Latest news with #nudism
National Post
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- National Post
At this West Virginia nudist resort, everyone has skin in the game
PAW PAW, West Virginia — The time was 2 p.m., the sun was scorching and a retiree named Dewey Butts III was reveling in his version of heaven: a swimming pool crowded with dozens of men and women – every last one of them naked, himself included. Article content Here at the Avalon Resort, a self-styled 'clothing-optional' retreat two hours west of D.C., the dress code requires no type of dress (or shirt or pants) at all. Article content Article content Article content 'This is about finding a way to enjoy life and I enjoy being nude,' said Butts (yes, that's his real name), a widower who drove last weekend from Pennsylvania with his girlfriend for a gala celebrating Avalon's 30th anniversary. Article content Article content 'This is freedom,' he said, his smile befitting someone who had just won something akin to the jackpot. Article content The regimented constraints of conventional life often inspire a deep yearning for liberation, the form of which can be as logistically challenging as, say, parachuting out of an airplane, or as prosaic as channeling your inner Pavarotti in the shower – neighbors be damned. Article content At Avalon, 250 rolling acres that include streets with names like 'Bare Buns Boulevard,' freedom means moseying about in nothing more than gobs of sunscreen and embracing a lifestyle that dates back nearly 100 years in the United States and longer in Europe. Article content Feeling a tad self-conscious? Article content Not to worry, say Avalon's members, largely an older crowd that includes people like the ever-sunny Linda Keesee, 74, a retired naval intelligence officer who bought a condo at the resort years ago with her husband, Bill, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who died in 2022. Article content Article content Article content On her kitchen wall is a framed photo of a happy moment – Bill at their outdoor grill, his middle-aged body covered only by a red apron. A second photo, this one on a side table, also captures Bill at the grill, this time without the apron. Article content 'I always tell people when they come to Avalon that Barbie and Ken don't live here,' said Keesee, in a sundress, at least for the moment, as she reclined in a comfortable chair in her condo. 'It is people of all shapes and sizes and colors just enjoying the freedom of it.' Article content The resort draws patrons from various backgrounds and professions, as well as parents with children, willing to pay an annual year-round membership fee of as much as $800 (raising kids to accept nudity as natural and to not equate it with sex is a mainstay of the nudist ethos). Article content On this particular weekend, the crowd seemed heavy on ex-military and government types. At one point at Keesee's place, Chris Morales, 63, a forensics expert who formerly worked for the Secret Service and Justice Department, dropped in, naked from head to sandal-covered toes.
Washington Post
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Grin and ‘Bare' it: At this nudist resort, everyone has skin in the game
PAW PAW, West Virginia — The time was 2 p.m., the sun was scorching and a retiree named Dewey Butts III was reveling in his version of heaven: a swimming pool crowded with dozens of men and women — every last one of them naked, himself included. Here at the Avalon Resort, a self-styled 'clothing-optional' retreat two hours west of D.C., the dress code requires no type of dress (or shirt or pants) at all.
