief source of energy is from carbohydrates such as starches and sugars.

hot naked muscle guyQUESTION:

Someone said that a good exercise for development of stomach muscles is to touch the floor with my fingertips from an upright position.

ANSWER:

Not necessarily. Gravity will pull your trunk forward and downward when your hip and back muscles are relaxed. You raise your body by contraction of your hip muscles plus other muscles grouped at the back of your thigh. These have little to do with abdominal strength.

QUESTION:

At nudist camps, I see other healthy young athletes with very hairy bodies and chests. Is this a sign of masculinity or greater virility?

ANSWER:

Definitely not! Hairiness is hereditary and there is no connection with vitality or virile potency.

QUESTION:

Is my body physique partially inherited and susceptible to slight change by environment?

ANSWER:

Yes! Anthropologists have learned that you may inherit either of these three physique types: 1. soft and round, 2. muscular definition, 3. thin and lean type. As for environment, this includes exercise and can improve or change your body type.

QUESTION:

Does endurance accompany speed and strength all the time?

ANSWER:

Not quite! You need endurance in basketball; but football requires speed and strength together with endurance. Although all three powers are desirable, they are not always accompanied by each other unfortunately!

QUESTION:

Will exercise cause injury to a normal heart?

ANSWER:

Definitely not! If exercise is suitable to your age and physical condition, there is no risk. Besides, your skeletal muscles would stop contracting before any heart injury is possible.

QUESTION:

On a hot day, should I enter cold water for a nude swim by suddenly diving in fast?

ANSWER:

NO! NO! NO! Your body temperature is higher than cold water. A sudden plunge shocks your nervous and circulatory systems. First stand in cold water at about 10 inches depth. Bathe your arms, wrists, elbows and back of neck slowly. Give your metabolism a chance to adjust to the cold water.

QUESTION:

If I do breathing exercises in the open air, will it increase the amount of oxygen that I now have stored in my system?

ANSWER:

Not quite. Your blood maintains an oxygen balance and this quota cannot be exceeded. The ability to absorb more oxygen and utilize oxygen more effectively is improved by exercise.

QUESTION:

What effect does exercise have on the appetite?

ANSWER:

Exercise stimulates your appetite and requires more liquid-d r i n k i n g and aids in food assimilation, thereby increasing your weight.

nude young guyQUESTION:

Good posture and strong stomach muscles are interrelated. Is this true?

ANSWER:

Surely! Strong stomach muscles keep your pelvis and abdominal organs in good position, relieving strain on tissues in that region and relieving strain on the joints of your lower back.

QUESTION:

Will playing games help in muscular development?

ANSWER:

Yes, because running aids your circulatory system, heart and respiratory (breathing) tract.

QUESTION:

Often I experience a pain in the back of my neck. Is this caused by holding my head in one position for a long time?

ANSWER:

Yes, it happens to most nude bodybuilders, too. Relieve the pain by letting your head drop forward for a rest, at intervals.

QUESTION:

After exercise, I feel physically fatigued. What can I do for relief?

ANSWER:

Exercise causes your glucose (energy) source in your muscular tissues to be used up, leaving acids and an increase in pulse rate. This fatigue may be relieved by resting for 90 minutes in a reclining position.

QUESTION:

Someone said that a good stomach exercise is to sit erect from a lying position on the back. Is this true?

ANSWER:

Your nudist friend is correct! The stomach muscles are forcibly contracted when you raise your trunk to a sitting (right) angle.

QUESTION:

What is the best time of day to exercise? When I wake up?

ANSWER:

No since exercise causes a f a t i g u e-producing emotion, you’ll only exhaust yourself for your day’s work. The late afternoon, about 2 hours before dinner, is best. And, rest for 60 minutes after exercise, before eating.

QUESTION:

I’ve heard about “second wind,” also called “respiratory relief.” What does this mean?

ANSWER:

After the first exertion you feel naturally tired. Your breathing and pulse rates are slower and you feel less nervous. This makes it feel that you have “second wind” but take care not to overexert yourself.

QUESTION:

Is energy required in doing serious mental work?

ANSWER:

A form of “mental” energy is needed but physical energy needed is very slight.

QUESTION:

What muscular power is given by emotional excitement?

ANSWER:

During fear, excitement, anger, etc., there is an excess secretion of epinephrine into your bloodstream.

The American Sunbather
ISSUE: Number 2, April 1967
Publisher: The American Sunbather and Naturist Review

How To Enjoy Indoor Nudism

By Judy Inge

Wondering how to continue nudism during off-season months? Here’s a wonderful plan for indoor nudism and sunbathing!

If you are among the most ‘ fortunate of nudists who live in a tropical climate, it means you can enjoy sunbathing regardless of the calendar. It is a refreshing and invigorating reaction to hop into your auto or station wagon, drive to your resort, strip away the confining garments and run nakedly through the woods, into the pool or stream, splashing merrily and then remark that it’s such a lovely warm day for January!

But suppose you live in the colder northern or eastern parts of the U.S., or in those sections of Canada where warm weather is a treasure and rarity? What to do? The answer is that during the appropriate season, get as much sun and fun as possible. Then, during inclement weather, try a popular pastime of many nudists indoor nudism!!

Indoors? Where?

Indoors means within the privacy of your own home, whether it be an apartment, terrace suite or private house. Some nudists have been known to rent a basement which is changed over into a gym, but this has its disadvantages. This will attract peepers and curiosity seekers and can create a feeling of discomfort that defeats the entire purpose of relaxed sunbathing.

When you visit a sunbathing camp, when you meet other nudist enthusiasts who glory in stretching out on a cot and welcome the warming, invigorating rays of Old Sol, seek out some good friends. A wise suggestion is that you enlist married friends since there will be no disparity between groups. It has always been best for couples only to get together for indoor nudism. Those with children and relatives are also welcome, but you must also take time to select evenly mixed groups. This is essential since a nudist wallflower is anything but a comforting sight and situation.

You meet these friends at the sun camps, you shower with them, you eat with them and, for those places where space is at a premium, you share a dormitory sleeping place with them. In just a week, you can decide which couples you want to continue knowing after the summer season is over. Request exchanges of addresses and mention that you think indoor nudism is a good idea and a swell way to continue friendships and enjoy health.

After exchanges of addresses, you then decide upon a suitable place where you and fellow nudists can get together. It is essential that a place be decided upon before you decide to get everyone together. After all, if you don’t have a suitable headquarters, then the entire plan falls apart.

Where To Practice Indoor Nudism

As stated above, a private house or an apartment is best; personally, I prefer a private house since this creates more freedom. Guests can walk around the rooms, in the basement, upstairs, etc., in nudity and enjoy a pseudoreaction of outdoor nudism. But, if you have an apartment, this can also be arranged properly.

