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Welcome to Seattle's World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR) Wiki pages! First time visitors are encouraged to stroll through this WNBR Wiki site as well as the main WNBR web page and main WNBR Seattle page (NEW URL: http://WNBRsea.org). The WNBR Wiki Table of Contents are located on the Main Page, and you may also want to look at our Frequently asked questions (FAQ). Thanks for visiting and we hope to see you at one of our upcoming events!

This year's suggested theme is "Harnessing the power of the human body and spirit".

WNBR Seattle, Hemp Ride and Jaybird Run are productions of The Organic Living Party (OLP) and The Work Less Party USA. Participatory arts, recreation, citizen activism and play are not a luxories! OLP is, in part, a revival of the German Lebensreform movement.

Next ride

Date: We are currently trying to move the date for Seattle WNBR 2007 (4rd Annual) from early June to later in the year. Currently, we are looking at Sat, 7 July 2007 as a possibility.
Time: Bodypainting party 9am - 12 noon at Gas Works Park, Special Music Guest: TBA.
Location: Start at Gas Works Park, leave Gas Works Park probably shortly after high noon. The first and easier part of ride begins here. Arrive at Seattle Center probably between 12.30pm and 12.45pm, leave Seattle Center International Fountain after 15-20 minutes max. Tentative info: Leave Seattle Center to begin second leg of ride via Harrison (same way we came in), 5th AVE & Pike Downtown, Capital Hill, Cal Anderson, Union St, Lake Washington Blvd, Madrona Park, Stan Sayres Park, Seward Park, Madrona Park (beach visit), Madison Beach, Lake Washington Blvd, Washington State Park Arboretum, Montlake Bridge, UW Commencement, Burke Gilman Trail and return to Gas Works Park around 6 - 6:30 pm (no guarantees! Bring a minimum to wear!).

For more information see schedule and route planning.

2007 date scheduling

Seattle has some conflicts that it needs to consider for scheduling.

Too many naked bike rides too close together!

This ride must not conflict with the Solstice Cyclists on the Saturday closest to Summer Solstice in June or Body Pride Ride which is the week after that. In 2005 and 2006, there were three naked bike rides in three weeks! Way too many, especially for the organizers and artists who are staging the event.

Hemp Ride is not a concern since it will always be scheduled around WNBR and will take place in August.

Other conflicts

We also want to avoid conflict with any regional Burning Man events such as Critical Massive and Burn in the Forest (mid July) or the Seattle to Portland Ride (if possible). We also really enjoyed the Group Health Bicycle Saturday and Sundays event, which is only on select weekends. Also, if we schedule too late in the summer, it is harder for us to get access to the International Fountain at the Seattle Center. It would also be good not to conflict with Bare Buns Fun Runs. Lifeguards are not even dispatched to Seattle public beaches until late June.

Seattle is currently working on getting Sat, 7 July 2007, as it is two weeks after BPR (much needed breathing room) and it falls on a Group Health Bicycle Saturday and Sundays day. Some in the bodypainting team want it even later in July or August while others want to keep in line with the dates of other global WNBR events.

Main pages

• Route: Schedule, suggested stops, and route planning
• What to bring
• Archive
  • History General history of WNBR Seattle
  • Official Ride Reports
  • Seattle coverage Press and media coverage
  • Concerns Concerns and complaints during the ride
• Press release 2006 press release
• Networking: networking, fundraising etc

Upcoming events

• May 2007? Ride Of Silence (see news item in The Stranger)
• May 2007 Bike to Work Day
• 2007 Seattle Critical Mass The last Friday of each month. Critical Mass is a global non-authoritarian movement of celebration, street reclamation and demonstration. Critical Mass is a rolling free speech stage and playground. Each ride is unique, each ride is your stage.
• June 2007 Solstice Cyclists (16th Annual) See also Solstice Cyclists Wikipedia article
• Late June 2007 Body Pride Ride (3rd Annual) BPR = beeper.
• July 2007? Independence from Oil Day Parade (2nd Annual)
• Late July, 2007 Jaybird Run (2nd Annual) at The Torchlight Run at Seafair.
• Aug 2007 Hemp Ride (1st Annual) (in planning stages)
• Late June/sometime in July 2007 WNBR Seattle 2007 (4th Annual)

See Biketivism.org for more event listings.

See Naked Wikia's Pacific Northwest Calendar for body-positive event listings.