The Sun
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I've been holidaying naked for 25 years – I quit Derbyshire for the Canary Islands & now only wear clothes to the shops
A DIVORCEE who has been holidaying naked for 25 years and owns her own naturist resort, has opened up on loving life in the buff. Karie Jane, 58, a former theatre producer from Derbyshire, began holidaying nude back in 2000, with her and her ex-husband buying a second home in Costa Calma, Fuerteventura, the following year to strip down as often as possible. 8 8 8 8 After their divorce in 2013, she moved into the property permanently, turning it into the BHH Naturist Resort in 2019 and officially opening it the following year. The resort is now almost always fully booked, with guests even booking two years in advance and now, Karie only wears clothes when she goes to the shops. Not only this, but it also featured on Channel 5 's The Canary Islands with presenter Jane McDonald last year. Karie welcomes a range of guests, hosting LGBTQ+, ladies and ramblers events, and has recently introduced live demonstrations on how to apply aloe vera to soothe sunburn, which she described as 'miraculous'. Karie is celebrating the resort's fifth anniversary this year by attending a nudist festival, where she is planning on turning up in her bright pink Ford Ka, dubbed the 'Barbie car', and handing out 'bum towels' for fellow naturists to sit on. She thinks naturism is getting more popular each year and has witnessed guests working from the resort since lockdown, wearing nothing but a shirt and tie to take business calls. Speaking about her naked lifestyle, Karie told PA Real Life: 'When I need to go out for something, I go as quickly as possible so I can come back home and take my clothes off. 'I know I'm living a life that's less ordinary, that's for sure. 'I've effectively been naked for the last five years besides going out in public!' Soothing sunburn Since many of her guests get 'lots of sunburn in places you shouldn't get sunburn', Karie has started doing a demonstration for them on how to soothe it. I've been fat shamed my whole life but I don't cover up and I wear less clothes than ever before, I even teach yoga naked Karie discussed her new live demonstrations, as she explained: 'I take some aloe vera and tell them, and show them, to slather on aloe vera on their bits and it's miraculous. 'We get a lot of bald heads, actually, a lot of sunburnt bald heads, that's quite memorable.' After visiting her first naturist beach in 2000 in Spain, Karie was hooked and continued going on vacation in the buff. The following year, she and her husband bought a holiday home in Fuerteventura, made up of five apartments. Karie Jane Karie and her husband divorced in 2013 and she decided to move into the holiday home permanently that same year to mark her new chapter. She often rented out the apartments to families and surfers, and then, in 2020, she started offering naturist holidays to adults. The resort is already 'quite booked up' for next year and has even received bookings for 2027. 8 8 Getting more people into naturism Karie is passionate about getting more people into naturism, especially women, and holds multiple ladies' retreats throughout the year. In May, she held her first LGBTQ+ event – including naked sailing on a yacht – and has even had naturist ramblers come and stay. She has also upgraded the resort this year, adding in additional accommodation pods – the Hooters Nest for women and the Peckers Nest for men. What is Naturism? Naturism, also known as nudism, is a cultural and lifestyle movement that advocates for and practices social nudity in both private and public spaces. The philosophy behind naturism emphasises harmony with nature, self-respect, respect for others, and a sense of community. Naturism is a diverse and inclusive lifestyle choice that encourages individuals to embrace their natural state, foster a deeper connection with nature, and build a community based on mutual respect and equality. Naturists believe that naturism promotes a healthy and accepting attitude toward the human body, regardless of shape, size, or imperfections. Many naturists are also advocates for environmental conservation and sustainable living, believing in a close connection with nature. Naturism also fosters a sense of equality, as clothing often signifies social status, and its absence can help break down these barriers. She beamed: 'They've each got a private hot tub for two people, which I call the bird bath! 'They've got an ensuite bathroom, bar, double beds and people are loving it.' When upgrading the accommodation, one of her most challenging moments was having to explain the premise of a naturist resort to an electrician who turned up to carry out some work. 'When the man came round, he had all these naked bodies that he had to sort of go through, I think he was more surprised than I was. 'I was trying to explain to him but that was a funny day,' Karie recalled. This year, she is celebrating five years of the resort by attending British Naturism's NudeFest, the biggest naturist festival in the UK from July 7 to July 13. She confessed: 'I want to try naked basket weaving. 'I'll be driving my bright pink Ford Ka, my Barbie car, and it'll be full of BHH stickers, and I'll be handing out bum towels, which is the naturist etiquette that you sit on a towel. 'That's the number one etiquette, actually, over and above the non-sexual social nudity, it's the fact that you always sit on a towel. 'I've sponsored the event in previous years, but I've never actually attended in person so I'm hoping that there'll be hundreds of guests that have stayed here and we can meet up there. 'I'll be taking Canary honey rum as well!' 8 Embracing the nude lifestyle In comparison to when the resort first opened, Karie thinks more people are embracing the naturist lifestyle, especially after lockdown. She explained: 'A lot of people started the lifestyle in lockdown when you didn't need to wear clothes or go to work. 'Some people come and work from here, which is quite peculiar, to see a man in a shirt and tie and then nothing below every day! 'I think the age is coming down – when I started, it was kind of die-hard naturists who've been naturists for their whole lives. 'Lately, it's more and more people that are in their 30s or 40s and are just trying it for the first time and loving the freedom of it.' In terms of her personal life, Karie remains 'happily single' and enjoys the company of her two pet dogs, Snoopy, a labradoodle, and Milo, a Spanish water dog. To people wanting to try naturism, she shared: 'I suppose it's become totally normal to me, which I forget when I'm in the company of textiles, which are people who wear clothes. 'People are much more liberated – when you're talking to a group of naturists, they seem to be more open. 'It can be a liberating experience and we don't care what labels you wear, where you come from.'