All curtains and blinds must be drawn, since nudism must be enjoyed in a wholesome atmosphere of complete freedom from fear. To avoid attracting unwanted attention, you should request, in advance, that your guests be quiet and dignified. No noise. No loud shouts and shrieks. As a matter of fact, I’ve yet to hear of any unruly behavior at a sunbathing club so nudists do seem right for this type of indoor activity.

All rooms must be neat and clean,- get rid of paraphernalia that tends to clutter things up. Cushions may be used if they have a purpose. Excess doodads and knickknacks just make the entire surroundings look too civilized for comfort.

Soft music is good; stereo hi-fi is best because of its soothing qualities, but again the watchword is caution that neighbors are not annoyed and led to make snooping investigations.

Set all kinds of chairs, benches, hassocks, ottomans, etc. throughout your suite of rooms so that if a nudist wishes to relax, this may be done without crowding.

“Nude When You Enter”

A rule of thumb is that nudists be told beforehand that they should be nude when they enter. This means that as soon as they press the door buzzer or knocker and are admitted, they should be prepared to shed their clothes. Arrange to have a small vestibule or even a room off to one side which is to be used for purposes of shedding garments.

All couples who enter are greeted by the host and hostess-both of whom should be nude since they must set the example. Incidentally, before you open your door, be sure that there are no prying eyes outside. You do this by looking through a door viewer or side window, depending upon your circumstances.

When you open your door, you can so position yourself that only your head is seen as you peep through. Now, this may sound difficult, but if you just practice it a few times, you’ll see that it can be done. What about those unruly housewives who greet visitors at their doors with their heads in pin curlers, wearing sloppy house-coats, or just slips and pajamas? Surely, indoor nudism is a lot healthier and neater, when greetings are made in Nature’s own suit free of inhibitions and disguise.

As soon as your guests enter, if they are just couples, or couples with their relations and young ones, close the door. Naked before your guests, both you and your husband immediately put them in a proper frame of receptivity. After all, as said before, you must set the example.

Invite your guests into your house, let them follow you (one couple reported, “We were shy about indoor nudism but when we followed our naked host and hostess, we lost our sense of bashful-ness”) into the special undressing room. Let them all get rid of their clumsy garments while they’re together. Then you tell them they are ready to come into the main room and meet the others.

Have a Main Room

Just as in a sun camp you have an outdoor field which is used for recreation and meeting, so do you have a special place in your house for the same purpose. All guests MUST be nude when they come into this room. Furthermore, all guests MUST be nude as soon as they leave the small undressing room. This is all in the spirit of the harmony of Nature-loving. If a person displays shyness at indoor nudism, then it is best to suggest that he (or she) remain in the undressing room until ready. If the feeling of uneasiness cannot be discarded, that person just is not a suitable guest.

Remember: you owe it to your other guests to make them feel comfortable, relaxed and happy . . .just as is done in a sunbathing camp. So, don’t spoil the whole event for the sake of one person. This is only common sense.

Now, as soon as your nude arrivals come into the room, introduce them to other couples, show them around the house. Have all sorts of entertainment planned. If possible, ping-pong tables can be set up, as well as pool or billiards, chess and checkers; if you are fortunate enough to have a basement (in a private house) it means you can include more vigorous sports for the athletically inclined.

Plants and flowerpots, floral arrangements, paintings of idyllic scenes, woodsy settings, b i r d-cages, outdoorscapes, seascapes: these all add to the decor. You would do well to have them around the house. You can enjoy them all the time, in addition to just for indoor nudism.

All recreation should be under your supervision just as someone oversees activities at a recognized sun camp. Couples may dance, or hold other entertainments, but all must be in good taste, just as it is conducted in sun camps.

man nudist with big dick

Artificial Sunlight

The value of sunshine cannot be emphasized too much. In cold winter months, sunshine is a treasure to those who appreciate it because it is so rare. You can bring sunshine right into your own home; sunlamps are the best. Arrange to have a few of them set up on stands, then put floormats beneath so that a few lucky nudists can enjoy this pseudosunbathing session.

Ask at your lighting store for lamps and special types of bulbs that create a feeling of sunshine and brightness. They have them; perhaps they cost a few pennies more, but they’re worth it. If you are budget-conscious, then just obtain a few sunlamps about four, and set these up over couches or mats so that indoor nudists can take turns in enjoying the ‘sunlight.”

Bathing and Eating

I will concede that indoor nudism has one disadvantage – it cannot easily include a jump in the pool or lake. It is a wonderful feeling to be able to run naked in the sunshine, through the woods and fields, to thrill to the zephyr-cool wind on the body as it bathes one in glorious joy and then plunge into a sparkling lake or pool, enjoying the feel of silky-smooth water against the arms and legs. Yes, it is an exhilaration that is second to none.

How can you duplicate this at home? You may set up an artificial pool (typical outdoor wading pool made with an inflatable latex or rubber-balloon-type item) in your basement home. You can fill it with a water hose but be careful not to flood your guests!! Let couples and groups splash about merrily. True, they may not be able to go higher than their calf muscles but they can sit down and splash happily. And we all know that if we just dunk our feet in water, it creates a wonderful overall body feeling.

If you have an apartment, fill the tub with water shower water that continues going to simulate a waterfall. You can make the waterfall vigorous .or just a heavy spray any housewares department of a major store will sell you a shower installation that regulates the force of the spray.

Guests are thus able to go into the tub together, enjoying the fresh flowing water. To complete the picture of the outdoors, remember that NO doors must be closed. Bathroom doors remain open so washing nudists can chat idly with outsiders just as they do at a sun camp. Of course, when sanitary functions must be performed, privacy is a privilege accorded to guests.

What about eating? You may provide meals for your guests; use a long dining table as they all gather around. Cooking and dining is done in the nude. I guarantee you’ll find dishwashing less of a chore when you do it in Nature’s own garment. If you find this difficult to believe, just try it and you’ll see how different it is!

Depending upon your space and accommodations, your guests may remain overnight. This is something difficult to determine; each situation is highly individualized. Nude sleeping is the rule, of course.

Indoor Nudism for Two

A nudist couple or family may want to enjoy indoor nudism by themselves; this is possible provided that the children are mature enough to understand that neighbors and school chums may not be too sympathetic. It’s a wonderful way to relax much better than alcohol!

Nudism need not be confined to just a few precious warm months or during a fast-fleeting vacation-time. It can be a year-round pleasure to build health, happiness and friendships.

The American Sunbather
ISSUE: Number 2, April 1967
Publisher: The American Sunbather and Naturist Review

Initiating A Teen-Age Nudist

By Judy Inge

How can you introduce nudism to teen-agers? Prepare for problems. Here’s how to meet and solve them —and open a new world of glorious health to young people.

