Young Nudists Rising

There’s more to being naked in public than just showing your stuff. Actually, a lot more. Some YNOTU folks said they found baring it all a great way to combat their own negative body issues. Like Lopez. Too afraid to even take his shirt off at the pool, he decided that going full commando was the best way to overcome his insecurities. And it’s worked.

Other members said they stumbled on a nude beach or whimsically partook in a nude event and enjoyed the experience. Amanda raced in a clothing-optional fun run in college several years ago and has never looked back.

For Salas, nudism has been more than an escape from the ghosts of his past. Growing up in a rough, gang-riddled neighborhood on Fort Worth’s East Side, he had a lot of experiences he would rather forget. He often witnessed fights and heard gunfire. He even woke one morning to a crime scene next door. A dead body had been dumped on the front lawn. Nudism is a reminder, he said, that life is fleeting and should be celebrated, a fact that was driven home for him during the Iraq War. While on deployment in Baghdad with the U.S. Army in 2005, Salas befriended many Iraqis, an experience that taught him that appearances and preconceptions are often deceiving. On leave one week, Salas ended up accidentally on a nude beach in Spain. Joining the other vacationers in their nudity, he said, was “liberating.”

He had never been to or considered visiting a nude beach before.

“When you unwind at home, you start by taking your shoes off,” he said. Undressing all the way, he went on, feels just that much better.

Upon returning home to North Texas in 2006, he was conflicted to find that the country he fought for heavily restricted his newfound pleasure.

In 2013, the three future co-founders of YNOTU converged on Bluebonnet Nudist Park. A 34-year-old Wise County resort and a member of the American Association for Nude Recreation, a nonprofit founded in 1931, the park regularly hosts naked 5Ks, naked game nights, and other fun, freewheeling activities and sports year-round.

Amanda, Lopez, and Salas gravitated toward one another naturally. The generational divide, Lopez remembered, was pretty apparent. As the Bluebonnet regulars opted to sunbathe and play cards, Amanda, Lopez, and Salas fantasized about racing go-karts, zip-lining, and playing tug-of-war.

That’s when Salas came up with the idea for YNOTU.

“I wanted to do different activities than the older folks who were more interested in playing cards or relaxing,” he said.

YNOTU’s age range of 18 to 35 is not strictly enforced, Lopez said. It’s just a general guideline, he said. He doesn’t want anyone over 35 to feel unwelcome, but newcomers need to be prepared to get physical.

After coming up with a logo –– a silhouette of a woman seated and meditating in the nude –– the trio began organizing and promoting nude and non-nude events, especially mud runs. YNOTU’s first official event was in May 2014 at Bluebonnet. Around 40 people participated in the Nude Games, Lopez remembered, a full day of tug-of-warring, volleyball, water volleyball, and other light activities.

“The idea was to not take it too seriously with strenuous competition,” so everyone could enjoy the event regardless of their abilities, Lopez recalled.

YNOTU quickly caught the attention of the higher-ups at Bluebonnet, who sponsored Amanda, Lopez, and Salas for their trip to that year’s Young Nudist Leader Summit in Florida.

“In the past 30 years,” said Bluebonnet Nudist Park spokesperson Edy Moss, “the nudist world has had a difficult time attracting younger people. We felt that the best way to effectively communicate to younger people would be best accomplished by other young people.”

The biggest thing Lopez took home, he said, was how to market to people in YNOTU’s target demographic.

YNOTU began rolling out events such as 5Ks, pool parties, and roller skating dances monthly or more frequently. The pool parties, Lopez said, typically draw the biggest crowds. We’re talking about 50 folks, he said.

Like many new organizations, YNOTU’s numbers fluctuate as members move to other cities or get caught up with work. To keep growing, Amanda, Lopez, and Salas hang out where potential converts can be found.

“Most nudist resorts are 99 percent older or retired,” Salas said. “It makes no sense to recruit what’s already there. When you have older people recruiting young folks, it doesn’t come off the right way, even if the right intentions are there. But if somebody who acts like you and looks like you talks about nudism, the response will be, ‘Hell yeah.’ ”

I originally met the group at a place full of potential converts. And maybe I was one of them. It was in Dallas at 6th Street Bar, the site of the after-party for Cupid’s Undie Run, an annual February fundraiser for neurofibroma.

“If the people here are comfortable running in their underwear, it’s not a stretch for them to go with us,” Salas said. “There’s a Texas bull run where you literally run with bulls. We had a good response there. If you’re willing to run with real bulls, being naked is pretty easy. They may come to our events for the thrill, but they stay for the reasons we do.”

YNOTU folks were also there to show force in numbers, believing that they need to support any event that destigmatizes nudity or near nudity.

“Naturally, we have walls and barriers that come up when meeting new people,” said anonymous Alan, who is from Waco and interested in starting his own YNOTU chapter. “When you strip down your clothing, there’s a metaphorical stripping down of the wall that divides us. You tend to be more open because you have nothing left to hide, so to speak.”

 ******

At the laser tag arena, naked young bodies were gleefully shrieking while running around “blasting” one another. It was certainly more boisterous than any traditional game I had been to. I felt lighter, quicker, and exhilarated.

I had decided beforehand that I was going to join them. It just sounded fun.

As I got to know some of the members over the weeks of researching this story, I realized there was nothing unusual or off-putting about them or their reasons for organizing events like the one I was participating in now.

And why did I join in? While nudism is the norm at beaches across much of the world, the practice is still anathema in the United States. For mostly archaic reasons. These folks were placing a lot of trust in me by letting me into their world to write about them. The least I could do was meet them halfway.

Moving around without pants or shoes made me feel freer and less encumbered. My previous nervousness began to subside. I was struck by how normal my environment and my condition began to seem. I focused less on nakedness and more on people.

Salas said that while YNOTU activity tends to slow down in the winter months, he still wants to plan at least one event per month to keep everyone interested. Once spring arrives in full, YNOTU will begin hosting weekly pool parties, more outdoor events like 5Ks, and possibly a go-kart race.

“There’s a difference between being alive and living,” Salas said. “Just because your heart’s beating doesn’t mean you’re living. When I die, I’ll be happy. I’ll know I took every opportunity I was given.”