A Newbie Naturist Shares His First Experience

The summer of 2020 is one I won’t forget. It’s when I discovered how to feel truly comfortable in my own skin and embrace a more natural way of life.

It wasn’t something that was a goal of mine. It just kind of happened serendipitously.

Early in August, my partner was on a phone call with a close friend of hers. That friend, who lives near Toronto, invited us to get together at a volleyball tournament. But there was one important detail to consider. It was a volleyball tournament at a place called Bare Oaks Family Naturist Park. And yes… that means you’ve gotta play in your birthday suit. Au naturel, baby.

That means you’ve gotta play in your birthday suit. Au naturel, baby.

Mark Charles, Newbie Naturist

When my partner brought it up, within a blink of an eye I said, “let’s do it!” The au naturel part really hadn’t sunk in. But because I like sports and warm weather, I was enticed by the thought of a full day of volleyball action and a mini getaway! Plus, I’d be savouring a bit of downtime with her in a new setting.

And then, there was the whole notion of facing a new challenge. I’ve long been a competitive person. Competitive with myself and others. Yes, I considered taking all my clothes off around others a considerable challenge. You see, when it comes to showing skin, I’ve been very conservative about it throughout my life. In my youth, I never jumped at the chance to shower with my classmates after gym class. I didn’t try skinny dipping. And because of my ectomorph (skinny) body type, it was a feat for me to even take off my shirt on the beach.

Looking back on my childhood years, there’s no doubt I was fairly self-conscious about my appearance. And though that fear has diminished considerably over time, it never quite completely went away. So, I thought that if I could conquer the naturist resort, I’d be able to do just about anything!

Research: it’s important to know before you go

Because I’m a person who likes to prepare and have a good sense of what I’m stepping into, I decided to do my research. I combed through the park’s website like a private detective looking for their next clue. I discovered there are rules all members and guests must follow, which put me at ease. For instance, everyone must be fully nude. This way, everyone is on the same page and embracing body acceptance, which is at the core of the naturist philosophy. I think it also deters those with other intentions from even showing up.  

At Bare Oaks, there are certain circumstances when clothing is permitted. But when it is, it’s for the purpose of protection. They include:

• Children who aren’t toilet trained can wear bathing suits.
• When it’s cold outside, a shirt can be worn. This is because most body heat is lost through the top half of the body.
• Women who are menstruating can wear something except while swimming or using the hot tub, showers, etc.

I also dove deep into the volleyball tournament itself, which is an annual tradition. Titled the Lee Baxandall Memorial Volleyball Tournament, it’s held on the third weekend in August. It’s one of two summer events of its kind at Bare Oaks – the other being the Grand Slam Naturist Volleyball Tournament. It happens on Canada Day weekend.

I’m no volleyball pro. But I have many fond memories of playing at a best friend’s sand court over the years. And I also enjoyed the occasional lunchtime game at the workplace. When it came to this event, for some reason I wasn’t even thinking about the potential negatives (like getting sand in unwanted places!). Maybe that’s because I watched a very high-energy promo video on YouTube. Or I was just so excited by the thought of playing in an organized tournament for the first time surrounded by nature, that I didn’t let any potential cons infiltrate my mind.

There’s no turning back now

No convincing was required; I wanted to take the plunge. And I was pumped about it. My partner and I decided to head out early. We had a two-hour drive ahead of us and registration for the event opened at 9 a.m. I always arrive on time or early, so we hit the road shortly after 6 a.m. There was no way I was going to risk not getting a spot! We packed plenty of snacks to fuel us throughout the day.

I’ll admit, the fear began to creep in that morning. Yes, I was still enthusiastically looking forward to the day ahead. But now, well, the reality of having to strip down hit me. Could I go through with this? Would others sense I was a newbie naturist and stare me down? Would I regret this forever? All these questions crossed my mind.

As soon as we turned onto the road the park is located off, my heart began to beat faster. A bit of panic set in. I thought of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” lyrics: “His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy.” I found out that this isn’t unusual among most first-timers. It’s only logical that we fear public nudity. For our entire lives, we’ve been conditioned to cover up and taught it’s wrong. The media has played a role in that. Celebrities, too. Most of us believe that nudity only goes hand in hand with sex, bathing and washroom purposes.

Yes, it’s part of those activities. But doesn’t need to – or should be – restricted to them. I learned that naturism, or nudism, can be a very healthy practice with real physical and psychological benefits (studies prove it). And, it’s how we appear in our most natural form – as we did at birth.

Anyways… more on all of that in a future blog! Back to my first visit to Bare Oaks. As we pulled into the driveway, I became fidgety. I sensed it and so did my partner. After buzzing the front desk at the security gate and sharing my identity, we were let in. Our information was all on file. We had a room reserved for two nights and we conversed with front desk staff in advance of our visit. I’m a planner, so I made sure to secure everything.

As we creeped along the driveway toward the main office parking lot, I noticed nude bodies emerging. Some people were getting undressed at their vehicles. Others were walking to and from the office. They were different shapes, sizes and ages. And that confirmed for me that I didn’t need to be a fitness model to fit in. All bodies are unique and should be appreciated.

“Here goes nothing,” I said to my partner. Within seconds, her clothes were gone. For me, though, the disrobing process seemed like an eternity. I was constantly looking around, checking to see if anyone was gazing my way. I guess the years of being made to believe that public nudity is wrong was messing with my head.

I took off my clothes – and I liked it

But as each piece of clothing dropped, it was another step closer to me finding a whole new sense of liberation and comfort. The early morning sunrise graced me with its presence. Its warmth embraced my skin like a comforting hug. I could feel all the early morning dew droplets on my feet as a strolled through the grass. I was astounded by how taking off my garments could awake me in this way. And the connection I felt to Mother Earth was undeniable. It was an instantaneous reaction.

But I was still feeling self-conscious as I took those first few steps away from the car. We gathered our belongings and approached the office.

I’m happy to report that after about an hour of being on the property, all my worries and discomfort melted away. How’d that happen? I’ll share with you a few of the key factors that made that possible.

5 reasons why my first naturist experience was a good one

I could go on for hours about my first weekend at a naturist resort. I can say that it was a major success for me and boosted my confidence in ways I never thought possible. The family-friendly environment makes it easy to drop your guard, explore your surroundings and strike up a conversation with anyone. You can meet people from all walks of life.

It’s a completely judgment-free zone. And it’s somewhere you can leave all your day-to-day worries behind. You just have to overcome the initial fear, which I know can be harder for some than others.

I encourage everyone to give naturism a try – at least once! As a fellow naturist friend of mine likes to say, “What’s the worst that can happen?” I tapped into this philosophy and was uplifted by the experience. It was so transformative that we returned a month later.

Look at how one phone call and an invite can open the door to new possibilities. If you’re wondering, yes, we’ll be back for more volleyball this summer. The room is already booked.

Oh, there was one negative … we were both very achy after all that action! Time to start training. 😊