“We made a mistake,” said one long-practicing nudist couple in their middle forties. “We went away for sunbathing vacations ever since we were married, but after the children came, left them with relatives—and we went alone.”

“Do you mean,” asked the friend who was part of a nudist family-including grandchildren, in-laws, relatives, etc., “that you never discussed nudism with your children? How old are they?”

The father replied, “Our boy is 14 and the girl is 15. They’d appreciate all the fun and would really like the other youngsters at the camp we go to, but I don’t know how to approach them with the subject.”

As for the mother, she was upset over the whole situation. “They’re both nervous children, fretful all the time. But how can we get them to come here? It could be very embarrassing.”

There was little denying the fact that an abrupt introduction to nudism can bring embarrassment and also unpleasant reactions. This is especially true when parents are ardent believers in Nature and health—while youngsters remain pitifully innocent about the glories of fun in the sun.

The point here is that if the married couple enjoy nakedness at the start of their union, it is a wise thing to initiate blessed events into nudism as soon as they become toddlers. There is no substitute for this early introduction, permitting youngsters to grow up with the feeling.

But, if this has been neglected, instead of crying over spilt milk, it is best to do something. Here’s how!

Broach Subject Carefully

Begin by obtaining a few sunbathing magazines together with periodicals displaying physical culture displays. THIS IS VITAL!! To suddenly thrust nudist magazines upon young people is to invite jeers, unpleasantness and severe embarrassment. Remember: youngsters are still inhibited and shy. They are raised in a so-called civilized society which says the human body is a thing of shame! Nakedness, to them, is vulgar and erotic. This is an unhealthy situation that you should seek to correct via nudism. (Remember the old French proverb, “Evil he who evil thinks”?)

Set out a few physical culture or musclebuilding magazines. These should show scantily clad bodybuilders in the process of exercising or otherwise improving physical health. When your teen-agers read them, they begin to get a better appreciation of health and some of their prurient attitudes begin to vanish.

Another suggestion is that you put a few magazines or books around the house  showing Greek statuary. These are nude statues and set the teen-ager in a proper mood and make him more receptive to the fact that the naked body is a glorious creation and not something to snicker and laugh upon.

After a while, have a nudist magazine put in a conspicuous place. If your teen-ager seems embarrassed, you could say, “Well, Mother used to do research on anatomy and sunshine and she found these magazines helpful.” Or, if there is a creative person in the family, use the excuse, “Oh, he’s preparing research on the psychology of outdoor athletics in the nude and these magazines were left around.”

IMPORTANT: At all times, neither you nor your husband should display any signs of embarrassment! Act casual. Adopt a careless attitude. Make it look as if this is the most natural thing in the world. As you well know, youngsters duplicate the attitudes and reactions of adults. If you act shocked and horrified, so will your youngsters. They imitate you. So—why not let them imitate something constructive?

After the teen-agers have been exposed to nudism in some form, get a few more magazines,- read some articles aloud to them and ALWAYS be careful to emphasize how wonderful it is to exercise and play and run freely in the nude! The healthful aspects must be promulgated as this will appeal to youngsters.

Afterward, you might “accidentally” walk by the room as the youngster dresses. . .or undresses, as the situation may be. All of these little things put him in a proper frame of mind. You then improve the situation by wearing as little clothes as possible yourself, and giving no outer signs of embarrassment or dislike if you are seen.

Because nudism is a family affair, it is ESSENTIAL that both you and your husband cooperate. In fact, if you sleep late on Saturdays, be sure to do so in the nude. Then, arrange to have your youngsters awaken you—and if you and your husband have kicked off the covers, it is a good introduction for your youngsters. B u t first they must be the ones who sleep nude and are awakened in an act of exposure. Then let them awaken both of you while still nude. This all lessens inhibitions and foolish embarrassment about God’s creation.

Visit to a Camp

After the barriers have been broken, you then start talking about a visit to a sun camp. Emphasize the values of health, sunshine, exercise, physical calisthenics, entertainment. Do NOT mention much about the fact that all guests go naked. This is obvious. To draw excess attention to it is to make the youngsters feel shy.

You might even drop a few hints that during your own youth, you had visited such a camp and found it to be wonderful; you made many friends, found out how joyful it was to eat, sleep and play in an atmosphere of freedom.

You might then write to a number of camps that are convenient to your area. Read the literature, show it to your youngsters. Discuss comparative costs, conveniences, accommodations, etc. At this point, you could call attention to the teen-age activities available and add, “Look at these yonug fellows—they’re holding a muscle-building c o n t e s t.” Or, “Say— they’re crowning this blonde girl Miss Nudist—I think it says that her brother is awarding her the golden crown.” This also helps ease whatever anxieties your teenagers might have.

The emphasis here is on a FAMILY attendance and if your youngsters see and read about other families who happily enjoy nudism, they’ll be curious and receptive.

Again, emphasize the benefits of running naked in the volleyball fields, having fun and frolic with other youngsters. Point out the benefits of group activities and— call attention to other youngsters in their activities. IDENTIFICATION WITH OTHERS WILL MAKE YOUR TEEN-AGERS more interested. At this age, identification spells the entire difference between success and failure.

Entering Camp

Be prepared for some shyness at first. To overcome this, ask the sun camp managers to have a few teen-agers welcome the new youngsters. Again, identification is VITAL! If your youngsters see others in happy nakedness, they will be less shy and, in fact, more eager to join them. I’m sure you’ll agree with me when I say that the adolescent period of life is one of close identification and similarity. They all want to be alike. Seeing others do something makes them want to do it, too. So—if possible, try to have other youngsters at close hand. Of course, the others are nude and without any self-consciousness.

naked boy with huge ballsWhen you and your youngsters join each other on the sun field or anywhere else, in glorious Nature, show NO discomfort. Act casual, laugh, be sportive. Call NO attention to nakedness, per se, but talk about the climate, the wonderful grounds, facilities, etc. If you make friends, join a little group, and in this attitude of complete casualness, your youngsters will likewise feel relaxed.

As stated previously, you must anticipate some shyness at first. Adolescence is a formative time of life and there is expected confusion and misunderstanding about the workings of the body. Clothes helped create this shame. Nudism can erase it.

Urge your young people to join others of their age group,- there is no denying they will fell less ill at ease and more relaxed in the presence of other teen-agers. If you have just one youngster, ask him (or her) to join a little athletic game. If you have more youngsters, watch that they do not stick too close to one another. Let them separate, spread out, seek companionship from others.

Admittedly, it may not be a simple task and may be difficult; cooperate with your mate and the sunshine club managers. Teenagers should not be denied the wonderful glories of nakedness in sun and water and woods. It can change them from fretful, inhibited youngsters into wholesome, athletic, tanned young athletes worthy of a Grecian sculptor.