General meetings

Seattle archive meetings

Meeting #3 being planned....

Contact Information / Event Sign Up

Sign up to participate and/or volunteer for the ride by filling out form on the WNBR Seattle page.

There are four ways to contact organizer Daniel Johnson and the WNBR Seattle team:

• Leave a message at his discussion page
• E-mail him directly using his temporary, spam-reduction e-mail address: [email protected]
• Fill out form on the WNBR Seattle page (use the comment area and select a ride or rides from the drop down menu).
• Fill out form on the main WNBR page (use the comment area and select Seattle from the drop down menu).

Supporters and Endorsements

We appreciate all the local support and endorsements we have received! Please see a listing in the Endorsements: Seattle and Endorsements: Global wiki areas as well as links on our main Seattle page at http://WNBRsea.org.

We need your money!!

Please help us with a $5 - $50+ "love donation" to help pay for our permits, promotional expenses and sound system rental equipment. Help prevent the event coordinators and artists from going broke! They need your help! If you have money and feel strongly about this event and want to see it continue, please donate $$$. This can be done on the day of the event or online through Body Freedom Collaborative (BFC)'s donation page at:

http://tinyurl.com/b6dsa. So far we have raised $807.54 of our $1600 goal. Keep the contributions coming in! Thanks!!

Thanks for helping! Every little bit helps! The Work Less Party USA and The Organic Living Party do not yet have a bank account, and our friends at BFC have offered to help out with transferring money to us.

Goals

(1) Community building. Have fun and express our creativity while engaging and enjoying various communities in Seattle. Celebrate both the diversity and the oneness of the human experience.

(2) Protest oil dependency and advocate renewable energy sources; the joy of cycling; sustainable, car-free transportation solutions; and walkable communities. Bicycles are BEST - Better Ecologically Sustainable Transport.

(3) Bring attention to the local safety concerns of cyclists. There are several extremely dangerous areas in Seattle that are potentially lethal for cyclists [1] and cars alike. These areas need to be renovated NOW and must be addressed in the upcoming Bicycle Master Plan [2]!

• Southwest end of the Ballard Bridge.

• Imbedded railroad tracks running in the street at 45th Street NW near the north site of the Ballard Bridge, near the east end of the Burke-Gilman Trail behind the Giant Ballard Fred Meyer.

Help people begin to SEE CYCLISTS [3] and SHARE THE ROAD. Sharing the road does not mean cars get the lane and bikes get THE GUTTER or CAR DOOR LANE! (See also ghostcycle.org)

(4) Rejoice in the power and individuality of our bodies. Promote body-positive ideals and activities. Advocate the development of free beaches in Seattle and encourage more family-friendly, clothing-optional use of community spaces.

(5) Show solidarity with other naked cycling events around the world. Many WNBR events will be riding on June 10th in 2006.

(6) Generate interest in similar progressive and artistic regional events such as those organized by Car Free Seattle, Seattle Hempfest, Fremont Arts Council, painted naked Cyclists of the Summer Solstice Parade (SolsticeCyclist.org - official site), Seattle Critical Mass, The Art of Resistance, The Burning Man Project and Regional Burning Man events.

For more info, please see our [http://worldnakedbikeride.org/seattle/resources/faq.html Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.)

What to wear? Do not fear!

For details, please see our Frequently asked questions

The World Naked Bike Ride dress code is "Bare As You Dare"... How bare is that ? How dare is that ?...Its all up to you, you decide what you are comfortable with. NO ONE IS EXCLUDED OR DISCRIMINATED AGAINST based on levels of clothing, bodypaint, or anything else, for that matter!

PLEASE be creative and colorful! Bodypainting and bike decorating is highly encouraged! See the above section on creative expression and also visit our body art page.

The laws on nudity, for the most part are a bit vague, difficult and often unpopular to enforce. The principal concern of most citizens is to eliminate creepy, predatory, exploitative, destructive and abusive behavior. WNBR is a fun, inspirational, non-confrontational body-positive event with a positive message of hope. That is why the ride has been such a huge hit and so many are supportive. Just use common sense and mind your manners! Nude is not lewd!

Since most of us did not grow up in a body-positive society, many will look at you with curiosity and amusement. You will probably notice that different sections of town have different cultural reactions to nudity. Some may feel mildly intimidated because they still might have issues with their own bodies and your shameless ways are unsettling to their body-phobic world. Just be friendly and respectful and things should be fine. Remember we are all human and we all have the same parts.

