Endorsements, Listings, Discussions & Media Coverage of WNBR   

Overhead from the media:

“The Auckland World Naked Bike Ride’s purpose was to draw attention to oil dependency and the negative social and environmental impacts of a car dominated culture. Last year 250 Aucklanders were killed by vehicle emissions, and 94 people died in car accidents on the roads of Auckland alone”

- Simon Oosterman, Auckland 13 Feb 2005 WNBR organizer, union worker and climate justice campaigner in central Auckland, Aotearoa/New Zealand

"Stop indecent exposure to vehicle emissions"

- Message on banner held by Simon Oosterman and three supporters—two men and a woman—outside the courthouse naked on 17 Feb 2005.


Consider yourself a radical protestor who will do almost anything to show your disdain for our dependency on oil? Want to make a statement about how we should reacquaint ourselves with our own bodies? Then join the World Naked Bike Ride on Saturday, June 12. Anyone can participate. All you need is a pair of wheels and, well, that's it. "Go as bare as you dare!"

- Jacob Wheeler, Utne


Unsuspecting downtown Toronto residents may wonder if night has come early when they look out their windows next Saturday afternoon and see a flash of multiple glowing moons.

Dozens of cyclists are expected to buck taboos when they ride naked in Toronto's first-ever World Naked Bike Ride on June 12 to protest against oil dependence.

Dave McKay, 40, is one of the cyclists expected to take part. The computer programme cum actor and clown has cycled in the buff at another festival in Nevada before -- he says it's fun and freeing.

A worldwide phenomenon, the annual naked ride has become successful in cities such as Portland, Vancouver, and Seattle.

This year's participating countries include Brazil, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany and Belgium.

The Toronto event has been jokingly billed Critical Ass, a play on the name Critical Mass -- a group of cyclists who take to Toronto streets every month to assert their right to use the road.

By Mary Nersessian
Saturday, June 5, 2004 - Page M6, Globeandmail.com


Cyclists are well-known for wearing skin-tight outfits that leave little to the imagination - but naked biking? That is what is proposed in Kensington and Edinburgh on Saturday, June 12, and more than 70 riders have already enrolled for the London leg of the World Naked Bike Ride.

The cyclists will be starkers bar helmets and footwear as they take to the streets on the same day in more than 20 cities in ten countries, including Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Brazil, Canada and New Zealand.

Bare all: Or, if you're shy, wear body paint to remain incognito on the World Naked Bike Ride

Inspired by the monthly Critical Mass rides, the meeting is a protest against oil dependency, as well as a celebration of the power and individuality of the body, say organisers

Take the buff
By Chloe Scott, Metro
3 June 2004


The Bob Rivers Show Mornings on KZOK 102.5 FM "Classic Rock" Seattle. A WNBR Seattle - related daily online poll was posted asking:

Seattle is one of 22 cities around the world where nude bicycle riders plan to protest oil dependency and [rest of question lost]

Total 236 votes cast.

Yes. We’re way too uptight about nudity in America. If humans were meant to wear clothes all the time, we would have been born with longjohns that have the little flap where the sun don’t shine. Let’s have Nudestock in Downtown Seattle!
59.75%

No. The last thing I want to see on the mean streets of Seattle is a gaggle of puffy white blobs on bikes. Not only that, I’ll have to do some ‘splaining to my kids when they ask about those funny dangling things. We should keep our clothes ON 40.25%

Weltweiter Samstag des nackten Radelns - 12. Juni 2004 (Deutsch/German)

In French:

Voulez-vous quelque chose d'autre cet été? alors c'est maintenant votre jour de chance. Avec le moins d'habits possible sur le vélo. En Hollande à Apeldoorn le 12 juin est organisé une procession pareille, mais d'autres villes peuvent naturellement y participer.

Au USA cet événement est né de la masse critique. Le moment pensèrent-ils pour une procession du monde à vélo à poil. A ceux qui doutent : si vous venez en vélomobile vous n'aurez certainement pas froid!

 

 

Update! Information on this page is being updated at:

the WNBR Wiki Media & Press coverage page

Eventually this page will redirect to the above site.

Endorsements

About Asheville, Alliance Against Urban 4x4s; Artists for Peace, Asheville Magazine, Asheville Pedal Queens, Australia Critical Mass, Baptists for Cheap Gas, Bare Witness: Naked Protest for Peace, Bio-Wheels, Body Freedom Collaborative (BFC); BugBugs Rickshaws and Pedicabs For London; Car Busters (a project of the World Carfree Network), Clamor Magazine - The Revolution of Everyday Life, Critical Mass Bicycle Rides/CriticalMass.info, Critical Mass Ciclonudista, A Cup of Tea, Housmans Radical Booksellers (UK), International Naturists Association (INA) / ClothesFree.com, The Enzyme tech collective, FreedomToons, Integral Nacktiv: Nackt und aktiv; Little Fiets (UK); Local 3902 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees; London Bodypainting; Manifestación Ciclonudista, Naked Freedom Film Festival (NFFF) May 15-16 Seattle, NakedFreedom.Org, Naked Iconoclasts Fighting the Yoke (NIFTY), Nacktradeln.de (Deutsch/German), The Naturist Society (TNS) / Nude & Natural (N) Magazine, Nepal Institute, Newcastle Nudists for Peace [Australia], The Nude Garden Party; The Rainbow Party (TRP); Rising Tide Aotearoa/NZ; Watermelon Girl Stand up Comic and Weed Diva (shows); T.H.O.N.G. (Topless Humans Organized for Natural Genetics) Chicago, The Work Less Party of British Columbia