Nude Sleeping at Home

Once your teen-agers have become oriented to the spectacle of nudism, go one step further. Using the magazines as an example, you suggest that nude sleeping is healthful. Free from the bindings of clothes, pajamas, unsightly and clumsy sleeping garments, nude sleeping is more relaxing. Try to get them to sleep without any undergarments. I have found this to be a simple accomplishment.

As parents, you will be awakening your youngsters for school. Since they sleep nude, it’s most probable they’ll kick away the blankets throughout the night. When you awaken them, still sleepy and dazed, they will show little reaction at their nudity before you. Here is an urgent tip.- both you and your husband should awaken your youngsters and both of you should wear a robe—but nothing beneath! This helps create a wholesome environment.

Show NO surprise or shock at the nude condition of the youngster. Act as if it’s nothing. If the youngster feels ashamed, give no notice. Pretend you see nothing! This is exactly the casual attitude that creates a receptive attitude toward nudism.

The American Sunbather
ISSUE: Number 2, April 1967
Publisher: The American Sunbather and Naturist Review

Past and Present Nudist Cultures Part 2

The Naked Society

A Series on Past and Present Nudist Cultures

by Carlson Wade

Part II

GREEK NUDISM IN ATHLETICS

Modern athletics call for a minimum of clothing. It seems odd that the very part of the body that is covered is one that is made more emphatic. The more we seek to conceal, the more we draw attention to it. The Greeks emphasized the values of developing a healthy mind in a healthy body this meant that thoughts were to be lofty, spiritual, beautiful and free from shame or inhibition. Nowhere could this be so successful as in gymnastics.

In Athens, during the time of Emperor Augustus, a magnificent gymnasium was built; called the ephebeion, it was the exercise ground of the ephebi, that is, young boys declared of full age and independent citizens at the age of 18. This gymnasium had its colonnades, baths, halls and spaces graced by naked philosophers, rhetoricians, poets and friends. With the gymnasium was generally combined the palaestra, the chief arena for bodily exercises and games of the boys. Here, nudity was a way of life among the young athletes.

Manly Beauty

It need hardly be emphasized that all the spaces in the huge gymnasia were adorned with works of art of every kind, with altars and statues of Hermes, Heracles and especially of Eros, but also of the Muses and other divinities. Thus to the beauty of the bodies of boys, youths and men, most harmoniously developed by regular bodily exercises, was added the daily sight of numerous marvels of art.

It is easy to understand how and why the Greeks developed into the most beauty-loving people that ever walked on earth. One can also understand how it was that no gymnasium or palaestra of the Greeks was ever without an altar or statue of Eros. The daily sight of the highest manly beauty served to inspire them to achieve new heights in mental and physical development.

Johann Goethe, t h e German author (1749-1832), in his Italian Journey once described an athletic contest he had seen in the arena at Verona: “The most beautiful attitudes, worth imitation in marble, appear therein. As they are merely well-grown, sturdy young people in short, scanty, white clothes, the sides are distinguished only by a colored badge. Especially beautiful is the position into which the striker falls while he runs down from the slanting surface and lifts his arm to strike the ball.”

Let anyone now pause to visualize an Athenian or Spartan palaestra, full of the joyous, boyish laughter of well-muscled youths bustling about in the naked splendor of their supple bronzed limbs, the whole beneath the delightful blue of the Greek sky, and he must admit that it was there that earthly beauty celebrated its highest triumphs.

Women Taboo

The Greeks kept the sexes apart since they well understood that disturbing influences might hinder the development of the aesthetic and cultural. The Greeks kept their gymnasia free from women; that is, no female creature might ever set her foot in any of these places intended for the education of the male even at the popular festivals of the great national games, women were excluded as spectators.

Pausanias in his Greek Descriptions (Vol. 6, 7) says it was the custom to throw those women down from the rock Typaeum at Olympia, if they were caught in the act of stealing in as spectators at the Olympic games, or even those who, on the days forbidden them, had crossed the river Alpheus, which separated the site of the festival from the rest of the ground.

On one occasion this was neglected. The mother of Peisirrhodus had stolen in so as to be present, with a mother’s joy easy to understand, at the hoped-for victory of her son. To avoid the danger of discovery she had disguised herself as a trainer; but when trying to leap over the barrier that shut off the trainers from the arena in order to congratulate her son on his victory, her scanty garments exposed her person. Considering that her family had produced several Olympic victors, she was not punished. But to avoid similar incidents in the future, it was ordered that all trainers go naked.

Strange Rule

While the prohibition which excluded women from viewing naked athletes did not prevail with equal strictness throughout Greece, at least Bockh on Pindar, Pythia (Vol. 9, p. 328), makes it probable that in the contests of the African-Greek colony of Cy-rene, women were permitted to watch the naked youths in their athletic prowess.

According to Pausanias, single girls could watch the contestants at Olympia. Married women were prohibited. Classical scholars have racked their brains to discover why the right to look on at their contests of naked boys and youths was permitted to single girls but not to married women.

This problem seems simple if we recall that the Greeks felt the greatest enjoyment of beauty, more than any people that ever existed. They desired at their national festivals to surround themselves only with beauty, hence they allowed young girls to look on while they made the married women remain at home.

The Dorians and especially Sparta were freer from prejudice in this respect. Plato (Laws, Vol. 7, p. 804) urges that young males and young females carry on gymnastic exercises without discrimination as between the sexes. His demand was carried out among the non-Dorian states, at least by the inhabitants of Chios, where, according to the express testimony of Athenaeus (Vol. 13, p. 566), no person considered it offensive to watch the running and racing contests of young naked boys and girls in the gymnasia.

bodybuilder nudist naked

In Sparta, girls and young men carried out gymnastic exercises together; it is probable that on some occasions they wore a little scant covering, but this is debatable when we understand the wholesome attitude toward nudity. This is the opinion of Roman authors when they speak of the nuda palaestra, the naked wrestling place of Spartan youths.

This explains how the expression, “to behave in Dorian fashion,” became synonymous with “to strip oneself” which would explain also that the athletes wore clothes in public but were in a state of raw nature in certain places. In the Spartan gymnasia there was one principle: “Undress and practice gymnastics together, or get away.” This excluded the idly gaping spectators who could be offensive.

Surprisingly enough, this is the same principle of modern nudism.

Everyone must be in o state of nature or be gone!

In spite of nudity, there was regard to be held for decency and modesty in the gymnasia. This is clear from a passage in Aristophanes, Clouds, 973: “And it behooved the boys, while sitting in the school of the gymnastic-master, to cover the thigh, so that they might exhibit nothing indecent to strangers; and then again, after rising from the ground, to smooth down the sand and to take care not to leave an impression of the person for their lovers. And no boy in those days anointed himself below the navel so that the first tender down bloomed on his privates as it were on fresh apples.”

