| Nude paddling club president bares all |
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| Written by Matt Hansen |
| Saturday, 01 November 2003 05:14 |
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In the Buff Somewhere on the East Coast, a group of paddlers is, ahem, naked. Throwing conventional attire to the wind, the Milltown, N.J.-based Paddling Bares Canoe Club invites all naturists to enjoy clothing-free canoeing and kayaking. Club president Larry Pohl says there could be as many as 500 in the club; he doesn’t know for sure because one membership covers an entire, ahem, uncovered, family. And, yes, many families paddle in the buff, he says. We caught up with Pohl this summer to get the scoop on this skin-loving club. Paddler: How does someone get involved in nude paddling? Pohl: They can download the membership form from our Web site, www.canoeing.org, and send it to us with $10. And it gives you more space in your drybag where clothes used to go. Don’t forget to check the local laws. In some areas, skinny-dipping is a sex crime. Paddler: What are the benefits of paddling nude? Pohl: The same as paddling clothed, but more comfortable. Paddler: And the hazards, other than legal? Pohl: Waffle-butt. If you forget to sit on a towel, the pattern of the canoe seat gets embossed on your posterior. If you sit long enough, you can actually get somewhat attached to the seat. That’s why web seats are so popular in our group. Paddler: What is the male-to-female ratio in your club? Pohl: It’s probably 60-40, but on some trips it can be 50-50, including married females and kids. We don’t have many single women. A female member of a mountain biking group that cut through our campsite one morning asked me why there were only five women compared to 11 guys. I told her that it was probably the same reason why there were only two women in her group of 12. Paddler: So what should single women know about your club? Pohl: Our primary purpose is to enjoy paddling and camping. We are a paddling club with a relaxed dress code, not a social club. Inappropriate behavior is not tolerated. If someone doesn’t have a canoe, we can usually arrange a rental. If someone doesn’t know how to paddle, we can usually pair them up with someone who does. It’s a safe, family-oriented environment. Paddler: Jerry Seinfeld said there was such a thing as "bad naked." Do you agree, and does lifting a canoe fall into that category? Pohl: Judging someone against an artificial standard of beauty is a real problem in society. There is a huge percentage of people with body-image disorders that lead to things like anorexia. Humans are not a pretty species when judged by our own misleading standards. I bet Jerry doesn’t look so good naked. Paddler: Where does your club like to paddle? Pohl: We try to pick places that are less developed with fewer rangers. We like the Allagash, the Adirondacks, Assateague Island off the Maryland-Virginia coast and the Okefenokee Swamp. Last winter we went on a warm eight-day trip in the Everglades. Paddler: What happens when your club surprises clothed paddlers? Pohl: Usually very little. We try to cover up to not offend anyone. Most outdoors people have no problem with skinny-dipping or nudity in general. Surveys have shown that 75 percent of the population has no problem with us. It’s just a very vocal minority that has a problem. Paddler: Where’s the worst spot you’ve received a mosquito bite? Pohl: My eyelid. I squinted for hours. —Matt Hansen Originally Published, Paddler November-December 2003 |
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