August 2015 President's Message

   by Richard Mason

  The end of an era or the opportunity for additional free beaches?

The title of this article is interesting because the answer to both questions is in the hands of the readers of this article and the visitors to Haulover Beach.

When Haulover Beach was established in 1991, it was really the beginning of a new era on the issue of designated nude/naturist beaches on public lands. Even though this new approach was successful, no new beach locations were developed using the Haulover model until 23 years later at Blind Creek Beach in St. Lucie County in 2014.

However, after 24 years, Haulover, that shining example of naturist legal rights, is starting to lose some of its shine. Too many of the visitors to Haulover are of a "new" breed of nude beach visitor. They act like they are at a resort beach and do not want to concern themselves with the responsibilities of a nude beach on public land.

If they witness inappropriate behavior, they ignore it. By not speaking up to the perpetrators, they are contributing to the negative image of the beach, which will eventually cause its closure.

Save the dates! Nude Year's Festival Dec. 31, 2015 - Jan. 2, 2016 B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation Institute has started planning for a Nude Year's celebration on Haulover Beach with two nights of camping, entertainment, South Florida cuisine, and so much more! If you attended the 2011/12 one, you know how much fun it was. In case you missed it, see the web page for an idea of what to expect. Volunteers are needed. Please contact Shirley to be part of the event team.

Many of the long-time naturists, stalwarts of South Florida Free Beaches, Haulover, and the "free beach" movement that fought the battles of the '70s, '80s, and '90s, have passed on, moved away, or changed recreational priorities. They are no longer here to stand up for naturist beach standards and to speak to any perpetrators of inappropriate behavior.

If you are on the beach and witness inappropriate behavior and you ignore it and do nothing, then you are contributing to the bad reputation of Haulover and you will be part of the group that will be responsible for the future closure of the beach.

We volunteer naturist beach activists are on the cusp of creating additional designated naturist beaches in Florida on public lands. However, we hesitate to move forward if those that will benefit from our efforts are going to become additional beach slugs and not accept a modicum of responsibility for the beach and support those individuals and organized groups that do.

The reality is that the government agency that is responsible for a park beach is not going to want to take on the burden of handling the additional issues that go with a densely populated naturist beach.

Haulover's naturist beach exists today, after 24 years, because South Florida Free Beaches put in place a Beach Ambassador (BA) Program (crime watch) to help prevent or stop inappropriate behavior when we witness it.

The BA Program is understaffed and they cannot be everywhere all the time, from sun-up to sundown on a 1/3-mile beach. All beach visitors need to accept responsibility also.

If on the beach and you witness inappropriate behavior and do not want to intervene personally, we understand. That is why we have available in the beach news dispensers our Guidebook to the Naturist Beach. On page two, there are phone numbers you can call for intervention. Call Ocean Rescue headquarters. They will intervene and confront the perpetrators. Mission accomplished - thank you for your action.

Do sexual situations go on at regular, clothing-required beaches? You bet they do! But it is much easier to do that there and get away with it.

To save our naturist beaches, you must be prepared in advance for an "intervention" before you go to the beach. If you want to help government close our beach, do nothing.

Why this strong statement, now?

During the past three weeks, I have received two reports of situations where inappropriate sexual behavior was in play on the beach and on a sand bar. In both incidents, there were from 20 to 40 beach visitors on the beach and not one intervened. This really pisses me off and the volunteer Beach Ambassadors also.

If any that witnessed those incidents are reading this article, I say, "Shame on you," and please go find another beach to visit. You are not wanted here.

Haulover Beach Report

From The Miami Herald and other sources

Lightning strike at Haulover's naturist beach fells three beachgoers who ignored orders from the lifeguards to leave the water and the beach.

All three were sent to area hospitals in critical condition. It was reported that one person suffered a cardiac arrest and was resuscitated by lifeguards before being airlifted to hospital.

Lifeguards of Miami-Dade County Ocean Rescue Bureau were clearing the beach before the storm clouds and rain arrived. That was when the lightning struck the water.

