America's Nudists May Be on the Verge of Extinction

Did you know that America is in danger of running out of nudists? Yep, they're dying off, and those who are still alive, hanging out, being naked, are more and more grayed and wrinkly every day. The Wall Street Journal reports on this unfortunate confluence of people getting old and young people apparently wanting to be less naked (a/k/a "wear clothes") in public, which has caused the nudist resort industry to have to actually recruit young nudists.

The situation is quite dire!

"The whole lifestyle will just disappear unless we attract a younger crowd," said Nicky Hoffman, head of the Naturist Society, one of the two big organizations of U.S. nudists. "The problem is, most of these resorts aren't geared to young people. They've become like retirement homes; they've sort of calcified."

You see, even if young people do like being nude in public, it's rather awkward to run into your dad's calcified buddy in the buff at the pool. Hence, young nudist groups are forming, doing fun (and presumably more sexy) young nudist things, like "reverse-strip-poker nights, volleyball tournaments, naked 5K road races and music festivals like Nudepalooza and Nudestock." And naked dinner parties in FiDi lofts, of course.

Can the nudists be saved? Progress is being made:

This year, 140 young nudists showed up for a free weekend on the grass-and-sand grounds of Sunsport Gardens, including a "midnight skinny dip and blacklight party."

Naked baby steps. Or people could just wear clothes.

Wearing Only a Smile, Nudists Seek Out the Young and the Naked [WSJ]