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Date: Saturday 9 June 2007
Time: 6pm: gathering, body painting. 9pm: Departure.
Location: TBA. Join the WNBR Chicago Yahoo! group for announcements
History
2006
Saturday 10 June: Check in at Wicker Park Fountain, 1455 N. Damen, 6pm gathering and body painting, 9pm departure. Chicago's 2006 ride was challenged by hostile authorities (well known in advance), and cold wet weather (came abruptly). Nonetheless, everything really was very successful. Heavy pre-event publicity, well handled check-in, good pre-party location and body painting preparedness, excellent route planning, (in)decent post-parties, and lots of volunteers, all pretty much perfect. Thanks to advanced discussion and compromise with police about avoiding certain spots, there were no arrests this year (despite lots of nudity!!!), and in fact we were escorted and assisted through most legs of the ride, which again covered several very high visibility tourism areas! This year was almost exactly 15 miles, intentionally down from the over 20 in 2005, and took just over about 2.5 hours.
Certainly had it not been for the weather (which forecast rain all day and night and temperature in the 40s, but which was actually clear and low 50s during ride hours), we probably would have had a much better turnout. Fortunately we did emphasize the WNBR position of rain or shine when asked in advance. Even so, real head count early in the ride (stationary counter as pack passed) was AT LEAST 250. And that excludes a renegade pack of some 50 which left early.
Skater turnout was much better than last year (I'm a skater) with at least a dozen.
Photography was mostly limited to participants, several of whom documented the ride well. Two even skated with the pack taking professional video. A few press did talk their way in to the body painting though.
As before, we used separate check-in (disclosed) and pre-party (secret) locations, as Chicago's ride gets SWAMPED by spectators. This year by 8:40pm-ish the check-in park had become complete PACKED with ooglers, perhaps literally 1000+ who thought the event would be there. I credit our several promotional TV news appearances. So packed was the park, that it became futile to try to connect with and inform any few straggling bicyclists arriving late. Police at that scene were amused that the gawkers, not the riders, had become the problem. Procedural improvements for next year are planned. And finally, donations (mostly at pre-party door) almost exactly balanced expenses (just over $200) which were mostly for printing and body paints.
2005
Saturday 11 June: Wicker Park, 1666 N California. Well over 200 cyclists and a handful of bladers turned out. The great majority were nearly naked (thongs and body paint), and several dozen were nude. The route covered some 20 miles including prime areas such as Gold Coast, Rush Street, Michigan Avenue, and even Lake Shore Drive. A few of the fully nude men were arrested at a police ambush early on while passing through a conservative district, but afterwards the police were largely helpful. Applause by onlookers was thunderous, and camera phones countless. The event was generally reviewed as spectacular.
2004
Saturday 12 June: Buddy Gallery, 1542 N Milwaukee.
Links
Website/s
- WNBR Chicago (official site)
Discussion group/s
- WNBR Chicago Yahoo! group
