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South Florida Free Beaches /Florida Naturist Association, Inc.
founders and mentors of Haulover Park's clothing-optional beach

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SunDial Online Archive
2005 - 2009: A Journal of Florida Naturism
SFFB / Haulover Beach Newsletter - January 2018
Banner.jpg

January 2018

The President's Message
2017 Government Affairs recap;
drive for Tampa-area nude beach

Fort Collins, CO appeals injunction
against anti-top-free ordinance

SFFB January Board meeting
Women appeal convictions under
Laconia, NH anti-top-free law

Nude Year's Day skinny-dip
on Blind Creek Beach in Ft. Pierce

Nude restaurant opens in Paris
Mid-Winter Naturist Festival

Facebook logo

UPCOMING EVENTS:

January 1, 2018
Treasure Coast Naturists
Nude Year's Day skinny-dip

Blind Creek Beach
Fort Pierce, FL

January 5, 2018
Monthly Friday night
nude drum circle

Sunsport Gardens
Family Naturist Resort
Loxahatchee Groves, FL

January 12-14, 2018
Blues Weekend
Cypress Cove Nudist Resort
Kissimmee, FL

January 13, 2018
SFFB Board meeting
Haulover Beach
Miami, FL

January 13, 2018
Nautical Nudists
Dive and Boat Club
Manatee snorkel trip

Manatee Marina
Homosassa, FL

January 26-27, 2018
AANR-Florida mid-winter
Board meeting

St. Augustine, FL

January 27, 2018
First Coast Naturists
Bon Voyage BYO Wine
and Cheese Party

Jacksonville, FL

January 27, 2018
All Nudists Open
Pétanque Tournament

Lake Como Nudist Resort
Lutz, FL

January 27, 2018
Nautical Nudists
Dive and Boat Club
Manatee snorkel trip

Manatee Marina
Homosassa, FL

February 15-20, 2018
Mid-Winter Naturist Festival
Sunsport Gardens
Family Naturist Resort
Loxahatchee Groves, FL

March 2-11, 2018
17th Annual Super Bowl
South Volleyball Tournament

Lake Como Nudist Resort
Lutz, FL

March 24, 2018
Artfuuul Day
Sunnier Palms Nudist Park
Fort Pierce, FL

April 13-15, 2018
Young Adult Naturists Spring
Fest: Full Bloom Music Medley

Sunsport Gardens
Family Naturist Resort
Loxahatchee Groves, FL

July 14-22, 2018
11th Annual Naturist
Family Youth Camp

Sunsport Gardens
Family Naturist Resort
Loxahatchee Groves, FL

August 10-12, 2018
Annual Young Adult Natur-
ists End of Summer Fest

Sunsport Gardens
Family Naturist Resort
Loxahatchee Groves, FL

August 17-26, 2018
33rd Annual International
Gathering of Male Naturists

Gay Naturists International
Pocono Mountains, PA

December 7-9, 2018
9th Annual Young Adult Naturists Holiday Fest
Sunsport Gardens
Family Naturist Resort
Loxahatchee Groves, FL

Join South Florida Free Beaches


B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation Institute

Beach Education Advocates for
Culture, Health,Environment
& Safety (B.E.A.C.H.E.S.)

501(c)(3) nonprofit educational and charitable adjunct to SFFB

Find a nude beach group to join!


Legacy Partners
(Premier)

Bare Necesities logo
Bare Necessities Tour & Travel Co.
Providing the luxury of deciding
what
not to wear



Cypress Cove Nudist Resort & Spa
Kissimmee, FL
just as nature intended ...


Fox Travel logo
Fox Travel – An American Express Travel Representative
Agent for Hidden Beach Resort and Grand Lido ™Negril Resort


Hidden Beach logo
Hidden Beach
Au Naturel Resort by Karisma

Kantenah, Riviera Maya, Mexico
Secluded, so you don't have to be
Represented by Fox Travel American Express

Hidden Beach aerial view



Maury Management Group, Inc.
Healthcare and government solutions – 850-222-1568)


Grand Lido Negril logo
Grand Lido ™Negril
Au Naturel All-Suite Resort

Negril, Jamaica
An upscale and elegant naturist resort
Represented by Fox Travel American Express

Hidden Beach aerial view


daddy O hotel miami logo
daddy O hotel miami
Bay Harbor Islands, FL
Textile, but close to Haulover Beach
Mention SFFB for 10% discount.


