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You’ve heard of Naked and Afraid? How about Naked on Parade?
Cyclists will be stripping down to their skivvies for Kelowna’s annual Naked Bike Ride.
The event returns on Saturday, June 13th with bikers who dare to bare it all, or most of it anyway, cruising from Mushroom Beach through the downtown.
While the event is meant to be fun, there is also a serious aspect to the ride.
“It’s a variety demonstration,” commented Liam Park, one of the organizers. “It’s partly to expose the vulnerability of cyclists in traffic. A lot of people get hit by cars while riding their bikes.”
But the event also encourages positive body images.
“Everyone has a body and as a society, we would like people to acknowledge that instead of censoring that. Everyone is built differently, there’s no reason it should be profane,” said Park. “The human body is something everyone has, and we want to encourage people to accept that.”
The ride also promotes more environmentally modes of transportation.
This is Kelowna’s second annual Naked Bike Ride, but the event itself has been marked around the world for a number of years, including in Vancouver where hundreds of people take part.
Cyclists don’t have to be completely naked, as some people show up wearing body paint, silly or skimpy attire, or even masks.
Bicycle safety is encouraged and those taking part are reminded to wear a helmet.
The Naked Bike Ride will begin at Mushroom Beach, which is located on the other side of the Highway 97 pedestrian tunnel from Hot Sands Beach in City Park. It starts at 2 p.m. and will last one to two hours with a pre-ride potluck BBQ helping to kick off the ride.
Agencies/Canadajournal