The beach safety people have weather radar at their headquarters building and can see storms before they arrive. Electrical storms are extremely dangerous and lifeguards are often risking their own lives when on the beach informing visitors to leave the beach.

Too many beach visitors ignore the lifeguards' instructions and hang around, either under umbrellas or the chickee huts. These are the worst places to be. It is like standing under a lightning rod.

When the lifeguards ask people to leave the beach, beach visitors need to act quickly and head for one of the two pedestrian tunnels for their own protection.

Win a nude Caribbean cruise for two

B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation Institute and South Florida Free Beaches / Florida Naturist Association are launching today our 2015 "Keep Our Beaches Bare" fundraising raffle. Make a donation* and enter the drawing for a chance to win a balcony stateroom for two on the Bare Necessities nude cruise, February 6-16, 2016, from Fort Lauderdale, FL to the multicultural Caribbean or one of six other, three-day, two-night naturist vacation packages in Florida (except as otherwise noted) for two persons, including stays at

• Hidden Beach Resort - Au Naturel Club by Karisma (6 days/5 nights), Kantenah, Riviera Maya in Mexico's Yucatán peninsula (one hour south of Cancún)

• Cypress Cove Nudist Resort & Spa, Kissimmee (two prizes)

• daddy O hotel miami, Bay Harbor Islands (textile, but near Haulover Beach)

• Lake Como Family Nudist Resort, Lutz (near Tampa)

• Sunsport Gardens Family Naturist Resort, Loxahatchee Groves (near West Palm Beach)

and two lunch or dinner packages for two at Werner Staub's Peppermill Restaurant on the Intracoastal Waterway in Sunny Isles Beach (textile, but walking distance to Haulover Beach).

Get all the details and order your raffle tickets at: beachesfoundation.org/fundraiser

Tickets may be ordered on line through Friday, November 27, 2015. They are also available on Haulover Beach in Miami at the SFFB information booth when it is set up at the South Chickee (thatch-roofed canopy) near lifeguard station 13. The drawing will take place in the same location on Sunday, November 29, 2015. Winners need not be present to claim their prize; they will be notified. Give your friends the link or print out a brochure for them from the raffle page.

* Donations will be used for naturist education, free beach advocacy, capital improvements to Haulover Beach or other clothing-optional beach sites, disability beach access program, and other purposes as listed in the scope of B.E.A.C.H.E.S.' mission.

35 Years Ago: 1980

by David Baum

There were a lot of clothing-optional beaches in Florida during 1980; secluded areas near Pensacola, Sanibel Island, Naples, Tampa Bay, Clearwater, Cape Canaveral, the Keys and Palm Beach County's Singer Island saw nude use. Not every beach was "legal" and they had varying amounts of nude use and police presence.

The Miami area had two clothing optional beaches: one area known as Bear Cut was at the top of Key Biscayne in Crandon Park, but the more commonly used area was across the waterway at Virginia Key Beach. (The clothing-optional section of Haulover Beach did not exist then.)

Since the mid- to late 1970s, an activist publisher named Lee Baxandall (center in photo at right) was getting the various beaches around the country to communicate with each other. He was using the European terms "free beach" and "naturist" to describe clothing-optional beaches and the people who used them. He was a leader in organizing the free beach movement.

One of the ways of exchanging information was by publishing a small newspaper, Bare in Mind. A smaller section of that paper called The Beachhead included contacts around the country for nude beaches.

One of those contacts was "South Florida Free Beaches" with a Hialeah Lakes address. This was actually Tom Chittenden, who knew Lee. In fact, Lee suggested Tom be the contact person for free beaches in South Florida, so he suggested Tom use the name "South Florida Free Beaches."