Love of Beauty

The Greeks loved beauty and the glories of manly perfection; they made awards for the most masculine and attractive men based upon health and superb vigor. At the festival of the Panathencea, young men were select-ed from different tribes according to their masculine beauty and dexterity for the torch race.

There is the legend of King Candaules who so loved the beauty of his wife, boasted about her and had to display her naked to his friends. A favorite friend of the family, Gyges, resisted, feeling that such a public display was shameful. This, again, shows that the Greeks had a high regard for nudity as Such not as an exaggeration.

Flute players appeared at private festivals either naked or wearing a sparse garment. Anaxarchus, the favorite of Alexander the Great, was fond of having his wine poured out for him by a beautiful naked girl.

The Stoic philosopher, Persaeus, the confidant of King Antigcnus, relates of a banquet given by the king at which the conversation was at first very serious. “But as the drinking increased among other amusements, Thessalian dancers entered the dining-hall and danced stark naked except for a girdle; this pleased the guests so exceedingly that, enchanted, they expressed their approval, sprang up from their seats and declared the king happy in that he could always enjoy such delight for his eyes.”

muscle guy naturist

At the wedding of his daughter Hippolochus tells us, “Naked female acrobats also appeared, who with naked swords performed dangerous tricks and spat fire.”

Numerous vase paintings, on which such artists are represented either quite naked or only wearing an apron, prove that such exhibitions were frequent; in the Hellenistic period, they enjoyed general popularity.

That, considering the freedom from prejudice of the attitude of the Greeks toward nakedness, the naked were welcomed in ceremonies concerning the worship of the gods, is self-intelligible. “Nudism to these people was not exposure as we erroneously regard it today. It was a healthful way to call attention to the values of developing a superior body and a mature, neurosis-free way of life.

{To be continued)

Read the first part here

The American Sunbather
ISSUE: Number 2, April 1967
Publisher: The American Sunbather and Naturist Review

Male nudist beliefs

The famed American Sunbathing Association has stated these beliefs, which will answer many questions:

handsome muscle boys naked1. We believe in the essential whole-someness of the human body, and all its functions.

2. We endeavor to foster the desire to improve and perfect the body by natural living in the out-of-doors.

3. We believe that sunshine and fresh air in immediate contact with the entire body are basic factors in maintaining healthy bodies.

4. We believe presentation of the male and female figures in their entirety and completeness needs no apology or defense and thaf only in such an attitude of mind can we find true modesty.

5. We accord to every part of the body an equally normal naturalness wholly devoid of any vulgarity or obscenity. In this view, an elbow, a pubic part, and a nose are equally respectable.

6. We believe that children raised in the nudist philosophy will be healthier in mind and body. They will learn to look on life as being essentially pure. Nudism will teach them moral and physical cleanliness; never to degrade, but keep their thoughts and actions clean.

7. The goal of nudism: A healthy mind in a healthy body.

THE AMERICAN SUNBATHER
ISSUE: Number 1, March 1967
Publisher: American Sunbather and Nudist Review

Questions and answers about nudism

nude muscle manQUESTION: Is nudism supposed to be a religion?

ANSWER: Of course not; nudism is neither a formal worship system, nor does it interfere with any religious preferences you may have.

QUESTION: Could you tell me what sort of people are nudists?

ANSWER: They are normal, healthy people who are better citizens than most. It has been found that nudists as a group are better educated, earn more money, enjoy better family relationships. A vast majority of nudists are happily married and go as family units to nudist parks or resorts.

QUESTION: Do you mean that youngsters go with parents to nudist parks?

ANSWER: Certainly! Youngsters enjoy nudism more than adults because they discover new and exciting things about out-of-door life; they also improve their ability to get along with others and take to clothesless living with exaltation.

QUESTION: Are most nudist parks considered about the same as far as accommodations and conveniences are concerned?

ANSWER: No. Some are modern resorts; many are still primitively constructed and managed. Many nudists like a back-to-nature, hardy existence. Others like modern conveniences. Some resorts accept single persons; many will accept only married couples.

QUESTION: Will there be many single women in nudist resorts?

ANSWER: Yes, more so than single men. The single nudist may be a working girl, nurse, teacher, doctor, professional.

QUESTION: I would like to correspond with other nudists. Could you give me their names and addresses?

ANSWER: No nudist park nor honorable nudist will give out names of friends. Your name is never given out, either, unless you request it be done, and then it is up to the discretion of the particular nudist resort.

QUESTION: When I make my first visit to a nudist park, must I remove all my clothes at once?

ANSWER: Generally speaking, no. You may gradually remove your garments as you progress. But when you mingle with other nudists, it is customary to be just as clothesless. When dances are held on public grounds, dress is required.

hairy chest muscle man nudeQUESTION: Why must nudists go entirely bare? Can’t they get a nice sunshine tan or nearly as much with briefs or panties or a jockstrap? Why do they have to expose everything?

ANSWER: Because nudism teaches that whatever is concealed gives rise to the idea of “indecency.” This is miseducation. It is a throwback to the foolish dictum that the body is “indecent.” Since we are created in God’s own image, we must not be ashamed of our bodies. The sooner we understand this, the sooner we enjoy a healthy attitude. Now, we know that lasciviousness and evil originate in curiosity. For example, we know that burlesque shows, striptease acts, stags, illicit films, obscenity all stem from the idea that the hidden privates are evil. To wear briefs or panties or a jockstrap is to invite evil thoughts! To go unclad is a wonderful freedom. Of course, a pair of sandals on the feet, or a pair of sunglasses to provide visual protection, is not a sexual stimulus. When you experience nude living, you will grasp how exhilarating the freedom of the body can be. It is a discovery that each new nudist enjoys and will continue to enjoy for as long as he sunbathes. Now, absence of clothing makes athletics easier. After a volleyball game, the first call for Sunday dinner comes from the loudspeaker system. The players and spectators alike step to the pool, brook, stream, or ccean; they kick off sandals, dive in naked, splash merrily. Soon they are refreshed, dried, ready to eat. You may so immerse yourself all day and thrill to the cleansing effect of nude bathing. Who wants to put on a wet bathing suit, or sit around in wet garments after a bath? Even in warm weather, it is unwise to sit in a breeze, wearing a wet garment.

Finally, garments are vulgar! A bikini, a pair of postage-stamp trunks, a figleaf bathing suit, a jockstrap—these focus attention on certain regions of the body that nudists take for granted. A nudist does not wear garments, because he does not want to be an object of scrutiny! The nudist has complete maturity of bodily understanding.

QUESTION: What must I tell a nudist park director about myself in order to be accepted?

ANSWER: Whatever will convince the director that you are a desirable guest. You need not talk about your personal or business life to the other guests,- that is up to you. A director is entitled to know more, since his park and other guests will come in contact with you—just as you would want only desirable guests to be in the nudist resort that you visit.

