It is somewhat ironic that there is a growing interest in enhancing body image and well-being by getting naked, the latest fad or trend it seems is shedding your clothes and embracing your true self….
The irony is that us “Nudey’s” have long been extolling the virtues of getting naked as being a healthy and invigorating thing to do which goes a long way to improving your self body image, when a man such as myself talks about the benefits of going nude and how it’s so great I get laughed at or told I am a pervert etc.
With the appearance of groups like the “Body Image Movement” https://www.facebook.com/bodyimagemovement?fref=ts which was started up by a mother of three from South Australia who has bravely made a stand against the media’s false portrayal of the “perfect body” it looks like finally society is starting to sit-up and take notice of what myself and other Nudism advocates have been saying for years.
On last Sunday the 23rd of Feb 2014, The Sydney Skinny http://www.thesydneyskinny.com.au/ was held in Sydney Harbour and they were reported to have over 700 participants, most of which were having their first taste of public nude swimming, this event was launched by Nigel Marsh last year, but this year it has really been given a boost by the inclusion of Taryn Brumfitt https://www.facebook.com/taryn.brumfitt the creator of the Body Image Movement, I think it is fantastic and goes to show that with hard work and patience along with some serious sponsorship the message can get out just as Nigel has done.
Looking down on Cobblers beach after the Sydney Skinny swim 2013
Nigel Marsh has deliberately shied away from calling it a “Naturist or Nudist event” as this in some peoples minds would stop them from attending, but by integrating it into society as a fun thing to do, and it’s no coincidence that after last years events internet traffic spiked to Nudist websites and my Naturist news page http://www.facebook.com/australiannaturistnews as people started seeking more information about the nude lifestyle..
I attended the Sydney Skinny last year and after the swim myself and some other naturist friends stayed naked on the beach till the event was finished completely and I personally overheard people saying “wow this feels’ great, I don’t want to swim clothed again” as well as overhearing discussions between nude newbies and “seasoned nudeys” about the locations of other legal nude beaches.
Looking down on Cobblers beach after the Sydney Skinny swim 2013
Below is the news report from the Channel 7 Sunrise program… ignoring some immature silly remarks from the male host it is quite a good report:
Creator of the Body Image Movement
CH7 Sunrise video: http://au.tv.yahoo.com/sunrise/video/watch/21661094/hundreds-set-record-for-nude-swim/
It also made it to news outlets around the world:
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/02/23/sydney-skinny_n_4841195.html
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/700-swim-naked-sydney-skinny-article-1.1699967
So is this the long awaited corner society is turning towards nude body acceptance? I have said many times that I dream of the day when Nudism is treated like many other slightly unusual hobbies like Ham Radio/Stamp collecting/train spotting.. IE: a little out of the ordinary and not really for everyone, but definitely nothing to be ashamed of 🙂
So in closing I would like to shout out full kudos to Nigel Marsh and Taryn Brumfitt KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK! and hopefully I can get to the Sydney Skinny next year!
Michael Connolly
25 Feb 2014
Nudeyman 
We agree that events such as this present a positive image of simple social nudity. Making that first leap from Textile to publicly unclothed is a huge leap for most folks, one that they are likely to never take.
While some other events encourage nudity, such as WNBR, the option to remain clothed changes the experience. It’s true that requiring nudity might lessen the numbers participating, but the main goal of that particular event isn’t to promote nudism, but rather an entirely different agenda. It merely uses the shock value of nudity to attract attention to make an unrelated point.
The Sydney Skinny, while deliberately not promoting social nudism, does insist on nudity while encouraging many of the same attitudes that nudists/naturists value. Body acceptance begins within the individual and leads to acceptance of others, and that’s what’s promoted here. Once someone reaches that point, the likelihood that they might consider taking the idea a bit further to a nude beach, a naturist park, etc, increases dramatically.
One well-known advocate for social nudism made the comment that this event was ‘stupid’ since participants were only nude from beach to water, and re-dressed immediately after. We’ll have to disagree on that one. Sometimes a half-loaf is better than none, and this event contributes far more to an understanding of the freedom and innocence of simple nudity than all the naked bike rides or other naked publicity stunts in the world.
The fact that folks were only nude coming and going doesn’t diminish that fact that they DID get naked together, publicly, unashamed and on camera, and had a great time! Without the event, how many of them would have ever experienced that?
Indeed! many seeds have been planted by this event, both in the minds of the participants as well as in the minds of those open enough to accept the message 😉
Michael
Nudity is something that is going around and around, a few decades ago it was the norm. Now its something that is hidden on beaches or resorts. Once silly presenters treat it like a normal part of life, no silly or childish carry on we might get somewhere.
Naturism has made a huge difference in my life, I really hope that a few people that participated on the weekend take away the lovely feeling of being free and explore it further.
I cant wait to do the Sydney Skinny again next year!
Couldn’t agree more Nicole! just need more people to come out & admit they participate in non sexual nudity then perhaps one day the smutty comments will stop, I used to get people at work saying smutty things but over the years I’ve had people tell me in private that they go nude at home or have been to beaches it’s just they don’t admit it freely for fear of people teasing them.
Michael
Nicole – We don’t offer this often, but if you’d like to relate your experience and, quite literally, share it with the world, please contact us at allnudistmail@yahoo.com. We can arrange that your own viewpoint will be shared with a whole lot of folks who come to our website looking for the absolute best of information about social nudism, especially from newcomers. Talk to us. Many have spoken before you, but a new perspective is always welcome!
Hey stop poaching my commenters! LOL 😉