Sports Buffs

When you think of nudism and the Olympics (and who doesn't?), your mind probably goes to the Nazi propaganda films of Leni Riefenstahl, where perfectly sculpted Aryan specimens wore next to nothing and elegantly tossed javelins in slo-mo. Strangely, the Third Reich actually didn't take much of a liking to nudism and nudist culture. According to George Baker, the organizer of the Nude Beach Olympics, Western culture had a thriving nudist scene before Hitler showed up (and, of course, the original Olympics in Greece were all done in the nude). The European take on nudism was called Freikorperkultur (Free Body Culture), and games organizer and nudist Baker is determined to bring back and celebrate the tradition. If you believe that sports and recreation is always better in a birthday suit, then this is your tourney. Entrants will compete in various events like discus, broad jump, foot races, and volleyball, all in the buff. And, unlike the Folsom Street Fair, the competition is "family friendly," so you can finally expose your children to naked sumo wrestling without fear of seeing someone suspended by the nipples. "It's just about having fun," Baker says. Competitors will be judged and the victors will be crowned at the games' end with olive wreaths during a bacchanalian celebration dubbed the Beach Blanket Banquet. The event is clothing optional for spectators, but everyone is encouraged to get into the spirit and let it all, er, hang out.
Sun., Oct. 5, 11:30 a.m., 2008