O
ne thing is for sure: there’s nothing new about being naked. After all, no one is born rocking a suit or a sundress. “For most of human history, nudity was a natural and normal part of life,” said Gary Mussel in a 2022 article on the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) website. In fact, many early societies were “clothing-optional,” and nudist roots can be traced all the way back to Ancient Egypt, where Pharaoh Akhenaton embraced social nudism. Nude recreation was also the norm in Ancient Greece, explained Mussell, where the early Olympic games were played mostly by nude athletes. The normalization of social nudity has come and gone throughout time. But the birth of the modern nudist, or
48 DISTRACTION Special Section: Legacy
naturist, movement began during the industrialization of the late 19th century, he wrote. By the end of the First World War, many people found comfort in nature and turned to naturism, with nudist clubs and beaches popping up all over Europe. In 1929, the AANR (originally called the American Sunbathing Association) was founded by Kurt Barthel. In 1932, Barthel opened Sky Farm, the first American nude camp. Over the years, the movement had challenges and victories in both the legal system and court of public opinion. However, once the 1970s rolled around, nude beaches started gaining traction. While today stripped down adventurers can enjoy naked cruises, camps and vacations, the most accessible way for many people to enjoy baring it all in public is heading to a local nude beach. While you can get away with just about anything on the sands of South Beach, the nearest designated nude beach is Haulover Beach, just north of Bal Harbor. Nude beaches can be a controversial topic, as many people equate nudity with sex, said Albert Panteleon. He founded Friends of Haulover Beach, a group that organizes and communicates information about the nude beach. While baring it all in public may not appeal to everybody, those who try it just may come away with new or evolving views on the human body. University of Miami senior Christopher Carson said that recreational nudity helped him to break down the seemingly inherent association of sexuality and bareness. “I realized that sexualizing the human body is a choice and isn’t something that is as innate as people make it seem,” he said. Perhaps going au-natural can also inspire questions about body positivity, gender equality and clothing choices even outside the bounds of a dedicated nude beach. In some countries outside the United States, public opinion concerning these questions is already different. When UM senior Camille Devincenti went to a nude beach in southern France, she noticed that “when you see a woman topless, it’s just like if you were to see a man shirtless.” And in places where nudity is more accepted, she continued, “people have more respect and understanding of the body and it just is what it is.” People may choose to embrace nudity for a variety of reasons: to feel free, to gain confidence or even to get rid of those pesky tan lines. For Panteleon, one of the most appealing aspects of nude beaches is the feeling of being naked without fear of judgement. “Nudity has made me a more confident individual,” he said. “When you shed your clothes, you shed all the stress that you may have,” said Caroline Hawkins from the American Association of Nude Recreation. “There is nothing to hide and it’s a free feeling.” Embracing nude spaces can also help individuals develop a more positive body image and accept all bodies. “The crowd at the nude beach are very interesting people,” said UM senior Alexis Masciarella. “They were all shapes, sizes and ages. It was so cool to be around so many open people.” These spaces, added UM senior Christian Weiman, are important because they help us shed the toxic idea that we