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Home --> Naked Skating --> Articles --> Golden Gate Park --> What the June 2001 Naked Skate Was Like

SkateLog editor Kathie Fry
Kathie Fry, Editor

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Sandy Snakenberg's June 2001 Naked Skate
Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California


In July of 2001, forty naked skaters gathered in San Francisco for a naked skating photography session organized by 24 hour record holder Sandy Snakenberg and photographer Jack Gescheidt. See also part 1 of this article: "Why Sandy Snakenberg Organizes Naked Skates" and part 2, Photos of the Naked Skate"

What Happened at Sandy's Naked Skate

The skaters' plan was to meet in Golden Gate Park at 7:00 A.M. and start skating at 7:30. The location was only disclosed to the people who signed up to participate in the skate.

One by one the skaters arrived, each wearing their own personally selected cover-up. Some skaters took Sandy's advice and wrapped blankets around themselves. Others wore robes made of terry cloth or silk. Some people tied sarongs around their bodies and some just held squares of cloth over parts of their body. A few people taped or glued strategically placed pieces of cloth or paper to the front of their bodies. The "unique cover-up of the day" award went to two skaters who brought baby strollers to push during the naked skate to protect the privacy of certain body parts.

The photo shoot took place on a rather secluded road where the skaters could move up a gently sloping hill with the sun on their backs. A few passersby noticed what was happening, and some of them stopped for a few minutes to watch in amusement. At the end of the photo shoot, photographer Jack Gescheidt asked one of the skaters to operate the camera so he could take off his clothes and join the others in one last skate up the road.

Before we headed to breakfast, Sandy suggested that the group make one last skate, to the finish line of a large 10k race that was being held in Golden Gate Park that morning. Everyone thought that was a great idea, and 40 naked skaters took off down the road. They skated to the finish line, zoomed across it, made sharp a U-turn, and skated away, before anyone at the marathon realized what hit them. We heard later that the skaters were given an honorable mention by Hootie and the Blowfish at a concert held after the race, and they were the "butt" of many jokes on San Francisco radio stations that day.

What Did I Think?

The thing that surprised me the most was how normal and natural this event felt. It was a lot of fun, but the nudity itself was no big deal. I'm sure most of the skaters were feeling a bit daring that day - like they were getting away with something. But really, it felt more like a family day in the park than anything else. At first a few of the skaters seemed a bit nervous, but after 30 minutes or so, everyone started relaxing. Some skaters brought their parents to the skate, a few brought their infant children, and at least one father skated with his grown son (this skate happened to fall on Father's Day). It was a friendly and respectful group that was a nice mix of men and women, couples and singles, and skaters of all ages. Several couples and individuals asked me to take extra photos for their personal collections.

As the morning went on, I could tell that even the people who were shy at first, were thinking less about the nudity, and more about just having fun. There was a real feeling of camaraderie among the participants. I even started to feel a bit left out because I was not skating naked myself.

Will I take off my clothes and join the group next time? You'll have to come along yourself to find out!

Copyright © by Kathie Fry of SkateLog.com


Photos of the Naked Skate -->


Related Links
Golden Gate Park Naked Skate - Main Article
More About Skating Naked

From Other Web Sites
FaSST Magazine Version of This Article
Sk8Around.com (Organizer Sandy Snakenberg)
JackPhoto.com (Photographer Jack Gescheidt)




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