QUESTION: Okay, I want to join. Will news of my activities leak out and cause embarrassment?

ANSWER: This is highly unlikely. Nudists observe etiquette and rarely, if ever, talk about themselves off the grounds.

QUESTION: Wouldn’t it make me feel strange to appear naked in mixed company for the first time?

ANSWER: Yes—there is some emotional response, but you’ll be amazed how quickly you’ll adjust to social nudism. It soon becomes the natural thing.

QUESTION: That seems unlikely, and I don’t believe it.

ANSWER: You’re not the first one to doubt it. You’ll have to experience that first time; nothing else will equal nor substitute for that first day in a public nudist park.

naked muscle boy hairy pubesQUESTION: My wife and I will go, but we want to leave the kids home. What do you say about that?

ANSWER: Have fun—but you’ll be sorry. Kids enjoy nudism more than adults and help grownups adjust to it. We guarantee you’ll want to bring your kids on the second trip.

QUESTION: Newspapers and magazines frequently publish pictures of nudist conventions. What’s the point of it all?

ANSWER: Nudists hold regional or national conventions; here, rules, regulations, and policies are arrived at by a voting or democratic process. Also, most nudists enjoy conventions because it means a rallying of old friends—and a place to meet new nudists and exchange information. Conventions are really a “must’

QUESTION: What shall I bring along on my initial visit to a nudist park?

ANSWER: In a word-COURAGE! Also, bring an open mind. Remember: you will be as naked as the others, so join in! You could also bring sunglasses, hats, sandals or slippers. Bring a light garment to be worn like a tent or poncho if you’re not tanned. Remember that your skin isn’t ready for nudism at the very start.

QUESTION: How may someone learn the real truth about nudism? So many have given me some rather wild opinions.

ANSWER: Who are the “so many”? They’re not nudists, I’ll venture, so how can they talk about it? You’ll learn about sunbathing from a sunbathing magazine such as this one. You may read factual convention reports in newspapers and magazines; if you have a close friend or relative who tells you about nudism, that is good, too.

QUESTION: I am a young fellow of Dan-ish-Swedish ancestry with white-blond hair and pink skin. Can I become a nudist?

ANSWER: Of course. But use tanning lotion and caution. I might also add that the healthiest looking nudist is a tanned blond!

QUESTION: Shall I bring along a camera?

ANSWER: Not at first. Before bringing along any photographic equipment, first acquaint yourself with the fellow nudists, the park, any rules and regulations. Discuss this with the camp director.

QUESTION: Somewhere I read of a traveling nudist club. How is it possible for a nudist camp to move about?

ANSWER: Let me set you straight. A nudist park does not move. Nudists, themselves, may join up with certain types of organizations that do take trips (usually for a week, or just a weekend) to different parks. This provides variety of scenery and an opportunity to meet new friends and expand your knowledge of sunbathing. Ask at any camp about such moving organizations. There are several of them.

QUESTION: I’m a young Tarzan type and want to rough it. Must I live in a comfortable cabin?

ANSWER: Live like Adam, if you like. Most sunbathers like a portable tent, station wagon, or bed-in-the-car automobile. Accommodations vary; you have complete freedom. No one compels you to accept modern or ancient conveniences. Before going to a resort, write and ask about facilities to determine if they have what you seek.

QUESTION: Oh, you mean I can bring all my gear with me?

ANSWER: Bring your house, if you want. However, the management is usually concerned with well-being and safety. Such rules are simple. Some sun lovers like camping out, some go for a day or a month and bring a toothbrush or a retinue of suitcases. It’s up to you—as long as your fellow sunbathers are not inconvenienced.

QUESTION: You know something, I’ve seen crowds of nudists in convention photographs. I’ll bet there’s more to nudism than just a suntan. Am I right?

ANSWER: As right as you’ll ever be! There’s comradeship, health, freedom at nudist camps. You’ll join other families and make many acquaintances. It’s a rewarding experience. Does this sound like Utopia? It’s very close.

THE AMERICAN SUNBATHER
ISSUE: Number 1, March 1967
Publisher: American Sunbather and Nudist Review

Past and Present Nudist Cultures

by Carlson Wade

Part I

Few civilizations have ever attained the glory that was Greece; few, if any, societies have ever achieved such a healthful attitude toward nakedness and the health-giving benefits of nudity as the Greeks. The famed Greek Olympics were an expression of the delight of the people in the human body. It is extremely difficult for modern folks, accustomed to the wearing of clothes, to understand the motives of the Greeks for nudity at their games.

A sense of shame was occasioned by the wearing of clothes not the reverse and garments were worn for climatic and hygienic reasons. The Greeks felt that to cover the private parts alone, when the rest of the body was unencumbered with clothing, would suggest some contempt or feeling of shame for the genitals, where in fact their opinion on the subject was the exact opposite: the genitalia, as the instrument of exalted pleasure and miraculous fertility, inspiring them with gratitude and awe.

nude boy outdoors with a horseNude Greek Boys

The average Greek boy was initiated into a healthful attitude on clothes by being given a chlamys as a typical costume. It was a kind of shawl which was fashened on the right shoulder or on the breast by a button or clasp and was worn until the lad reached the age of about 16. Smaller boys wore, at least in Athens and until the time of the Peloponnesian War, a short chiton a rather thin shirt. This may be compared to a modern T-shirt. In other words, boys under 16 went naked except for a T-shirt.

Aristophanes, the Greek poet and dramatist (444-380 B.C.), in his Clouds, praises the hardening effect of nudity: “I will, therefore,’describe the ancient system of education, how it was ordered, when I flourished in the advocacy of justice and temperance was in the fashion.

“In the first place it was incumbent that no one should hear the voice of a boy uttering a syllable; and next, that those from the same quarter of the town should march in good order through the streets to the school of the Harp-master, naked, and in a body, even if it were to snow as thick as meal.” This alludes to obedience and discipline and a lack of the eroticism attached to our modern-day concept of nudism.

It is also known that King Lycurgus sought to harden young boys of Sparta and would ask them to wear, summer and winter, the same chiton that resembled a T-shirt. Otherwise their healthful young bodies were naked to onlookers, to their superiors, and to themselves.

There was almost no emphasis upon eroticism of nudism. The Greeks had ample opportunity to see boys and young men in nakedness; boys were in the baths and palaestrae, the gymnasia and wrestling schools for three-quarters of the day and were consequently seen indeed quite naked, without hideous swimming drawers.