Lake Como Resort logo
Lake Como Family Nudist Resort
Lutz, FL
The place to be ... naturally!


Sunsport Gardens logo
Sunsport Gardens
Family Naturist Resort

Loxahatchee Groves, FL
Clothes-free recreation in a
natural, tropical paradise!


TNS-Logo.gif

The Naturist Society
Body acceptance is the idea.
Nude recreation is the way.





Beach Guide cover

Learn all about Haulover Beach! Click on above image to download this informative, 20-page booklet.


Nudist USA
Bringing Together the Largest Nudist Community in the World
nusasun.com
Pick up a free copy at a newspaper dispenser box on Haulover Beach.


GNI logo
Gay Naturists International, Inc.
Life is Great; Live it Nude! ©

Find a men's naturist club or naked yoga group to join!

Read GNI BuffBuzz, GNI's official blog.

Register to attend GNI's annual nude Gathering for men, August 17-26, 2018 (shorter options available).


Florida Naturists Index logo

Looking for naturist places in Florida?

Click on above image to search for naturist clubs, resorts, yoga classes, and other businesses statewide. See alphabetical and geographical listings and an interactive map. Also includes a list of beaches.

South Florida Free Beaches
PO Box 530306
Miami Shores FL 33153-0306
United States

SFFB masthead
Richard Mason January 2018 President's Message

by Richard Mason

2018 Florida legislative session begins; SFFB remains vigilant

Welcome to 2018 as we all look forward to another year of clothes-free sunbathing and swimming at Haulover Beach or another favorite beach or resort.

In July 2018, South Florida Free Beaches / Florida Naturist Association, Inc. (SFFB/FNA) will be celebrating the 27th anniversary of our successful efforts to have the naturist / nude section we established at Haulover Beach officially recognized as a designated, permissibly nude beach. What government believes it gives you, however, government always believes it can take away. They only need to be influenced through a strong effort by an organized, well-funded group that has an agenda of making nudity on a public beach a crime.

The Big Nude Boat 2018 cruise

The Florida Legislature opens its 60-day session for 2018 the second week in January. Most of its committees were formed last September and our Tallahassee lobbyist, Ramon Maury, has been busy reviewing proposed bills and amendments, looking for wording that could have a negative effect on nude recreation. (See related article below.)

Boilerplate bills with anti-nudity provisions like the 2016 effort to make it a crime to drink alcohol while nude in front of a minor or the 2017 child protection measure, containing language that could have been misinterpreted by law enforcement in such a way as to impact adult nudity on Haulover Beach if a minor were present, have been popping up in Florida and other states. Fortunately, we've been successful in keeping such legislation from making it out of committee, but the enemies of nudity, whether in a public or private place, never sleep.

If any serious bill that threatens nude recreation shows up during this session, we will send out an e-mail alert requesting you to contact certain legislators. Your voice matters, and your immediate attention and response to such alerts are important to our success.

Although SFFB/FNA is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit association, we still need funds to operate successfully in this political climate and we need volunteers to execute programs. Your sponsorship / membership in SFFB/FNA and donations to our Legal Defense & Political Action Fund enable us to continue our important work for Haulover Beach and to expand our services to allied groups mentoring other clothing-optional beaches. See below for details on joining and donating to SFFB/FNA.

What kinds of volunteers do we seek? Here are some of the areas in which we need help:

• Information booth on Haulover Beach — staffing and set-up / breakdown

• Public speakers to appear before local group meetings, at colleges and universities, etc. to educate about naturism

• Persons with construction skills (in support of information booth, portable signage, storage facility, etc.)