The Sun
21-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Sun
I sunbathed naked for the first time at 40 & now I can't get enough – this scorching weekend I'm hiking starker
LAYING out her picnic blanket after enjoying a walk in her local woodland, Estelle Keeber, 42, basks in the dappled shade of the trees and feels thankful she's escaped this weekend's scotching UK sun. The only difference between the mum-of-two and the millions of other Brits heading outdoors as temperatures skyrocket around the country is Estelle is completely starkers. 9 9 "My first foray with nudism began when I started sunbathing topless in the garden at age 33," she explains. "I wasn't initially happy with my post-baby body, but after taking my top off in the garden I changed my mind and realised 'Yes, this is great'. 'Our garden is overlooked by houses. I found a spot where people couldn't see me if I was topless. That was the first step to embracing the nudist life.' Now Estelle loves sunbathing, hiking, picnicking, glamping and even BBQing naked and doesn't care who sees. "I fully stripped off for the first time on a nudist beach at age 40," says the body confident mum, who has two sons aged 16 and 14. "It was to mark my landmark birthday and now I am obsessed. 9 9 'I found myself at a crossroads as I laid on that sand in Spain. I was a mum to two teenagers, and I decided to make a conscious effort to overhaul my life and improve my confidence. 'I'd broken up with my children's dad in 2015 and trying to make ends meet as a wedding photographer. I knew things had to change. 'But as a mum, learning how to handle my body image was a real struggle. 'I had preconceived ideas about naturist or nude beaches including pervy people, but I was wrong. 'I put down my towel and no one looked or cared. There were people of all different shapes and sizes enjoying the sun like me." While Estelle, who lives in Leicester, loves getting her kit off, she does have some limitations. "Of course, I'm always careful not to enjoy my naturist challenges around my sons," she explains. 'They roll their eyes at my antics,' she says. 'But, I knew I couldn't encourage other women to be body confident if I didn't walk the naturist walk. 'Now, I love lying in the sun feeling the warmth on my body and getting the maximum dose of vitamin D I can. It's one of the best things I have ever done. I get my kit off as soon as the sun pops its head out." 9 In January 2024 Estelle started a year-long naked challenge sharing her experiences especially during the summer months on her @nakedadventureswithme account on Instagram . One of her favourite naked days was a nude spa break in Birmingham. Estelle enjoyed a nude all over body massage, sunbathing, using the jacuzzi, hot tub and even dined in the buff for an evening meal. 'The spa offered naked dining,' she says. 'That was the most challenging thing for me, walking into a dining room and seeing people eating in the nude,' she says. 'I did not know where to put my napkin or how to deal with food sploshing on my bits." But after her naked spa experience, Estelle admits her body confidence grew. 'I realised I was worrying too much about what everyone else thought about me," she adds. 'I should simply do what makes me feel good or challenged. Every time I did that, my self esteem improved. 'Once I had embraced naturist beaches and a naturist spa, nothing stopped me." I was shaking when I first took off my clothes looking around thinking I'd be told off by people. Estelle Keeber42 Estelle has enjoyed another five naked spa visits in Britain in the past nine months. Last Christmas she even attended her first naked Christmas party at a naturist spa. 'It was a bit weird topping up your lipstick and walking into a Christmas event au naturel, but it was amazing." And her 12 month challenge was so enjoyable, she's continued it into 2025. "I've attended naked BBQ's and this year I've been a nude life model for art groups and I will be enjoying a spot of naked glamping in the summer. 'It sounds bonkers, but to accept my body I needed to stop hiding and do things which took me well out of my comfort zone,' she says. 'I know some people will troll me for my naked challenges. I simply don't care. The overwhelming positive response I get from women is amazing. 'I love sunbathing in the nude. Hiking in the buff is just the same. 'This weekend is International Naked Hiking Day and there's no way I'm missing out. In this weather, to indulge in some revealing rambling wearing just boots, a hat, and some sunscreen is perfect for anyone wanting to try. 'I am proud to be celebrating summer with over forty confidences like this. 'It's empowering. I am not doing it to be perved at. I am doing it for me. 'Taking a walk in the sunshine in just a pair of boots is exhilarating. It's not something which should be trolled. 'The first time I went naked rambling was in September 2021. 'I was 41 and went for a two-mile commando wander through forest and bushland. 'I was searching for a naturist beach and took the wrong path. "The naked ramble was an impulsive decision. I was alone with just my bag and towel." 9 According to Estelle if she'd planned ahead, she might have talked herself out of the buff wander. 