An undergarment for the more modest was the himation it was a large, four-cornered piece of cloth which was thrown over the left shoulder and, held firmly with the arm, was then drawn away on the back towards the right side over or under the right arm, and then again thrown over the left shoulder or left arm. In cold climate, the himation was worn. In mild climate, it was dispensed with and the simple chiton was used often, this, too, was discarded and just a himation worn. It is said that Ages-ilaus, the king of Sparta, disliked wearing any garments and that “he always went along without shoes and without a chiton unless the water was bitterly cold so that the soldiers used to say jokingly that it was sign of intense cold when he wore a chiton.”

naked boy on the rockNaked Athletes

Christoph Wieland, the famed poet (1733-1813), wrote in his Essay on The Ideals of the Greek Artists that Greek art obtained the mastery in the treatment of the naked boy since the sight was a daily occurrence. ‘The Greeks had more opportunity and were more at liberty to contemplate, study, and copy the beauty represented to them by Nature and their times than is the case with modern artists.

“The gymnasia (the word gymnos means ‘naked’ in Greek and indicates that nakedness was a rule for young boy athletes), the public national games, the contests for the prize of beauty at Lesbos, at Tenedos, in the Temple of Ceres at Basilis in Arcadia, the wrestling matches between naked boys in Sparta, in Crete, etc., the Temple of Venus at Corinth, whose young priestesses even Pindar does not blush to celebrate in song, the Thessalian dancers, who dance naked at the banquets of the great all these opportunities of seeing the most beautiful forms uncovered and in most lively movement, beautified by emulation, in the most varied positions and groupings, were bound to fill the imagination of artists with a quantity of beautiful forms, and by comparing the beautiful with the more beautiful to prepare their minds for rising to the idea of the most beautiful.”

Modesty Still Prevailed

As might be assumed, nakedness was part of a social life, yet it had its time and place-just as in our modern society. Plato, the Greek philosopher (427-347 B.C.), says in his Republic (Vol. 5, p. 452): “It is not long ago since it was ridiculous amongst the Greeks, as it still is among most of the non-Greeks, for men to allow themselves to be seen naked.” He adds thot nakedness was valuable for athletics and festivals but not for gross sensual purposes.

In confirmation of this view, one may refer to the example of Odysseus or Ulysses in the Odyssey (by Homer, the Greek epic poet in the 9th century B.C., Volume 6, p. 126) who is washed ashore, shipwrecked and naked in the land of the Phaeacians, and, when he hears the laughter of maidens in the neighborhood, “breaks off from the thick brush a leafy branch with his strong hand to cover his nakedness.” Yet, on board ship, he and his fellow sailors went naked because there was no need for feeling shame.

Naked Olympics

In the national games at Olympia, from about 720 B.C., it was the custom for the runner to appear, not completely naked, but with an apron round his hips, as Thucydides expressly attests in a well-known passage. Only, we should be cautious in attributing this to some moral reason. This wearing of an apron is an influence of the Orient and East. Plato and Herodotus make this clear.

This also follows from the fact that the Greeks freed themselves from the Oriental point of view and from 720 B.C. onwards allowed runners and, indeed, all the other contestants to appear quite naked.

Consequently the Greeks, the healthiest and most aesthetically perfect people known to the world, soon felt a covering of the sexual parts, while the body was otherwise uncovered, to be unnatural, and recognized that such a covering only had any meaning if one had ascribed a moral and inferior value to their function.

Far from being ashamed of these sex organs, the Greeks rather regarded them with pious awe, and treated them with an almost religious reverence as the mystical instruments of propagation, as the symbols of Nature, life-producing and inexhaustibly fruitful. There was a feeling of awe and pious adoration of the incomprehensible secret of the power of propagation belonging to Nature, that ever renews itself, and of the preservation of the human race that is rendered possible.

Thus, the phallus became a religious symbol; the worship of the phallus in its most various form is the naive adoration of the inexhaustible fruitfulness of Nature and the gratitude of the sensitive human being for the propagation of the human race.

The Greeks, on all occasions when clothing was felt to be unnecessary, burdensome, or impossible, went over to complete nakedness, without making use of any kind of apron or piece of stuff that concealed the genitalia. Also, the countless representations in pictorial art, which have scenes from the gymnasium for their subject, especially vase paintings, attest complete nakedness and hardly ever cause any such offense as the humdrum Romans of olden times felt at this complete denudation, as is shown by a verse of Ennius, preserved by Cicero, the Roman orator (106-43 B.C.), in Tusculanae Disputationes: “Shame has its beginning in public nakedness.”

three naked boys crossing the riverNaked Boys Dance

Gymnopedia (literally “the naked boys’ dance”) was a gymnastic festival which, after 670 B.C., was held at Sparta every year, later arranged in honor of the Spartans who had fallen at Thyrea (544 B.C.), and was celebrated with dances and bodily exercises of naked boys. It is characteristic that this festival, which served for the glorification of the beauty of boys and lasted from 6 to 10 days, was so highly thought of among the Spartans that not even the most disturbing events were allowed to keep them from it.

There are different versions of the dance. Bekker in his Anecdota (Vol. 1, p. 234) tells us that naked boys would sing songs and dance. Hesychius says: “According to some, this is a Spartan festival at which boys run nakedly round the altar at Amyklaion, at the same time striking one another on the back. But this is false, for they celebrate their festival at the market place; also, no blows are given, but there are processions and choral songs of naked boys.”

We can see that in the Greek society, nudity was a healthful and invigorating way of life and succeeded in eliminating traumatic shocks of guilt and shame. We might never know the meaning of mental sickness and sexual deviations if this same attitude had survived the centuries.

End of Part One of a series entitled: The Naked Society, Past and Present Nudist Cultures.

THE AMERICAN SUNBATHER
ISSUE: Number 1, March 1967
Publisher: American Sunbather and Nudist Review

Nudism: Nuisance or Necessity ?

by ALEX DELAVANTE

Many people in America question the motivations of all minorities. This is certainly true as regards the nudists, whose unclothed philosophy and play activities put them in the popular mind on a par with pacifists and rich old men who live in squalid houses with their life savings in a cigar box!

It may be that at the root of society’s fear of the nudist life is the mistaken conviction that nudism is entirely unnecessary and therefore suspect.

Why should a man and his wife show their privates to strangers in a public setting? Isn’t the naked body essentially an object for sexual excitement, to be reserved for the eyes of a loved one?

stunning muscle boy naked

The nudist discards his clothes and goes about his business as if these questions did not exist. And, for him, they really don’t occur! Nudism for the sun worshiper is a necessity. It is the way he was created by God, without the stigma of shame that society has falsely created. It is the natural way to live, to play, work and develop the beauty of creation.

There is a distinct separation in gym-nosophy between sex and nudity. To be naked does not arouse the nudist as it would the average citizen. He has learned that there is a relation between the exposure of the human body with others in a communal and continuing practice and the fear of nakedness which leads to sexual interest alone.

The more one is expected to shed one’s clothes and live naturally naked with other nature devotees, the less one is ashamed and therefore led to explore the sensual side of one’s personality.

Thus, nudism cannot be a nuisance if it is seen as a necessity!

