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Sandy Snakenberg's June 2001 Naked Skate
Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California
In July of 2001, forty clothing optional skaters gathered in San Francisco for a clothing optional skating photography session organized by 24 hour record holder Sandy Snakenberg and photographer Jack Gescheidt.
See also part 1 of this article:
"Why Sandy Snakenberg Organizes Naked Skates"
and part 2, Photos of the Naked Skate"
What Happened at Sandy's Naked Skate
The skaters' plan was to meet in Golden Gate Park at 7:00 A.M.
and start skating at 7:30. The location was only disclosed to
the people who signed up to participate in the skate.
One by one the
skaters arrived, each wearing their own personally
selected cover-up. Some skaters took Sandy's advice and wrapped
blankets around themselves. Others wore robes made of terry
cloth or silk. Some people tied sarongs around their bodies and
some just held squares of cloth over parts of their body. A few
people taped or glued strategically placed pieces of cloth or
paper to the front of their bodies. The "unique cover-up of the
day" award went to two skaters who brought baby strollers to push
during the clothing optional skate to protect the privacy of certain body parts.
The photo shoot took place on a rather secluded road where the
skaters could move up a gently sloping hill with the sun on their
backs. A few passersby noticed what was happening, and some of
them stopped for a few minutes to watch in amusement. At the
end of the photo shoot, photographer Jack Gescheidt asked one
of the skaters to operate the camera so he could take off his
clothes and join the others in one last skate up the road.
Before we headed to breakfast, Sandy suggested that the group
make one last skate, to the finish line of a large 10k race
that was being held in Golden Gate Park that morning. Everyone
thought that was a great idea, and 40 clothing optional skaters took off
down the road. They skated to the finish line, zoomed across
it, made sharp a U-turn, and skated away, before anyone at the
marathon realized what hit them. We heard later that the skaters
were given an honorable mention by Hootie and the Blowfish at a
concert held after the race, and they were the "butt" of many
jokes on San Francisco radio stations that day.
What Did I Think?
The thing that surprised me the most was how normal and natural
this event felt.
It was a lot of fun, but the nudity itself was no big deal. I'm
sure most of the skaters were feeling a bit daring that day - like
they were getting away with something. But really, it felt more
like a family day in the park than anything else. At first a few
of the skaters seemed a bit nervous, but after 30 minutes or so,
everyone started relaxing. Some skaters brought their parents to
the skate, a few brought their infant children, and at least one
father skated with his grown son (this skate happened to fall on
Father's Day). It was a friendly and respectful group that was
a nice mix of men and women, couples and singles, and skaters of
all ages. Several couples and individuals asked me to take extra
photos for their personal collections.
As the morning went on, I could tell that even the people who
were shy at first, were thinking less about the nudity, and
more about just having fun. There was a real feeling of
camaraderie among the participants. I even started to feel a
bit left out because I was not skating clothing optional myself.
Will I take off my clothes and join the group next time? You'll have
to come along yourself to find out!
Copyright © by Kathie Fry of SkateLog.com
Photos of the Naked Skate
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Related Links
Golden Gate Park Naked Skate - Main Article
More About Skating Naked
From Other Web Sites
FaSST Magazine Version of This Article
Sk8Around.com
(Organizer Sandy Snakenberg)
JackPhoto.com
(Photographer Jack Gescheidt)
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