Nude recreation

[2] Naturism, or nudism, is a cultural movement practicing, advocating, and defending personal and social nudity, most but not all of which takes place on private property.

[3] Research indicates that contrary to public opinion, naturists are otherwise typical members of society who engage in social activities such as volleyball, swimming, and tennis in the same manner as at other resorts, just without the clothing.

Clothing optional beaches in the United States vary in the degree to which they are separated from the non-nude public, and whether nudity is officially permitted by local authorities or merely tolerated although illegal.

In the Miami metropolitan area, the clothing optional section of Haulover Park is marked only by signs, and is sanctioned and maintained by Miami-Dade County.

[18] In a survey by The Daily Telegraph, Germans and Austrians were most likely to have visited a nude beach (28%), followed by Norwegians (18%), Spaniards (17%), Australians (17%), and New Zealanders (16%).

Some are used to promote topfreedom, a social movement to accord women and girls the right to be topless in public where men and boys have that right.

These take place in mostly western cities, where cyclists ride either partially or totally nude in a light-hearted attempt to draw attention to the danger of depending on fossil fuels.

[21] In spite of the lighthearted atmosphere, the annual World Naked Bike Rides are probably the most visible expression of the effort to promote healthier transport modes, including walking, cycling and public transport, which have been a mainstay of green-alternative politics for decades, while no politician of the conservative or social democrat traditions appeal to people to drive less, buy fewer cars, and get on their bikes instead.

[23] An arts collective in Bushwick, Brooklyn has celebrated a Bodypainting Day annually since 2014, with 45 models and 25 artists participating in 2019.

[24][25] Nude bowling offers naturists a chance to enjoy indoor recreation during cold weather or in locations where outdoor opportunities are limited.

[30] Since 2006 there has been an annual naked bungee jump at WildPlay park on Vancouver Island as a fund raiser for the Victoria Branch of BC Schizophrenia Society.

[34] Conversely to Gough's experiences, in 2005 and 2006 the European Alps were crossed naked during a one-week hiking tour, and there was little media coverage.

A local bylaw to this effect was adopted, for example, by the 2009 General Meeting (Landsgemeinde) of the residents of the Swiss canton Appenzell Innerrhoden.

[39] Two sections of the "English Gardens" in Munich, Schönfeldwiese and Schwabingerbach are officially designated as clothing optional, although nude sunbathing may be found in other locations.

[42] A number of colleges and universities have a tradition of nude parties, often as experiments in social interaction that run counter to the perfect bodies seen in the media.

At Brown the party is hosted by an off-campus housing cooperative, and at Wellesley it is a charity event for which the administration provides security.

At other institutions such as Wesleyan, Columbia, MIT, Bowdoin and Amherst the parties may be more impromptu events in dorms or off-campus.

[44] Other nude restaurants have included The Bunyadi in London,[45] Innato on the Canary Island of Tenerife, and L'Italo Americano in Milan, all of which also closed.

[47][49] There are a number of bars and restaurants directly accessible from the clothing-optional beach at Orient Bay, Saint Martin, in the Caribbean, which allow varying degrees of nudity.

[52] Traditionally practiced with a minimum of clothing, coed nude yoga has been introduced in London,[53] Boston, New York City and Seattle.

Of the 75,000 patrons who attended the 1979 Nambassa three-day counterculture festival, an estimated 35% chose to remove their clothing,[55] preferring complete or partial nudity.

[56] In the 21st century, music festivals such as Coachella have returned to being outdoor concerts whose attendees tend toward costumes rather than nudity, however there may be the occasional nude event.

For the gods and heroes nudity was a part of their identity and a way to display their physical energy and power which the athletes attempted to honour and emulate.

[65] The word gymnasium (Latin; from Greek gymnasion, being derived from Greek gymnos, meaning "naked" or "nude"[68]), originally denoted a place for socializing and engaging in both intellectual education and physical pursuits, training facility for competitors in public sports, and physical education of young men as future soldiers and (certainly in democracies) citizens (compare ephebos),[citation needed] is another testimony of nudity in physical exercises said to encourage aesthetic appreciation of the body.

[75] The original rules were drawn up by Mr R. Douglas Ogden, a Manchester-based businessman with an interest in sporting activities.

At the beginning of the Victorian period in England, men and boys typically swam naked in the sea near bathing machines that were used by women.

In the latter half of the 19th century, moral pressures led some town councils to establish zones for the women and men to bathe separately.

[87][88][89] Nude swimming allowed for swimmers to be visually inspected to check for open wounds or other signs of infectious disease.

[87] In 2005, an article in The New York Times asserted that it was not uncommon for private clubs to give patrons opportunities for nude swimming.

Some jurisdictions which maintain laws against public nudity may turn a blind eye to incidents of skinny dipping depending on the circumstances, as police officers on the spot decline to make arrests.