'My 'in the moment' decision showed I wasn't naked hiking to get clicks on social media; I was doing it to improve how I felt about my body," she explains 'I was shaking when I first took off my clothes looking around thinking I'd be told off by people. 'But within a few minutes the anxiety and worry were replaced. There was no one else around and no one was judging me, 'The breeze on my body, the extra Vitamin D and the sheer freedom of baring all was invigorating, transformative and yes, just a little bit naughty,' she says. 'It's something every woman should try even once. " With soaring summer temperatures expected this weekend, Estelle believes it's a great time to try to indulge in some topless or even naked rambling. International Naked Hiking Day is held on the summer solstice, this year the 21st of June, and Estelle is keen to encourage people to embrace a naked hike as a cheeky and fun way to celebrate the day with the most daylight hours. The event began in the US in 1999 and is now celebrated globally. In the UK, British Naturism has walks and outdoor gatherings planned in Hertfordshire, Northwest, the Southeast of the country and in London with naked swim events. if someone sees my boobs or bum, I really couldn't give a fig." Estelle Keeber42 An Ipsos survey found 6.75 million or 14% of British adults describe themselves as naturist. This includes an estimated 2 million women or 30% of naturists who are stripping off using the summer weather as a vehicle for improved body confidence, self-esteem, and mental well-being. Women-only naturist events are now so popular they are sold out months in advance. Estelle says: 'Mums like me and women of all shapes and sizes are learning to love their bodies on their terms. 'We're celebrating it by challenging ourselves to try everything from topless sunbathing to naked hiking, gardening and swimming especially in summer.' "Marking International Naked Hiking Day is not just another challenge but a chance to enjoy the great British outdoors when the weather's amazing,' she says. 'I'm not doing it simply to add to a 'click list.' I do this because I enjoy how it makes me feel. 'I love encouraging other people, especially women and mums like me to have a go. 'It's natural to be natural. " CAN I SUNBATHE NAKED IN MY GARDEN? It is not an offence to be naked in public which means it is not against the law to be naked in your own garden in the UK. However, all that changes if your actions alarm or distress those around you. The law states: "In the absence of any sexual context and in relation to nudity where the person has no intention to cause alarm or distress it will normally be appropriate to take no action unless members of the public were actually caused harassment, alarm or distress (as opposed to considering the likelihood of this)." Barrister Lynette Calder told The Sun that it's fine to be naked in your own garden - as long as your intent is not to harass or distress whoever lives next door. She said: "Unless you are in contravention of section 66 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 - ie 'intentionally exposing your genitals with the intention that someone will see them and be caused alarm or distress - then there is no specific rule against nudity in the UK." The best way to ensure you don't end up in hot water with the police while enjoying the UK sunshine is to exercise some caution. It's also worth considering that somebody may ring your doorbell during your nude sunbathing sessions. It is not illegal to answer the door to your home in your underwear or walk around the house without clothes on but if the nudity becomes a regularity, and if your neighbours complain to the police enough, then they may take action against you. Estelle does warn that naked hiking, especially in potential heatwave conditions, is not without its risks. 'Sunscreen is critical - cover yourself with as much as possible, 'Watch out for bugs. There is nothing worse than a bit on your bits and always have a towel to sit down on. You don't want dirt and sand in unseemly places." In Britain, people are within their rights to be topless in public. There's no law against it but if you disturb or annoy anyone then you risk 'outraging public decency.' According to the Crown Prosecution Service, public nakedness must be done in a way that is not intended to cause 'distress, alarm or outrage.' During the summer of 2023 one UK police force went as far as to suggest that if you're doing it in your own garden, you should let your neighbours know your plans. 'If I am in my garden, I make sure I sunbathe in a space where people can't see me doing it," Estelle says. 9 If you're planning on some naked sunbathing or swimming at a local beach that is possible too. British Naturism, the UK's top naturist organisation, has 81 naturist locations, encompassing beaches, resorts, lakesides, and parks where people can enjoy naked hiking, sunbathing, camping, and swimming. 'Check their website or local online maps for the best places to enjoy some safe naked sunbathing, swimming, or hiking," Estelle says. 'Get out there, enjoy a revealing ramble and have some fun in this lovely summer sun," says Estelle. 'Challenge yourself to have a go. Blaze a trail in the buff and enjoy a burst of body confidence."
