World Naked Bike Ride Coming To Austin

At least 70 cities in at least 20 countries are taking part in this year's World Naked Bike Ride. The Southern Hemisphere rides have already taken place, back in March. The Northern Hemisphere's Naked Bike Rides take place Saturday, June 13.

I'm shocked, shocked I tell you, that neither Dallas or Fort Worth is on the list of 70 cities. But Austin is. Austin is the only Texas town on the list.

In my old home state, that being Washington, in addition to Seattle being one of the 70 cities, Bellingham is also on the list. Bellingham is a very nice college town about 20 miles from the border. It is closer to Vancouver than Seattle. Vancouver is also on the list of 70 cities. Which is no big surprise. The most heavily populated nude beach I have ever been naked at is in Vancouver at Wreck Beach.

I highly doubt I'll be going down to Austin for this event. I'll probably just participate, solo, at River Legacy Park.

And in other weird naked news. Nike, that's the sports shoe maker, not the Greek god, based in, I think, Eugene, Oregon, has a new commercial filmed at something called Bear Butte, where all these sports jocks sorts, like Olympic runners, go to train au naturel. In the commercial we see the runners running au naturel. Some of them are well known, I assume, to people who follow such things, which I don't.

I tell you, the world is just getting way too free-spirited. You can watch the Nike YouTube video below. But do not watch if seeing people running naked makes you queasy.

The World Naked Bike Ride Putting an End to Cars

A few days ago I read the Swiss are being bedeviled by way too many people going hiking in the Alps, au naturel. That means naked. Except for sunscreen and hiking boots. The Europeans have always been a bit more liberal about this type thing than some of us Americans.

Last week Yvonne sent me an email pointing me towards an article about The World Naked Bike Ride. It began March 7 in Nimbin, Australia. The purpose of The World Naked Bike Ride is for thousands of bike riders to toss off their clothes and hop on a bike in the hope that this will get us all to stop and think about all the negative effects cars, and the pollution they create, have on the planet.

Oh, yeah, I am sure that is what I would be thinking if I saw thousands of people riding naked on their bikes. I'd turn to the person next to me and say something like, "You know all these naked people on bikes is making me think we should get rid of all the cars and the pollution they cause."

The World Naked Bike Ride pedals through Australia and then on to South America. And then heads north. Towards us.

Most of the northern hemisphere naked bike rides will take place on June 13, although some locations may vary that date. I don't know when Fort Worth's Naked Bike Ride Day is. I'm sure Fort Worth's Mayor Moncrief will be participating. He's a big advocate of alternative energy sources.

I do know it is getting HOT enough that it is almost the time of the year to emulate Switzerland and start in with those Naked Tandy Hills Hikes again.

I'm sure Seattle will be part of The World Naked Bike Ride because Seattle is mentioned in the article about The Naked Bike Ride in the FAQ section explaining why this is perfectly legal to do. Seattle has been having Naked Bike Rides for years, with the most famous one being the Fremont Solstice Naked Bike Ride.

Gar the Texan was planning on doing the Fremont ride til he somehow got images stuck in his head of the Fremont Behemoth, known as Lord Voldemort, riding naked and forever scarring his fragile psyche or maybe giving him a case of the non-stop vapors.

You don't have to ride a bike to participate in The Naked World Bike Ride. Any alternative-powered transportation is allowed. You can skateboard, rollerblade, get on your unicycle, even your rickshaw. Rickshaws have been used in previous Naked Bike Rides. There is no mention of riding your horse, but I can't imagine why that would be wrong. Maybe I'll ride my pet longhorn, Larry.

Now, I've got to go to River Legacy Park to practice Naked Bike Riding with Yvonne. June 13 will be here before we know it and we'll want to have an even tan by that day.