There are also other opportunities to help, such as stuffing envelopes for occasional mailings, organizing social events, raising funds, etc. What skills do have that you want to share? Training is available on naturism, naturist rights and obligations, etc. For information on volunteering, contact me, Richard Mason, by e-mail or at (305) 283-3633.

Make it a great year!

If you are not a current member of South Florida Free Beaches, please consider becoming one — numbers matter. At $35 per year for your household, it costs just 67¢ per week. A key benefit is the continued, clothing-optional use of Haulover Beach. How much is that worth to you? Join or renew at sffb.com.

SFFB also has a separate Legal Defense & Political Action Fund that supports its government affairs efforts and assists individuals cited for nude sunbathing. Even if you're not ready to (re)join just yet, please consider donating to this fund (not tax-deductible) to help with current challenges. Donations by bank check should be mailed to the address below (in e-mail version of newsletter). Thanks!

2017 SFFB Government Affairs recap; drive for clothing-optional beach in Tampa Bay Area advances

by Ramon Maury, CEO & President, Maury Management Group, a Healthcare and Government Solutions Firm

2017 was a year of many accomplishments for nudists by the South Florida Free Beaches (SFFB) family, and this is a perfect time to reflect on, acknowledge, and thank all who have enabled those during the past year. We owe a great deal
Ramon Maury
Ramon Maury, SFFB lobbyist
of gratitude to our volunteers, Board of Directors, and professional staff at SFFB. This includes our Governmental Affairs professional, who keeps governments (at the federal, state, and municipal levels) honest and in check and prevents them from proposing and enacting destructive policies against naturism in appropriate settings. This is in keeping with our mission, to protect the rights of all nudists in appropriate settings regardless of age, gender, race, or economic status.

Without you, none of this would be possible. Thank you! Our job as nudists, however, has just begun. Despite SFFB's amazing, 37-year history in Miami-Dade County, we still find ourselves with a long way to go in educating the public regarding the wholesomeness of nudity. Worldwide acceptance of naturism is on the rise, but misconceptions and assumptions are still a social barrier.

If you consider yourself a nudist, you are accepting the responsibility of being an ambassador for naturism and, as such, to nurture our advocacy organizations, nude destination resorts, social clubs, and, most importantly, the new, up-and-coming generations, without whom our future is bleak. To that end, SFFB, through the leadership of President Richard Mason and the Board of Directors and together with Shirley Mason, Executive Director of B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation Institute, has set out on an aggressive public relations campaign designed by Maury Management Group to reëstablish the South Florida Free Beaches brand in our region, elsewhere in the United States, and abroad.

4+
30+
34+
5,100+
1.2 million
2.2 million
22 million
$1.0 billion
$3.3 billion
$4.3 billion
$7.4 billion
Clothing-optional beaches — $2.0 billion
Nudist social clubs
Nudist destination resorts (landed and non-landed)
Total rooms at nudist resorts
Annual rooms sold in 2016
Annual nudist visitors
Annual nudist visitor nights
Annual nudist non-resort visitor direct expenditures
Annual nudist resort visitor direct expenditures
Annual nudist visitor direct expenditures
Annual total economic impact

We began with an aggressive legislative grassroots education campaign, participated in the development of an economic impact study (as reported in the April 2017 issue) to determine the breadth of nudist use and its economic impact to Miami-Dade County, and began a relationship with VISITFLORIDA® — our state's worldwide tourism champion — to implement an Internet-based, nude recreation resource with worldwide reach. The study findings are summarized in the table at right.

The study verified that the clothing-optional section of Haulover Beach generates for Miami-Dade County more than 1.4 million annual visitors with more than $1 billion in positive economic impact. Despite these impressive numbers, with the lack of active political participation by SFFB membership, Miami-Dade County still struggles to address our concerns and needs.

For roughly fifteen years, our local, U.S., Canadian, British, and German nudist traveler demographic has quietly been evolving as new generations come of age and seek family-centric, clothing-optional destinations. Are we prepared and ready to embrace, educate, and support our future members and customers?