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Yahoo
The new nudity: A 21st-century guide to taking off your clothes
Editor's note: Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel's weekly newsletter. Get news about destinations, plus the latest in aviation, food and drink, and where to stay. 'Naturism is about liberating your body and accepting who you are,' says Stéphane Deschênes, a twinkly-eyed Canadian with an impressive white handlebar mustache. We're gathered near the hot tub for the opening ceremony at British Naturism: Sunfolk, a 94-year-old naturist site that's relaunching after a modern makeover. As president of the International Naturist Federation (INF-FNI), Deschênes has traveled 3,000 miles to St Albans, a small historic city in London's commuter belt, which is home to three naturist clubs. The five-acre site is bucolic: cocooned by mature woodland, with landscaped lawns edged by rhododendrons and a tadpole-filled brook. There's an inviting new sauna, a heated pool with floats and toys, plus outdoor showers with a full range of toiletries. Five smart new glamping pods are nearby, as is a campfire area and a clubhouse with a communal kitchen and an honesty bar with snacks, drinks and ready meals. It feels like a peaceful oasis, just an hour away from the grit and congestion of central London. Despite the temperamental British weather (gray skies and gooseflesh are a seasonal hazard) most of the 40 or 50 bodies at this summer celebration are duly liberated. It's a jolt at first, seeing habitually veiled organs out and about, but it's easy to make the adjustment — look at faces, like you normally would. And if your eyes strike flesh when glancing downwards, slide them courteously right. Before long, the naked bodies feel as natural a part of the scenery as the veteran trees that have been surveying this site for close to a century. Mark Bass, president of British Naturism, wearing a tool belt to hold his microphone set, addresses the crowd of naturists, some as young as their 20s, but most in midlife or older. Years of work have gone into restoring the Sunfolk site to the charm of its post-World War II heyday, when parties were common and archive photographs show happy naked families thronging the site. 'Time has moved on,' he says. 'The attitude towards actually joining societies, joining clubs, has waned.' Membership of national naturist organizations is in decline around the world. Even in Germany, home of the trailblazing 'Free Body Culture' (FKK) movement, city councils have been reducing their number of clothing-free naturist beaches. Although social nudity has a long history, the modern naturist movement developed in Europe in the late 19th century and gained popularity throughout the world in the 1920s and 1930s. While naturism is about freedom of the body, explains Deschênes, it's not about decadent abandon. 'You feel free from the shackles, the bonds, of society, in terms of body shame and everything else,' he says. 'But, arguably, naturist environments have more rules than mainstream society in a lot of ways.' Naturism's utopian ideals of non-sexual social nudity are founded on respect, community, egalitarianism and harmony with nature. In today's era of OnlyFans and rampant individualism, those values can seem prim or quaint, particularly for younger people who don't want to disrobe alongside people from their parents' or grandparents' generation. However, it's by no means time for naturism to get its coat. A century on from the movement's peak, there are in fact several factors suggesting Western society could be ripe for a nude renaissance. In 2022, an independent survey commissioned by British Naturism found that a surprising 14% of UK adults defined themselves as naturists or nudists, up from previous British Naturism surveys, which found 6% in 2011 and 2% in 2000. For the survey, naturists were defined as people who engaged in activities such as sunbathing or swimming without clothes. In the UK, at least, it seems there is a significant hidden appetite for getting bare and breezy. Around the world, we're also in a boom time for opportunities for nude recreation, from naked yoga classes to clothing-optional cruises to flesh-friendly festivals. Traditional club membership might be in decline, but there has also been a huge diversification in the clothing-free lifestyle. The British Naturism calendar alone is chock-a-block with activities every day. They lean wholesome and outdoorsy: swimming competitions, pottery classes and country walks with the Stark Trekkers rambling group. Today we also have social factors which echo those of the early 20th century and the first naturism boom. 