Another one bites the dust

[Soleil Nu]

Just heard on the evening news. One of the longest standing naturist campground in Quebec is changing to a normal, "textile" campground. Camping-Plage Saint-Raymond naturist campground will be an ordinary, clothing compulsery campground when the next season opens next april.

Owners said they simply had no other choice, it was a matter of survival. There simply wasn't enough younger people joining to replace the rapidly declining population of older naturists.

Among the year-round residents of the campground, some already expressed their intention to leave and try to find a place in some of the other naturist resorts in Quebec. Others are too attached and will try to give "normal" living a chance. But most simply don't know yet what they're going to do.

[Spieler]

Just heard on the evening news. One of the longest standing naturist campground in Quebec is changing to a normal, "textile" campground. Camping-Plage Saint-Raymond naturist campground will be an ordinary, clothing compulsery campground when the next season opens next april.

Owners said they simply had no other choice, it was a matter of survival. There simply wasn't enough younger people joining to replace the rapidly declining population of older naturists.

Among the year-round residents of the campground, some already expressed their intention to leave and try to find a place in some of the other naturist resorts in Quebec. Others are too attached and will try to give "normal" living a chance. But most simply don't know yet what they're going to do.

We've had the same here in the UK too. First South Hants Sun Club, then Charnwood Acres. Unless the clubs sharpen up their recruitment act naturism will be dead within ten years.

[KC]

Unless the clubs sharpen up their recruitment act naturism will be dead within ten years.

While it's sad that a club closes, I don't think naturism as such depends on clubs. I have traveled enough to see that younger people tend to favor beaches and the like rather than the clubs. Will and I visited a few clubs and, honestly, I can't recall a worse time. It wasn't the age of the other guests (Will, as many of you know, is quite a bit older than me) as much as the attitude. I got so tired of hearing "Isn't it great how we can be naked without it being sexual?" or variations on that theme all weekend long. I much prefer going to CO beaches and have enjoyed my visits to the Virgin islands and the Texas coast. Everything that I have read seems to indicate that more and more younger people are participating in this aspect of nude recreation. No, I don't think naturism is dying.

[nudecamper]

Way forward is campsites & beaches, I think, certainly the naturist campsites in France are busy enough in the summer.

[Soleil Nu]

My personal experience mirrors that of Katie. In the past 20 years, attendance at the naturist section of Oka beach, near Montreal, has been steadily increasing, with a good representation of all age classes, including quite a few younger folks, mostly on weekends. However, in the last 10 years, two long standing naturist campgrounds have closed in Quebec.

I think it's naturism, as a philosophy and an organized movement, that's in trouble. It seems to be slowly going the way of the hippy "colonies" of the '70s. Simple nudism, however (nudist and clothing optional beaches, nude living in one's home, backyard nude sunbathing, etc) seems to be doing fine.

[Sammy]

I'm with Katie too. We stayed at a club once, on the camspite, and frankly, it was just strange. Packed with people whose only hobby or topic of conversation was being naked! I like it too, but there are other things to talk and think about. What I like best about beaches and the like is that they're not exclusive; many of my friends may not want to be naked, so I much prefer to go somewhere where we can all choose, rather than let my clothing choice dictate what friends I can have.

[Paulo]

So does everyone think that clubs are going to die out as people generally prefer beaches etc, or is it that clubs just need to be more up to date these days, in order to attract more people?

[Blizz]

I can't really relate, but from what I've read/seen, clubs might need to bring themselves a little more up to date.

More public naturist facilities couldn't hurt either.

[Spieler]

I can't really relate, but from what I've read/seen, clubs might need to bring themselves a little more up to date.
More public naturist facilities couldn't hurt either.

Clubs certainly do need to bring their thinking into at least the closing decades of the 20th century, otherwise they'll vanish.

Unfortunately, for £50 a year, they can get CCBN to "look after" them. And that includes not campaigning for clothing free areas in public parks, because they would bankrupt the clubs very quickly. Why pay a subscription to take your clothes off when it's included in your Council Tax?

[barelee]

That's the best reason I've ever heard for why BN doesn't actively support a kind of Naturism that doesn't involve clubs. It all makes some kind of sense now.

Of course, if it's true it doesn't bode well. You'll simply have people saying - I don't belong to a club therefore I don't need BN. Perhaps BN should leave the clubs to someone like ANBC, leaving it free to concentrate on all the other, SEEMINGLY now more popular areas of Beach, Park, free-range etc. Naturism. Just a thought - after all, how many people are on Studland alone on a hot summer day? Probably more than most of the clubs put together, and that's just ONE beach on ONE day.

[nudewalker]

As I see it the problems that exist for nudist venues in my immediate area are two fold. First, my wife would never go to a social nudist setting. I understand her reasons and respect them. However, she does go nude at home and actually encourages me to go hiking, swimming or camping when time permits. The local clubs here have gender quotas plus don't allow men without spouses so they've lost me as a potential member. Second, some clubs only allow non-members on weekends. I'm sure many here are in the same situation I am, working most weekends. That is just two examples of how I view nude venues are failing.

[davidk]

I've never been to a club, both for practical reasons and reasons such as Sammy's and nudewalker's. We have vacationed at naturist resorts, so we could have nude time. Conversation with people we met at the pool or bar was as varied as on textile vacations, except for comparing our local nude venue options back home.

[KC]

So does everyone think that clubs are going to die out as people generally prefer beaches etc, or is it that clubs just need to be more up to date these days, in order to attract more people?

Actually, Paulo, I don't really care if clubs die out or not. There are plenty of opportunities for outdoor nudity these days, although some may involve a bit of travel. I really don't think that there is much that clubs can do to shed their negative image.

[ozadrift]

I do agree with Katie and others here. One of the joys of living across the road/channel from France is that we can go to resorts. No need to join anything, no need for activities with strangers, though you can, if that's your thing, just plenty of things to do without clothes and space to do it in. (See also the success of River Island in Australia.) It also removes the dependency of the resort on member numbers. It's the numbers that turn up that count. Now if one or two of the clubs in Britain were replaced with something on that basis...

Adam

[nudecamper]

The 2 clubs we go to in the UK, Naturist Foundation just outside SE London & Broadlands in Norfolk both have camping areas & take casual campers at a reasonable daily rate just like any other campsites. You don't have to join the club or even be part of any activities there. There are also several other clubs around the UK that offer campsite facilities to any naturist camper/caravanner that cares to come.