Whether you've been a member of SFFB for many years or just a few, or aren't currently a member, I encourage you to give strong consideration to becoming a Mentor for a New Generation by joining or renewing your membership, contacting any member of the SFFB Board with your interest, or just being a good advocate. Please visit the SFFB website at sffb.com. Mentoring will help foster, educate, engage, and nurture new nudists for a sustainable and strong future.

Call for action on clothing-optional beach for Tampa Bay Area

As part of our mission to improve the visitor experience, Zogby Analytics' latest research into Florida's nudist market revealed a great potential and unmet need. 71% of those surveyed "support having and would use" a designated, clothing-optional beach on the west coast of Florida, if available. The latest statistics further affirm that clothing-optional beach destinations and their users are a strong and significant part of nudist growth when we take the time to educate and foster our naturist beliefs and our organization.

Tampa Area Naturists logo
Sign TAN's clothing-optional beach petition

These findings have bolstered the need for unity among the naturist community and presented us with a common goal and objective. South Florida Free Beaches, B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation Institute, AANR-Florida (Florida region of American Association for Nude Recreation), Treasure Coast Naturists, Tampa Area Naturists (TAN), and various other nudist clubs from around the state are working together to create a strong and credible message outlining our desire for a designated, clothing-optional beach in the Tampa Bay Area. The partner organizations chose TAN, headed by its President, John Palm, to be the lead organization in this effort. Two pristine, state-owned parks in Dunedin, FL have been identified as prime (A+ rated) locations for such a designation: Honeymoon Island State Park and Caladesi Island State Park.

There is, however, a caveat that challenges our goal: An administrative rule prohibits nudity in Florida State Parks. The mechanism to amend the rule requires the collection of 10,000 signatures on a petition for the effort, which we have nicknamed On the Road to 10,000. TAN is responsible for gathering the much-needed signatures. As of this writing, TAN has collected more than 2,600 signatures and several hundred dollars in donations (also desperately needed). I urge you please to take two minutes from your day to sign TAN's online petition and donate a few dollars toward this effort. A short link to the petition and fundraiser that's easy to remember is tinyurl.com/tandip.

If you or your organization has not yet done so, please add the petition link to your social media platforms or online suite today. We are depending on you to help make this goal a reality for the enjoyment of all nudists. Thank you, and God bless you!

Two municipal top-free cases head back to court; both test equal protection of sexes under law
Fort Collins, CO appeals injunction against enforcement of anti-top-free ordinance
We reported in the March 2017 issue that a Federal judge had granted during the previous month a preliminary injunction prohibiting the City of Fort Collins, CO from enforcing its ordinance against the public exposure of female breasts. The court agreed with the plaintiffs' argument that, since men face no such restriction, it is discrimination on the basis of sex,
Fort Collins, CO ''Free the Nipple'' demonstration
in violation of the equal protection provision of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Shortly thereafter, Fort Collins appealed the ruling, claiming that the 14th Amendment argument is "fundamentally erroneous." The case heads to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit on January 17, where oral arguments are to be heard for and against this legal reasoning. A decision is expected sometime in spring. We will continue to monitor this story and bring you updates. In the meantime, for more details and the timeline of the case, read Free the Nipple appeal to return to Colorado court in January.

Three women appeal convictions under Laconia, NH anti-top-free ordinance
In the September 2016 issue, we reported that three women arrested during and just after Memorial Weekend that year for being top-free at Weirs Beach in Laconia, NH had pleaded not guilty and waived arraignment and were awaiting trial. Current New Hampshire statute does not address exposure of nipples, but the women were cited under a municipal anti-nudity ordinance. They were convicted in February 2017 and received fines of $100 each, but those were suspended on condition of "good behavior" for one year.

All three women appealed their convictions, arguing that those should be overturned because the ordinance illegally discriminates on the basis of gender. The American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire has filed an amicus curiae brief in support of the women. Oral arguments on their appeals are to be heard before the New Hampshire Supreme Court on January 4, starting at 9:30 a.m. EST. They are to be streamed live at courts.nh.gov.

