Nudist clubs report they're attracting more buffs

	CBS
	Richard Hatch was probably more comfortable with his nudity than the viewers were.

By Craig Wilson, USA TODAY

Here are the bare facts: Nudity is taking off.

Proper English ladies are appearing on their own calendars — in the nude. Olympic medalists are appearing in ads — in the nude. And, yes, the winner of last summer's Survivor, Richard Hatch, is nothing other than a nudist.

If that's not enough, vacationers are getting married en masse in the nude in Jamaica, and two nude men are the only actors on stage in Puppetry of the Penis, one of London's winter hits.

We're even playing more in the nude these days.

The American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) reports 30 club openings in the past two years, with membership soaring. We're not talking old fogies here, either. Younger membership, ages 18 to 34, has increased 50% since 1994.

"These numbers just show the increasing acceptance of nude recreation in mainstream America," says Gregory Smith, AANR president.

Even the group's Web site, AANR .com, is getting 200,000 visitors a month. The association now boasts 50,000 members — and that doesn't include the diaperless kids.

Erich Schuttauf, AANR's executive director, says, "We've got three trends converging to produce this": awareness of what's out there for nude recreation opportunities, workers looking to escape increasingly stressful jobs and our growing comfort level with nudity.

"Ninety-seven percent of the people age 18 to 34 support nude recreations," Schuttauf says. "It all goes back to the old skinny-dipping hole."

That doesn't surprise Pat Funk of the Association of Retail Travel Agents in Lexington, Ky. "A lot of the all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean have clothing-optional areas. They've become very popular within just the last five years."

The AANR survey conducted by International Communications Research (ICR) found that 18% of Americans would consider visiting a clothing-optional resort or nude beach.

So what's new in these 30 just-opened clubs? They're more upscale, many boasting tennis courts, pools and full-service spas. Room rates range from $80 to $150 a night.

"We have everyone from bank presidents to bus drivers, but you don't know which is which," Schuttauf says.

Industry watchers say the number of nudist clubs — as well as the number of people in the clubs — has been growing rapidly over the past few years. Clubs range from the Bare Buddies of Atlanta to the Christian Naturists in Reno.

"Personally, I think it has to do with education," says Judy Ditzler, editor of the Naturist Society's magazine, Nude and Natural. "Word is finally getting out.

"It helps that more people are traveling and being exposed — excuse the pun — to nude beaches and alternative recreation forms."

© Copyright 2001 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.