'People had suffered horrifically with our First World War,' says Bass of the first naturists at Sunfolk. 'They'd been very restricted, and they were just looking for freedom. They wanted to reclaim their lives.' Spielplatz, a naturist resort and residential village next door to Sunfolk — tagline: 'The place to be when you have nothing on!' — was also founded at this time. 'If we think about where we are now, we see very similar things,' says Bass. 'We've seen Covid and those restrictions, we've seen restrictions that we find in ordinary lives. 'Across society, we are facing a mental health pandemic because we are constantly told we are not good enough, that we don't look the right way, and many of us are struggling with our mental health. Naturism isn't going to fix that, but it can be a big part of the solution.' The movement's focus on community, for example, is one counterbalance to the loneliness epidemic which the World Health Organization has declared a global priority. At Spielplatz, resident Hazel Ryan tells me, a villager with dementia was able to live independently for longer, thanks to neighbors being able to 'point him home.' The leisure offering at British Naturism: Sunfolk also fits well with outdoorsy modern wellness trends such as wild swimming and the Scandi-style saunas currently popping up on Britain's beaches and at scenic beauty spots. 'If we think about what comes next and what the future holds,' Bass tells his fellow naturists, 'none of us here are the future' of the movement. Their roles, he says, are as its stewards. 'We want to be protecting naturist spaces and providing opportunities for people to try naturism,' he says. 'We know there's inequality in gender balance, as well as racial background and age within naturism. So if we're going to tackle that, we need to be providing a safe space.' As that rare thing, a young female naturist happy to chat on camera, Saoirse Newhouse has been in demand with the press at the opening ceremony. 'I think for young people, especially, social media has an impact. It affects people's perception of their bodies and of the world, like some sort of hypnosis in a way,' she tells the crowd. 'That's why I believe quite strongly in (naturism), because I don't want that to be my future. And I don't want that to be the future of other people.' Chris Mason, a Sunfolk warden who has followed the demographic changes at the resort over the years, has noted an increase in body positivity among Generation Z. While the bell curve still swells at visitors in their 40s through 60s, 'I've noticed since Covid, people are getting younger and younger,' he says. 'We're getting more in their 20s. They're a lot more easy about it.' After the opening ceremony, I return with a friend for a regular afternoon at Sunfolk — this time with sunny weather. It's a swift 40-minute drive from north London and getting ready is easy when you don't have to plan what to wear or even rinse your swimsuit out after. Stripping off is a smaller leap than you might expect, when everyone else is a stranger and already in their birthday suit. It feels not unlike trying karaoke for the first time — there's a camaraderie that comes with being all in this together, flaws and all. There are only a handful of fellow guests (mostly midlife or older, but with one young family getting approving nods) and the atmosphere is tranquil, welcoming and entirely non-threatening. As we lounge around the hot tub and sauna, roam the woodland, and play with Super Soakers in a pool all to ourselves, I recall the words of Helen Berriman, women's officer for British Naturism, the day before. 'Somebody said to me once, 'it's difficult to be a d**khead if you've got no clothes on,'' she said. 'It's an unwritten rule that everyone's got your back. It's the safest environment to be in.' British Naturism: Sunfolk wants to attract new people to sampling the clothing-free lifestyle and the prices here are enough to lure both of us newbies back. It's a mere £20 ($27) to spend a full day here and just £15 ($20) if you're a British Naturism member. The furnished glamping pods are £80 a night while a tent camping pitch is £35 a night (with a £5 supplement per night for non-members). For UK spa and glamping facilities, that's an absolute steal. 'It's so nice for us that people want to do it again,' says Andrew Welch, commercial manager for British Naturism, checking in after our visit. 'Decades of social conditioning have put so many barriers in the way to what is just a lovely experience.'
