It’s summer, and while that generally means the ability to go without socks (or without shoes entirely), there’s also a demand for sports that don’t require clothing at all, and to be honest, where wearing clothing is outright discouraged.
The trend of naked sports was first covered by SDM in 2017, and despite a hiccup during the pandemic (virtual naked sports not really being a thing), the demand is still there.
Witness the fact that the website, Running In The USA, which is a compendium of races nationwide, has a special category for “Nude or Clothing Optional” events. Some events appear to take place in the confines of nudist colonies while others are in public.
Among the public races is the San Francisco’s annual Bay to Breakers 12K. Nudism enthusiasts use what they call the “Bare to Breakers” event to advocate for clothing-optional events.
After years of trying to keep them out, Bay to Breakers officials now tolerate the demonstrators, and the city lifts its ban on public nakedness for them, as long as the naked runners wear an official bib around their necks, a spokeswoman says. In fact, many individuals enjoy it so much they stick around for the post-race party without bothering to put on clothing. Much (ahem) coverage focuses on the event, and onlookers keep running tallies of how many naked runners have passed them.
SF Gate reporters noted, “The Bay Area is no stranger to nudists — any trip to Dolores Park is likely to result in a sighting of at least one naked person. It’s another level during Bay to Breakers, though, when those who embrace a clothing-free lifestyle less frequently come out in droves, even traveling from other cities, to enjoy blending in among the throngs of pre-noon partiers.”
(Some of the runners who choose to partake are asked for hugs; not many will oblige.)
But runners aren’t the only ones on the naked train. Just this past weekend, the World Naked Bike Ride Chicago took place. Timeout.com in Chicago noted, “Exact details of the event (including the route) are usually kept under wraps until the day before World Naked Bike Ride takes place in an attempt to ward off creepy onlookers, but you'll find all the information you need by following the Twitter account, @ChiNakedRide, or the Facebook group.”
Those who missed that ride (or made it and want another experience of straddling a bike in the buff) can partake in Portland Oregon’s version of the event, Portland’s World Naked Bike Ride.
Travel Portland notes, “As a part of a worldwide protest against the dependency on oil, this annual event has seen Portlanders pedaling au natural every summer since 2004. (Fun fact: Portland’s Naked Bike Ride is the world’s largest, drawing 10,000 people in 2015.) The route is kept a secret, ride organizers only reveal the starting point in advance.
Wherever the ride begins, the clothes come off, and the body paint goes on, adding all sorts of flourishes to bicyclists’ birthday suits. Then, thousands of naked bike riders hit the roads, cruising commando through streets closed off to cars by (fully-clothed) Portland police officers. Never-nude medical personnel and bike mechanics are also on-hand in case of emergencies.”
A few more tidbits: “And with the unofficial motto of “as bare as you dare,” all manner of clothing and costume is allowed. Frankly, socks and shoes are smart, helmets and pads never hurt anyone, masks are popular for shy riders, and fanny packs aren’t all that embarrassing (for once). Just don’t roll in with your bike attached to a car — ride to the park or load your wheels onto a city bus — because burning fossil fuel en route to this event would be offensive.”
Other cities seen as leader in destinations for cycling au naturel can be found in this article.
No round-up of trending sports would be complete without pickleball, and an article in Pickleheads examined the most popular location for hitting the courts sans shorts (and everything else), listing 24 (!) places nationwide where nude pickleball is not just permitted but actively encouraged.
The most frequently asked question is whether people wear sport shoes to run, cycle, play pickleball, etc. Usually, the answer is yes, but there are certainly plenty of purists out there who don’t.
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