University of Vermont Naked Bike Ride
The University of Vermont (UVM) has a streaking tradition called the Naked Bike Ride. This is not one of the World Naked Bike Ride events held in cities around the world. It's a UVM tradition that started in 1996 by an undergraduate woman, Erica Kutcher, and a friend who rode naked on the last day of classes of the fall semester. Later the event expanded to include the last day of classes of the spring semester as well. Not everyone rides a bike. Some just run along with the bike riders (above, on Dec. 8, 2011).
Of course, Vermont being Vermont, the last day of the fall semester is not very balmy. Above, a crowd gathers to watch the naked bike ride in a snowstorm in 2012. I don't think many students participated naked that day.
The end of the spring semester is much more conducive to naked fun outdoors. Above, part of the naked bike ride in the spring of 2007.
And here's a short sequence of the naked bike ride in the spring of 2009. In 2008, the whole event was in danger of being cancelled because of incidents of women being harassed and assaulted. Student volunteers now monitor the event, and it is considered safe again. The UVM Naked Bike Ride tradition continues to this day.
Interestingly, it is not illegal to be nude in public in Burlington, Vermont, where UVM is located, but it is illegal to disrobe in public. So, as long as the UVM students strip indoors, it's perfectly legal for them to run around naked outdoors.
5 comments:
University naked events are awesome. And sadly under appreciated by the general public. And you are working to change that. Thank you!
That is definitely a strange law, and I am sure that it discourages some, but still it does allow for some nudity.
@Gerald - the law is not quite as strange as it sounds. There is a law prohibiting "lewd and lascivious conduct," and stripping in public could be considered a striptease, which would be "lewd and lascivious." However, in the 1970s, when a man was jailed for skinny-dipping in a river, the State's Attorney ruled that skinny-dipping was acceptable, as was other nudity where nobody present was offended.
Naked Bike Ride: what good idea!!!
This is really amazing. Makes me want to keep track of university events.
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