Nudism cannot function at all times for even the most dedicated! He must venture out from the camps to the everyday life of the clothed world. When children of the sun return to nature, they feel the outside world of society is artificial and stilted. This is a difference that only emphasizes further to the nudist that society does not only regard nakedness in ordinary public living as unnecessary, it often goes further and condemns those few times of relaxation when the nudist is with his own kind!

naked boy with big balls

This is a stalemate. The average Joe Citizen feels nudism as a way of ordinary life is not only unnecessary but stupid. The nudist feels that the inhibition of clothes and false restraints is stupid and unnecessary. Who’s right? What attitude is the greater necessity or nuisance in relation to man’s highest development?

THE AMERICAN SUNBATHER
ISSUE: Number 1, March 1967
Publisher: American Sunbather and Nudist Review

Go West, Young Nudes, Go West!

by CHEFFIELD LORCA

naked boys playing outdoorsMy assignment: Go to a newly opened West Coast nudist camp and interview sunbathers. Who says so? My publisher. Scared to death. Must shed clothes and inhibitions. Three martinis on the jet flight fortified my resolve.

I got the feeling of being in some Scandinavian countryside as I motored down the Pacific Highway near Malibu Beach, California, heading in the direction of the Stonewall Manor Naturist Park. The ocean roared and the jagged rocks rose out of the sea in beautiful formations a sight to thrill the Easterner who thinks he’s seen everything!

As I rounded the many bends with steep mountains rising along the highway, I saw a sign that said: “Four miles to Stonewall Manor. Keep right.”

I arrived at what looked like a wooded retreat deep in the woods of Southern California. A specially built gate informed the visitor to ring a bell and someone would come to greet him. I waited only a few minutes when a girl in her late teens drove to the gate to meet me in a new station wagon. She introduced herself and I showed my identification.

“Oh, we’ve been looking forward to meeting with you. I’m happy to see you came on a sunny day. Everyone is out in full force!”

We drove to the main area of the camp and I thought the sight of so many lovely, tanned young people was thrilling. But how would I manage to convey to the outside world the joys these sunwor-shipers experience? Why do they shun convention and come here when so many of the majority of Americans consider nudists to be eccentrics?

two handsome naked boysI met the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Todd Lefler, a middle-aged couple who said they wanted the press to see for them-selves how nudists in their retreat behaved. They invited this reporter to take off h is clothes and check them with the main cabin. “You’ll get the feel of our camp better if you are one of us/’ Mr. Lefler said.

Well, I was reluctant to part with my duds but in the interests of objectivity, I consented. When you first strip and enter the nudist world, you expect the naturists to stare at the newcomer but this did not happen. Much to my relief! In fact, as you can suppose, if I had walked fully clothed out into their midst as they swam and frolicked over the grounds, I would have been really conspicuous—the last thing I wanted to be!

I was invited to sit with six couples and their children. Among the men were business executives for the aerospace industry and others were salesmen, a teacher and a young medical student.

They were sipping lemonade and enjoying the swift breezes that drifted across the surrounding mountains from the Pacific, only a few miles away. The scene was indeed like an idyll. I could easily see why anyone with a feeling for life and vitality in his veins would love the life of the nudist!

A Mr. Everette, 26, of Stockton, was an appealing conversationalist and told me much about gymnosophist ideals. “I hope that more outsiders like you come to nudist camps because I believe many people are afraid to visit one. We’re friendly people and won’t bite!” he said, smiling. “I used to go nude in the privacy of my home; my wife and kids, too. But we wanted to share our happiness in living this way with others, or even in a community of nudists where we could play together and come on weekends and holidays/’

naked boys nudistsMarjorie and Bruce Clark were another couple who sought the freedom to explore nature with others. They had one 14-year-old boy at home who they said was “too shy to join us here but he’ll be coming out soon!”

Nudists love the vigorous sports that build strong bodies and alert minds. I counted 17 teenage boys engaged in a tumbling and wrestling session and they were having the time of their lives competing with each other!

A few nudists wore sandals and kerchiefs and nothing else! The combination was always odd looking for we ordinary outsiders wear clothes not for function alone but to cover our parts up arbitrarily.

A splendidly developed boy of 15 volunteered to show me around the camp; we stopped to play horseshoes and watch a virile game of tennis. Not for an instant was there any evidence of immoral activity of any kind in the activities I observed. Nudists were not preoccupied with the sexual sights that usually attract the ordinary person’s attention on seeing naked persons. This, I felt, coincided with the popular preachings of those nudist films that nudism is concerned with the body as a wholesome instrument and not the object of sexual desire.

naked bodybuilder nudistDaniella, a 10-year-old blonde girl with sky-blue eyes, took my hand and introduced me to her playmates. Little children only 2 or 3 were having the time of their life digging their shovels into the sandboxes and making mud pies. What an excellent way for human beings to learn to socialize with others, I thought!

That night the Stonewall Manor Natur-ist Park had a folksong contest and a twin-brother act, Jimmy and Phil, two robust and handsome teenagers, twanged their instruments and sang familiar country and Western folk tunes to the delight of an appreciative audience of 200 California nudists.

A fireplace spread its orange glow all over the walls and the sight was unforgettable. This was a fellowship of people who know well the pleasures that living close to nature can bring. I wanted to share in their happiness because it was a contagious thing.

The next day came and with it I was given a rousing farewell by camp officials and, dressed in my stuffy sport coat and slacks, I drove away, anxious to one day come back to this wonderful land of the sun!

THE AMERICAN SUNBATHER
ISSUE: Number 1, March 1967
Publisher: American Sunbather and Nudist Review

About the American Sunbather

THE AMERICAN SUNBATHER AND NATURIST REVIEW

nudist magazine American SunbatherTHE AMERICAN SUNBATHER is a new naturist publication which takes the view that nudism must be brought up to date in its ideals and practices to modern concepts of sex education, sex reforms and non-Victorian ideals. This magazines emphasizes the healthy relationship between sexual needs and realities and seeks to show within its pages, that the gymnosophic movement must include single, male nudists as well as single females and families. The A. S. believes in sexual freedom for all individuals; that the traditional, old-guard naturist groups worldwide have hindered the progress and the highest expression of nudists by unreasonable demands, concurrent with the mores of middle-class society.

We welcome articles, whether controversial or not: articles and features that will illuminate the essential dignity and holiness of the nude human body. In our editorial content, we will always strive to defeat ignorance, we will uphold a creative, ethical view of the nude body and its presentation in A. S.

The depiction of man in his natural state as he is one, physically, mentally and spiritually, with nature, needs no defense. We intend to present the natural man as God intended him; as he is made to live with honor and worthiness with nature and fellow man. We hope our publication will create interest and hope for man’s condition and will encourage people the world over to join the naturist way of life and thought.

All The American Sunbather publications here.

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