Tom Chittenden (left) was a long-time nudist activist living in the Miami area and using the unofficially nude Virginia Key Beach. Tom recalled how he noticed that there were a few couples sitting alone. A busy day might see 12 couples on the beach. It was common to see a gang of six rowdies surround a couple and comment on the woman's body. He knew they needed to band together in a group for protection, so he typed a one-page explanation and began handing it out on the beach and taking down names and addresses on a yellow legal pad of people who agreed with him.

Another active nudist, Barbara Khan, sunbathed on a part of Virginia Key north of where Tom had been. He didn't know about the little area around the bend known as "the Cove," which saw a lot of nude use. Some say the Cove could hold 100 people, though others say far less.

Blankets were touching edge-to-edge or overlapping. A man named Ted was holding barbeques and selling liquor from his truck. Gawkers were there, too. Since they watched from the tree-lined ridge at the back of the beach, they were called "tree people." Barbara recalls how some beach-goers used hand mirrors to flash the sun in their eyes.

Tom eventually gave Barbara his informational flyer and The Beachhead.

She read the contact name and wondered if this was a group she didn't know about. She wrote a letter to "South Florida Free Beaches," dated July 10, 1980:

"I would appreciate it if you could furnish me with any information you have regarding your group.

"I am writing on behalf of about 40 nudists from the Miami area and we would like to get as much information pertaining to what we can do to help with this organization and also areas where we can go in the area where we won't run into any trouble with the police."

She signed her name and address, but rather than write back, Tom found her number in the phone book and called. That same day, Barbara and a friend met Tom at a restaurant and talked over drinks. They realized they had seen each other on the beach. They both liked the idea of a club; they could have a mailing list and social activities, an organized group would have more say in dealing with authorities. Tom was willing to go before local leaders or get arrested to challenge local laws. Barbara wasn't interested in politics, she just liked the social aspect.

Now, with a list of interested people, they could take the next step in starting what they called "an organization of free beach nudists."

To Be Continued...

Reminder: Gay Naturists International (GNI) offers membership discount

Gay Naturists International (GNI) is the world's foremost association of male naturists. As reported in the March 2015 issue of this newsletter, GNI has collaborated closely with South Florida Free Beaches in running joint membership drives, providing complimentary exhibitor space at each other's events, and exchanging ads in their publications. In February, GNI joined B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation Institute, SFFB, and Bare Necessities Tour and Travel Company in co-sponsoring and attending the first Naturist Unity Summit. In continuing support of naturist unity, GNI has extended a twofold offer.

First, there is a 25% ($10) discount off the regular $40 dues for a one-year membership in GNI for applicants referred by SFFB or B.E.A.C.H.E.S. (Note that membership is limited to men aged 21 or over.) Furthermore, for each one that joins GNI or renews his GNI membership through this promotion, GNI will donate $10 toward the expenses of The Celebrated Nude Art Festival and Naturist Unity Conference in Miami. These offers are valid through the end of October 2015.

When joining GNI on line at www.gaynaturists.org, be sure to enter UNITY15 in the promo code field of the payment form to qualify for this deal. (This is not the "club promotional code" in the "Member Information" section.) The discount and GNI's donation are valid only if the above code is entered in the application; it may not be claimed after the fact. Get details of this offer and GNI's 30th Anniversary men's nude Gathering, August 21-30, 2015, in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. (Registration remains open through 10 AM EDT on the first day of the attendance option, i.e., range of dates, for which the attendee signs up.)                    

Nude Recreation Week festivities on July 11, 2015 (Photos by Armando Perez except as noted otherwise)
Shirley Mason, B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Executive Director, presents celebratory cake for 24th anniversary of Haulover Naturist Beach.	Close-up of the cake: The inscription reads, "July 11, 2015, Nude Recreation Week, 24th Anniversary, Haulover Beach."
SFFB had its information booth set up for a stellar day at the beach. Look for it at the South Chickee near lifeguard station 13.	Friends of Blind Creek Beach in Ft. Pierce, FL had an official count of 123 skinny-dippers. (Photo by Carl Flick • Flick Photographic • carlflick.com)