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 This
Land was Made
Nude
& Free
By: Margarett
Yuhico
Steve
Vickers recalls that the worst part of nude camp was morning exercises
at 6:30 a.m. Vickers, 22, a graduate of a nude youth leadership camp,
was 18-years-old when he first attended camp.
"I grew up with
[the nudist] lifestyle. When I told [my parents] I wanted to do it,
they were like: 'Cool'," said Vickers. Nude youth leadership
camps have been around for a decade. So, what's the big deal now?
Nude youth camps
across Florida are under attack from political fire, with U.S. Representative
Mark Foley leading the assault. Foley, a long-time advocate of protecting
children from sexual and financial exploitation, has complained to
Governor Jeb Bush about juvenile summer nude camps designed for kids
ages 11-18, which resulted in a state investigation.
According to the
governor's general counsel, Raquel Rodriguez, the probe revealed no
evidence of illegal activity. Florida law makes nudity legal as long
as no lewdness is involved.
"I
think the governor hit [the nail] on the head when he told the Congressman
that the state is unaware of any issue regarding the youth camps,"
said Bob Watson, camp manager at Sunsport Gardens, a family nudist
resort in Loxahatchee, located 20-minutes from West Palm Beach. "These
camps have been underway for the past ten years without any incidents."
Regarding the recent
investigation involving nude youth camps, Vickers offered his thoughts.
"I
think [Foley] is just worried that something wrong is going on, [but]
there's nothing going on because I've been there," said Vickers,
who recalls that the best part of the camp is the workshops and discussions,
which involve a lot of critical thinking.
Vickers also explains
that in the camp, the kids are divided into three groups based on
their age.
Watson says that
his wife and groups of nudists and naturalists met with Foley to voice
their concerns about his abruptly negative reaction to a NY Times
article on a juvenile nude camp that operated without parental supervision.
"We
feel that the congressman, who went and read the article in The New
York Times, was just unaware of actually what goes on in the camps,"
said Watson. "It was just more of an immediate reaction to associating
youth with nudism. [But] we support his, in this case misguided, attempts
to protect our children."
For security, the
Sunsport camp requires guests to fill out a confidential form and
provide valid ID. Like every family nudist resort, Sunsport Gardens
does not allow visitors under the age of 18, unless they are accompanied
by a parent or a legal guardian.
"Not
everyone is familiar with the nudist lifestyle. They're just unaware
of it," said Watson, who insisted that if he had to thoroughly
explain the lifestyle, it wouldn't be understood. "[It's] a getaway
from society. It's just so peaceful and relaxing, especially without
any clothes on, than it is on your daily route to work."
According to the
American Association for Nude Recreation, nudism "embraces the
joy of living and experiencing nature in the most natural way possible."
The lifestyle allows one "to relax and be nude…[which] let[s]
yourself be totally free." The website also states that the organization's
members "enjoy clothing free activities in appropriate settings"
and "choose to wear clothes when practical."
"There's
nothing related to nudism and sex," assures Watson, who wanted
Foley to experience the nudist and naturalist lifestyle and thus personally
invited Foley to attend the resort. Watson said that Foley was extremely
busy and that the congressman has not accepted the invitation.
Watson also assures
that there are no cases of peeping Toms, and suggests that prospective
perverts should check out beaches instead. Watson also says that despite
Foley's complaints, business has increased at the Sunsport resort.
"The
youth camps foster growth through the many nudist camps in North America,"
said Catherine Walton, the Marketing Manager of Caliente Resort, a
nude recreation camp in the North Tampa area.
Walton, a nudist
herself, says that the resort ran a survey with travel agencies and
that approximately seven percent more tourists are seeking a vacation
"where they can take off their clothes."
Walton also says
that "there are very strict rules" concerning lewd and lascivious
behavior.
"Even
if you go through the motions and there's nothing happening, we don't
like it. We have children here and we want our children to be safe.
To us, this is natural and this is a natural way to live," said
Walton.
Prosecuting nude
youth camps may seem like a noble endeavor for politicians, but reports
say that Foley, who is running for Senator, is alienating voters who
happen to be naturalists and nudists.
For them, and for
young adults who participate in nude recreation camps, it's the freedom
to live a certain way that is under attack.
On a lighter note,
Vickers offers some advice to those thinking about nude youth camp.
Having to face pesky
mosquitoes and the constant threat of skin cancer, he suggests "tons
of bug spray" and "tons of suntan lotion."
"You
just don't realize how much [suntan lotion] we go through," joked
Vickers. "Hawaiian Tropic is our number one supporter!"
For
more information regarding family nudist resorts and nude youth leadership
camps in your area, visit the A.A.N.R.'s (American Association for
Nude Recreation) website www.aanr.com.
In
order to view the original NY Times June 18th article about
nude camps, visit www.nytimes.com.
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> THIS LAND WAS MADE NUDE & FREE