Arizonans ready to help set skinny-dip record

Kellie Hwang | The Republic | azcentral.com

Maybe you skinny dipped at some point in your life. Maybe it was a carefree swim in the lake as a kid, on a dare with high-school friends or as a grown-up nighttime adventure at the beach.

But would you have done it with 300 strangers?

The American Association for Nude Recreation invites anyone to strip off their clothes and jump into one of its club pools in an attempt to set a skinny-dip record. It's part of the 40th annual Nude Recreation Week, a campaign to invite anyone who is curious to check out a local club or a Naturist Society Club, and maybe even join.

At noon Arizona time Saturday, participants will skinny dip at designated beaches, pools, lakes and hot tubs throughout North North America and try to break the organization's 2009 record of 13,648 skinny dippers. The attempt is not sanctioned by "Guinness World Records"; that would be difficult because Guinness officials would have to be at every location. Seven locations in Arizona have signed up to participate, as have dozens more across the United States and Canada.

Beverly Price, 71, of Phoenix, is the president of AANR and has been a "card-carrying nudist since 1971." She loves the lifestyle and raised her children as nudists. She was elected president in June 2014 and owns and operates the Arizona Wildflowers, a non-landed nudist club. That means they meet for events at private homes. Landed nudist clubs have their own grounds and facilities.

"The week is a chance for us to showcase nude recreation," Price said. "The skinny dip is all about having fun, and our members love it. It attracts a lot of people who have skinny dipped when they were kids. Skinny dipping has a fun connotation to it, and we want to get new people to come out and try it with us."

Cyndi Faber, 23, works at Shangri La Ranch, a nudist club in New River that's owned by her grandparents, who bought the property in 1977. When Faber was 5, her grandparents asked her family to move from Chicago to Arizona to help run the resort, and Faber has been a part of the nudist community ever since.

Faber's mother, Patty, is president of AANR West. Cyndi works in the front office and takes reservations, answers calls and takes visitors on tours of the property. Newcomers can experience their first day at the resort for free.

The resort has permanent residents and rooms for rent, with amenities including two pools, a large clubhouse and hiking trails. One main rule is that visitors must sit on towels when they are on the furniture.

Cyndi Faber said the nudist experience is more than just baring all.

"You get to know people on a much greater level, and don't have the pressures of wondering, 'What do you do?' or 'What is your social standing?'" she said. "None of that applies here. When you take away your clothes, you take away all those barriers, and everybody is human. My whole life is here, and the members and residents are my family, they are my friends. I've learned so many life lessons from our members, residents and guests."

Shangri La is taking part in Nude Recreation Week and invites people to come check out the property. Activities include karaoke on Friday night and a dance with a DJ on Saturday. The skinny-dip attempt will take place in the main pool, and the second pool may be used if there are enough participants.

"It's really cool and there's a lot of new people that come out," Faber said. "The residents here are super excited. The last time we did the skinny dip we had just under 300 people, so hopefully we get around the same number. We can accommodate up to 500."

Tom Williams, 73, is a member of the Arizona Wildflowers. He and his wife have been members since they moved here about eight years ago. The Williamses will participate in the skinny dip at a private home with fellow club members.

"Once you take the labels off the cans, they're all the same," Williams said. "It's not a perverted lifestyle by any means. It's the furthest thing from that. Don't judge it until you've tried it."

He said Shangri La is a good place to sample nudism for the first time.

"I've been out to the Shangri La many times, and it's a really hospitable place," Williams said. "Everyone is friendly, and they'll be sitting and laying around the pool, and the next moment someone will have mixed up margaritas and encourage everyone to grab a glass."

Price said anyone who is even a little interested should visit during Nude Recreation Week. If it's not for you, no harm, no foul.

"Curiosity is the first step, and if you're not curious, then there's no way I can convince you to come give it a try," Price said. "It takes most people maybe 15 minutes to become comfortable. There's the normal fears about being nude in public that are always there until you try it, then you realize nobody cares if you're tall, fat, have scars from operations. We believe in body acceptance."