"Gymnophobia (from the Greek word for nude gymnos) is the fear of being (or seeing others) naked. A gymnophobic person usually wants to prevent others from experiencing the freedom of not wearing clothes."

If you are concerned, you probably don't need to cover up much to be "legal". With the incredible transforming powers of a little body paint, liquid latex, a strategically placed sock, or a piece of duct tape you too can transform the average city streaking naked wild cyclist into "The legal city streaking naked wild cyclist". Be creative: a little imagination can change everything.

Links

Websites

• WNBR Seattle (official site)
• WNBR Seattle – videos (official site)

Photos

• 2006 WNBR Seattle Photos (by Eduard Koller)
• 2004 WNBR Seattle Photos (by Eduard Koller)

Discussion groups

Seattle WNBR

• WNBR Seattle Yahoo! group 3 : General discussion - Ideal for people who to get all general discussion messages. A great place to bring up ideas, talk about concerns and network with others. Plan meetings, parties, and special projects. If you join this group there is no reason for you to join group 2 since this group gets announcements as well.
• WNBR Seattle Yahoo! group 2 : Announcements only.

Seattle Biketivism

• Car-Free Seattle see also ThinkSmall.org Resources, Tactics, and Propaganda to Subvert Automobile Dominance.
• Seattle Critical Mass Message Board see also Seattle Critical Mass
• Bike Works To build sustainable communities by educating youth and promoting bicycling. We teach young people how to fix bikes, reward them with their own set of wheels, and provide affordable bicycle services to the community.
• Biketivism.org Biketivism and Critical Mass Resources

Seattle Nekkid

• Naked Wikia's entry on the Pacific Northwest

Location information

• Google map of Seattle
• Seattle Parks & Recreation page for Gas Works Park and directions
• Seattle Center Map and info on the International Fountain
• Group Health Bicycle Saturdays and Sundays A possible destination for leg three of WNBR Seattle 2006? Note that Lake Washington Boulevard will be closed to motorized traffic from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
• Wikipedia: Seattle
• Wikipedia: Gas Works Park
• Wikipedia: Burke-Gilman Trail
• Wikipedia: Seattle Center
• Wikipedia: Cal Anderson Park
• Wikipedia: Madrona Park (Seattle)
• Wikipedia: Seward Park
• Wikipedia: Madison Park (Seattle)
• Wikipedia: Washington Park Arboretum
• Wikipedia: University of Washington
• Wikipedia: Volunteer Park
• Wikipedia: Washington

Eco and Cruelty-free compliance

Many festivals are going green and cruelty free [4], [5], [6]. WNBR Seattle is produced by The Organic Living Party/Work Less Party USA and strives to join the ranks of others as an eco- and animal -friendly event:

• Many of our foods offered are vegan and have organic, non-GMO ingredients
• Our bodypainting tents are made out of Tam Vong and Tonkin bamboo, strung together with jute twine. Franz's tent utilizes bases made out of recycled vegetable containers, discarded construction materials, thatching, Body Painting sign made with recycled cardboard product.
• Many of our paints are reused from past bodypainting events. We reuse discarded plastic tubs and cups for mixing paints, we reuse old dropclothes.
• We hope to begin using ethanol or biodiesel in our generators. We are also looking at going solar in 2006.
• We are advocating cycling, one of the most environmentally friendly and efficient personal transportation solutions ever created.
• We advocate clothing-free recreation, staying clear from unnecessary clothing and consumption.
• We advocate urban and local cultural events, cutting down on unnecessary energy to go to far away places to enjoy body-positive art events (like Burning Man, which is held in the middle of a desert).
• Our policy for our events is "Leave No Trace - Pack it In, Pack it Out".
• We select paper that has a high recycled paper content for our flyers, many of which are handed out by people walking on foot or bicycle.

