Waihi Beach cycling event dares people to be bare

Andrew Cook is organising the first World Naked Bike Ride in the North Island. Photos / Rebecca Mauger

Most of the time Andrew Cook is as naked as the day he was born.

It's been the norm for him all his life.

His family didn't bother with clothes as a young boy growing up on a dairy farm.

''My parents didn't care. We rolled out of bed on a Saturday morning to milk the cows, then jumped on a horse.''

Clothes had a purpose — clothes were for protection.

''Clothes were a uniform like your Sunday best for church, work clothes such as when using a chainsaw ...''

There's a time and a place for everything, he says.

Being naked is just another dress code that's not acceptable everywhere.

Andrew Cook

Andrew is organising the first naked bike ride in the North Island which has been popular overseas for years. The International World Naked Bike Ride is a light-hearted protest with an environmental undertow of promoting cycling as well as positive body image.

Andrew Cook is the founder of Hauraki Naturally which has about 150 members.

''It is basically to provide information for naturists but also to promote the idea that being naked in itself is not inherently sexual. We want to remove those taboos.''

Dare to be bare is the catch-phrase for the naked bike ride but participants can wear what they like.

The community bike ride is open to all ages. Andrew is aware onlookers may raise their eyebrows that children old enough to be proficient riders may participate. This is another misconception about naturism they are trying to combat, Andrew says.

''There's no impartial evidence to suggest it's bad for children, actually it's good. It instills into them what a human body looks like.

"Kids brought up by naturists don't tend to go down the pornography route because they have more of an idea of what a body looks like. There's nothing mysterious about the human body, it's just as normal as looking at a dairy cow.

''It educates that the body should be respected and not be treated as a sex object.''

The global bike ride also promotes positive body image.

''Body image and mental health ... we want to remove the body shame that is associated with appearance. The media says we should look a certain way and have a particular appearance but we are not built to be perfect. That is one of things we are trying to undo.''

The bike ride is also a bit of light relief from the whole Covid-19 situation, Andrew says.

The event
World Naked Bike Ride's catch-phrase is "ride as bare as you dare".

Clothes are optional and participants can wear what they like, or not, or don body paint.

The 11 kilometre bike ride starts at Bowentown to cycle the length of Seaforth Rd, around Wilson Rd through the shopping area, Citrus Ave and Snell Cres, and returning along Seaforth to Bowentown.

Hauraki Naturally's website reminds people that being naked in public is not illegal in this country ''however, your behaviour must be scrupulous and you must be careful not to do anything that can be taken as a lewd or sexual act, nor must you deliberately antagonise anyone or cause an obstruction".

For more about the ride visit www.haurakinaturally.nz/wnbr-waihi

The details
What: World Naked Bike Ride - Waihi Beach
Where: Bowentown Boating & Sport Fishing Club, 26 Pio Rd
When: March 19 at 10am
Free event, just show up.