Good-bye swim suit, hello Guinness
Naturist club invites all to help set skinny dip record
By Charles Schelle, cschelle@patuxent.com
Posted 7/10/09
Walter Green III, of Halethorpe, wants folks to help make history by ditching their skivvies.
The Maryland Area Naturist Association, in partnership with the American Association for Nude Recreation, will host a skinny dip at 3 p.m. Saturday in — where else? — Bare Hills, near Towson, to help set the Guinness World Record for most people simultaneously skinny dipping across North America.
The event is free, and your body will be free of clothes, which is what it’s all about, said Green, 47, and the president of the naturist association.
“And that’s the whole reason for it — not to feel constricted,” he said. “I feel like people are accepting me for me, instead of seeing what I’m wearing or judging by what my profession is.”
The event at the Gerstung pool, 1400 Coppermine Terrace, will be at 3 p.m. The skinny dip is part of the association’s MARNAFest, which runs 1-5 p.m.
The festival includes clothing-optional volleyball and other activities, as well as crafts and vendors and a barbecue.
Admission to the festival is $30 at the door. (For group rates and other information, see below.)
Folks wishing to be part of the skinny dip should arrive by about 2:30 p.m., and once a body count in the pool is completed, those who have not paid for the festival will be asked to leave, Green said.
To make the record count, the event has to follow certain rules, Green said. The group has to have two witnesses not associated with the club to verify with Guinness the number and that the event actually happened, he said.
Also, everyone must be naked head-to-toe for the skinny dip, he said
.
Green isn’t a stranger to nudism, having embraced being in the buff for more than 30 years
.
“I’ve been doing (skinny dipping) since before I knew what it was called,” he said.
His first time was when he was a teenager, he said. “I went skinny dipping back then and I enjoyed it,” he said.
Green said he understands shyness and the need for accommodation and said event organizers will help accommodate those with a desire to be modest. But for the skinny dip itself, it’s naked time.
For those unfamiliar with nudism, etiquette applies. Here’s a few rules to remember:
• Bring a towel to sit on, preferably a beach towel.
• Don’t gawk or stare.
• Bring identification, in case questioned about behavior.
• Act as you would with your clothes on (which could still be challenging for some folks).
The naturist association has been active for about four years, Green said, and is a “non-landed” club, meaning they host events at different places because they don’t own land for the club to call home.
Though mostly middle-aged folks from as far as New Jersey and Virginia attend the small group of about 22, the group is trying to attract college-age types to diversify, he said, reaching out via Facebook.
“I get people from all walks of life,” Green said.
The group emphasizes that the event, and the club itself, is “family friendly,” meaning it’s not a sex or swingers club and children are welcome.
“We don’t allow any adult activities, as we try to keep our parties free of any alcohol,” he said.
The media has been invited; and photo-taking will be limited to the media only.
In a large event like this, Green recognizes that people might have concerns with bringing their children. Green said he has the ability to contact the national association to perform criminal background checks, if necessary. But he doesn’t foresee many concerns because of the amount of people who will be watching.
“Even when you don’t have officials of the group watching, most naturists look out for each other,” he said.
Guinness World Record Skinny Dip
3 p.m. Saturday, July 11
Free
Gerstung pool, 1400 Coppermine Terrace, Baltimore
MARNA Fest
1 to 5 p.m., Saturday, July 11
Gerstung pool, 1400 Coppermine Terrace, Baltimore.
Cost: Single tickets, $30 at the door. Couples/families, $50 at the door; children in families under 18 are free. Groups of four to nine, $25 per person at the door. Groups of 10 and more, $20 per person at the door.
For information, e-mail marnaswimsinmd@yahoo.com or go to www.marylandnudism.com.
The Maryland Area Naturist Association, in partnership with the American Association for Nude Recreation, will host a skinny dip at 3 p.m. Saturday in — where else? — Bare Hills, near Towson, to help set the Guinness World Record for most people simultaneously skinny dipping across North America.
The event is free, and your body will be free of clothes, which is what it’s all about, said Green, 47, and the president of the naturist association.
“And that’s the whole reason for it — not to feel constricted,” he said. “I feel like people are accepting me for me, instead of seeing what I’m wearing or judging by what my profession is.”
The event at the Gerstung pool, 1400 Coppermine Terrace, will be at 3 p.m. The skinny dip is part of the association’s MARNAFest, which runs 1-5 p.m.
The festival includes clothing-optional volleyball and other activities, as well as crafts and vendors and a barbecue.
Admission to the festival is $30 at the door. (For group rates and other information, see below.)
Folks wishing to be part of the skinny dip should arrive by about 2:30 p.m., and once a body count in the pool is completed, those who have not paid for the festival will be asked to leave, Green said.
To make the record count, the event has to follow certain rules, Green said. The group has to have two witnesses not associated with the club to verify with Guinness the number and that the event actually happened, he said.
Also, everyone must be naked head-to-toe for the skinny dip, he said
.
Green isn’t a stranger to nudism, having embraced being in the buff for more than 30 years
.
“I’ve been doing (skinny dipping) since before I knew what it was called,” he said.
His first time was when he was a teenager, he said. “I went skinny dipping back then and I enjoyed it,” he said.
Green said he understands shyness and the need for accommodation and said event organizers will help accommodate those with a desire to be modest. But for the skinny dip itself, it’s naked time.
For those unfamiliar with nudism, etiquette applies. Here’s a few rules to remember:
• Bring a towel to sit on, preferably a beach towel.
• Don’t gawk or stare.
• Bring identification, in case questioned about behavior.
• Act as you would with your clothes on (which could still be challenging for some folks).
The naturist association has been active for about four years, Green said, and is a “non-landed” club, meaning they host events at different places because they don’t own land for the club to call home.
Though mostly middle-aged folks from as far as New Jersey and Virginia attend the small group of about 22, the group is trying to attract college-age types to diversify, he said, reaching out via Facebook.
“I get people from all walks of life,” Green said.
The group emphasizes that the event, and the club itself, is “family friendly,” meaning it’s not a sex or swingers club and children are welcome.
“We don’t allow any adult activities, as we try to keep our parties free of any alcohol,” he said.
The media has been invited; and photo-taking will be limited to the media only.
In a large event like this, Green recognizes that people might have concerns with bringing their children. Green said he has the ability to contact the national association to perform criminal background checks, if necessary. But he doesn’t foresee many concerns because of the amount of people who will be watching.
“Even when you don’t have officials of the group watching, most naturists look out for each other,” he said.
Guinness World Record Skinny Dip
3 p.m. Saturday, July 11
Free
Gerstung pool, 1400 Coppermine Terrace, Baltimore
MARNA Fest
1 to 5 p.m., Saturday, July 11
Gerstung pool, 1400 Coppermine Terrace, Baltimore.
Cost: Single tickets, $30 at the door. Couples/families, $50 at the door; children in families under 18 are free. Groups of four to nine, $25 per person at the door. Groups of 10 and more, $20 per person at the door.
For information, e-mail marnaswimsinmd@yahoo.com or go to www.marylandnudism.com.
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