Have any more suggestions for us? Please let us know. Fill out the form on the main WNBR page and drop us a comment (be sure to select Seattle from the drop down menu)

How to avoid trouble

Have fun, be enthustiastic, be safe, and WNBR's message will speak for itself. Here are some guidelines for people who need clarfication on expectations of behavior and safety during the event:

• Don't be an idiot. Use common sense. Remember all those lessons that you picked up in grade school about appropriate social conduct.
• Follow the golden rule. Treat others as you want to be treated.
• Bicycle safely and be polite and exercise caution around any people. Do not bicycle near anybody laying on the beach. Be vocal and polite when passing. Always keep a respectable and responsible distance from people for safety and for personal comfort levels.
• Do not be "obscene". Nude is not lewd - mind your manners! Humans are sexual beings, but being naked is not an indication or an invitation for overt sexual behavior.
  • Nudity is not forced on anybody. You decide what you are comfortable with.
  • Respect the diversity of many different body types, and refrain from ogling.
  • Realize that although we are naked, many people consider that penises, vaginas, breasts and butts are still very personal spaces. Do not bring them up as a topic of conversation with somebody you do not know. Sexual harassment will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

Respect peoples' bodies and their personal space. Sexual harassment, creepy or predatory behavior or abusive language will not be tolerated and we will either ask you to leave or we will summon the police.

While there is nothing in the Seattle Municipal Code about nudity and expectations of behavior, Washington State does have a law protecting against "obscene" behavior while being fully or partially naked. This law is intended to protect citizens against unwanted lewd behavior. RCW 9A.88.010 on Indecent exposure states "(1) A person is guilty of indecent exposure if he or she intentionally makes any open and obscene exposure of his or her person or the person of another knowing that such conduct is likely to cause reasonable affront or alarm. The act of breastfeeding or expressing breast milk is not indecent exposure." The severity goes up substaintially when an offense is made against young children.

Photography and videography policy

The Seattle WNBR event has adopted a photography policy which

• Prohibits photography taking place closer than 15 feet from subjects.
  • Prohibits taking pictures with cell phones or cameras in an aggressive manner and with the intent of getting extreme closeups of personal areas, especially without permission. This makes many people very uncomfortable.
• Prohibits photography inside body painting tent areas without permission from those getting painted.

This policy is intended to curtail any inconsiderate photography which might otherwise take place. We wish to create a safe and supportive environment for all riders. All photographers present at the ride must abide by this policy. Those who do not will be asked to leave. This INCLUDES any riders or press who take photos.

To ensure that this policy is clear to all present, it will appear on leaflets distributed at the event. If you are attending the ride as a photographer, we would like to remind you that there are various points along the route which feature particularly striking backgrounds for photos of the ride.

Photographers are encouraged to give out contact info on small cards to those who ask.

Riders and supporters are actively encouraged to enforce these policies.

Please report any problems with photographers to ride organizers.

If it makes you uncomfortable, let the photographers know that they don't have permission to photograph you. Keep in mind however that this is a public event and you are in a public park. That does not give people the right to be disrespectful or to harass you with their photography. Also, let other riders know this so they can tell photographers not to photograph you. Another approach is to keep your clothes on during the first bit of the ride, and take them off after you have left the assembly point. We recommend this approach too. Both of these approaches will cut down on photographs taken at the start of the ride, but it's not really possible to stop people from photographing during the ride.

WNBR local events often do have a documentary team taking pictures and video, but they are generally very considerate people and will try to keep your best wishes in mind as much as possible. You can see many of their images on this website and on WNBR-generated media, which is sometimes shared with other non-profit progressive groups.

There are also those who are at the event to use the images for other reasons, and you won't know without asking. If someone is being aggressive, acting suspiciously, or making you feel uncomfortable please tell a WNBR team coordinator or someone who can confront them and tell them to back off a bit and give people personal space. People need to understand the positive message of WNBR and understand that part of respecting each others' bodies is giving each other enough personal space to be comfortable. This is especially important for those that have never been naked in front of strangers or in public before. They have their own issues they are dealing with and aggressive gawking or unwanted exposure adds an additional unwanted complication to their experience. So speak up!

Promotional video

Those of you who missed the Seattle WNBR meeting on 23 April 2006 with Conrad Schmidt can now see the footage we shot in Washington State Park Arboretum, on a very busy warm day. There were tons of people in the park that day using this trail. A lot of people got a kick out of the streaking, which went on for about an hour or so, on and off (we certainly looking highly conspicuous as we waited for people to walk by). One lady asked if she could join in.

To help encourage all 5 billion people on the planet to participate in this celebration of two-wheeled naked splendor we have made a small video promo:

• Low-res video: QuickTime / Windows Media
• High-res video: QuickTime / Windows Media

Please help promote the event by sending the trailer to everybody you know and inviting them to join us in a worldwide day of spreading smiles.

Recent listings

• Sustainapedia Northwest Listed 5 Dec 2007.