We will continue to monitor this story and bring you updates. In the meantime, for more details, read NH's highest court to hear appeal of Weirs Beach topless convictions next week.

SFFB Board meeting on Haulover Beach, January 13

Haulover Beach chickee

The Board of Directors of South Florida Free Beaches usually meets on the second Saturday of every month at 2:00 p.m. under the North Chickee (thatch-roofed shade structure) near lifeguard tower 15 on Haulover Beach unless another date and time or location is announced. See below for the long-term schedule. Any planned exception to the second Saturday pattern is noted with an asterisk.

The meetings are open to SFFB sponsors / members, supporters, and invited guests. Prior to setting out, check the upper left-hand corner of SFFB's home page at sffb.com (under Today's Beach Reports) for any change in date, time, or location due to unavailability of Board members or in case of bad weather, when the meeting may take place indoors.

Don't miss an SFFB Board meeting — add the schedule to your calendar now!

January 13, 2018 February 10, 2018 March 10, 2018
April 14, 2018 May 12, 2018 June 9, 2018
July 14, 2018 August 11, 2018 September 8, 2018
October 13, 2018 November 10, 2018 December 8, 2018

Nude Year's Day skinny-dip on Blind Creek Beach

Treasure Coast Naturists (TCN) gather on January 1, 2018 for a winter skinny-dip on Blind Creek Beach in Fort Pierce, FL. The plan is for everyone to jump into the ocean at 2 p.m. The weather forecast shows a high temperature of around 70° F. (21° C.) with a fair chance of rain, but they say they're going in regardless.

Blind Creek Beach video image
Beachgoers enjoy a beautiful Nude Year's Day 2016 on Blind Creek Beach. Click on image to view video clip.

Nude restaurant opens in Paris, France

Paris just got its first naturist restaurant, O'Naturel, which opened on November 2, 2017. See photos at No need to dress for dinner at this Parisian restaurant for nudists.

Six days of fun, growth, and community in the nude

Sunsport Gardens banner logo

30th Annual Mid-Winter Naturist Festival
Thursday – Tuesday, February 15-20, 2018

Sunsport Gardens Family Naturist Resort
14125 North Rd, Loxahatchee Groves, FL
(14 miles west of West Palm Beach)

Mid-Winter Naturist Festival group

Reminder: Join other naturist men and women and their families from Florida and the rest of North America for the continent's first regional naturist gathering in 2018. Come for any or all of the days — it's up to you!

This nude gathering features nearly 250 scheduled activities, including a broad array of seminars, workshops, sports, music and dance (including nightly drum circle around a huge bonfire), and social activities. There are also a couple of off-site events, which are excursions to Haulover Beach in Miami and Blind Creek Beach in Fort Pierce, FL.

The Mid-Winter Naturist Festival is one of a series of Naturist Society-sanctioned nude events each year. Diversity is valued, and all are welcome. Pre-registration is encouraged for planning purposes, but not required. (It makes check-in quick and easy.) Proceeds of the Festival benefit The Naturist Society, South Florida Free Beaches, and Treasure Coast Naturists. Get details and/or register.

Sunsport Gardens video tour cover image
Click above for a video tour of Sunsport Gardens
Family Naturist Resort with Morley and Anne.

Be sure to visit the SFFB / B.E.A.C.H.E.S. booth in the vendor area. Volunteers are needed to help staff the booth each day of the Festival. If you can spare some time to cover one or more shifts, please contact SFFB.

Help get the word out! The Festival has a listing on Facebook. Click on Going or Interested if you will or may attend, and use the Share button to invite your friends, post the event on your timeline and in other naturist groups you belong to, and send it in a message.

Meanwhile, try Sunsport Gardens' nude drum circle, first Friday of every month from 9 p.m. to midnight. Free entry starts at 5 p.m.; visitors must depart by 2 a.m. Includes use of amenities such as the café, showers, pool, spa, and sauna. You must present your government-issued photo ID for admission. Get directions.