Event listed at:

BikeForPeace.org, Berkeley Critical Mass (Events), Critical Mass London, Chicago Critical Mass (calendar), Edinburgh Critical Mass, Seattle Critical Mass, Seattle Biketivism Resources, Critical Mass Italia, Manifestación Ciclonudista, Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, Velo Vision Magazine, Bike Sport News (Deutsch/German) [direct], BikeSummer 2004 [direct], Seattle Activism, Resist.ca (a project of The Resist! Collective), Anti-Capitalist Convergence, S H I F T to Bikes - Pedalpalooza Calendar, Canadian Cyclist, Free Radio Olympia, I Don't Care About the Air; New Zealand Mountain Bike Web (events calendar); French Broad Food Coop, Weekly SchNews (direct), Federation of Canadian Naturists (FCN), FKK-Online (direct), The Newsletter of the Bay Area Naturists, SLUGS (Sun Lovers Under Gray Skies), BikeSexual.org, Free Jeff Luers, Red Pepper: Raising the Political Temperature (calendar), San Francisco Bicycle Coalition calendar and e-newsletter; Country Joe's Place (of Country Joe & the Fish band fame) (link of the month for June); ShakeChicago.org, Free Beach Association of NSW Inc.; Wikipedia - The Free Encylopedia: "Nudity in Sport" [historical mention]; Bike Week (UK); London Cycling Campaign (LCC); BIKEmagic (UK); London Sustainability Weeks; Time Out Chicago (2005); Velorution

2005 listings :

St. Petersburg Bicycle Club ; SchNEWS - Weekly direct action newsletter - protest, party, DIY, festival, blockade, demonstration

Blogging/Journals/Newswire/Discussion Groups:

"Be the Media!"

Independent Media Center (IMC) [Newswire article (Apr 1 2004)], Seattle IMC [Newswire article (Apr 1 2004)], Los Angeles IMC [Newswire article (Apr 5 2004) and May 5 2004], North Carolina IMC [direct], Indymedia NL (direct 27 May 2004), Portland Indymedia (Pedalpalooza promo 15 May 2004), The Smoking Room: Greg Piper's blog: Bemused, detached, and casually litigious "Naked Lunch" June 12, 2004 [Seattle ride]; Indymedia UK (direct April 28 2005)

Bike Forums [direct], Pinkbike.com (Apr 23 2004), Drop Bike (24 Apr 2004), Pelados o Site dos Naturistas (17 de abril de 2004), Culture Change (A project of the Sustainable Energy Institute); Car-Free Seattle; Ligfiets Plaza (French - 24 Apr 2004 direct), SynchroniCity (May 3 2004), Wald-FKK Diskussions-Forum (Deutsch/German), Stop Segregation, Bike Punx (5 Apr 2004), Overal Bloot (Dutch), Messiahbomb Journal (Mar 31, 2004), FreeRepublic.com "A Conservative News Forum" (direct), Dr. Menlo (Apr 30 2004), SynKRINGnicity (Mar 4 2004), Cheef.com, Bodyfreedom, gobare.com, RedBike (Russian, 5 Apr 2004), Ravnovesie.net (Russian, Apr 6 2004), Ciclistica (la città dalla bici) (Italy, April 6 2004), Cheef.com (many related links and announcements) Chari Otaku (April 5, 2004), Journal Olho nu (article); Media Island International (direct 18 May 2004), Smart Mobs 26 Apr 2004 13 June 2004; Dave Barry's Weblog "We don't see how this well-thought-out and very practical idea can possibly fail" (9 June 2004); SuicideGirls

Radio/Television/Webcast/Magazine/Ads

Earth First! Journal (Summer Action Guide), Nu.nl (23 Apr 2004 News - Nederland) [leads to]--> similar english version of story at Expatica.com (direct 27 Apr 2004) [leads to]--> Nerve.com News (29 Apr 2004 News summary of Expatica story); Novinky.cz (Direct); FOK! (Apr 23 2004 - Nederland); Utne: Short Takes (Apr 22, 2004); 107.7 The Bone - Steven Seaweed; Conrad on KROQ 106.7 FM Kevin & Bean Morning Show (Apr 8, 2004), Virato interviewed on WOXL, 96.5FM, Asheville, March 15, 2004 8:15 AM; Asheville Magazine (News 23 Apr 2004); Playboy Radio interview with Watermelon, Vinyasi, and Virato ( 5pm PDT 23 Apr 2004); Bicycle Paper (event listings); Car-Busters Magazine; ClothesFree TV Nudes in the News Show #44 January 8, 2004 (short announcement); Going Natural (upcoming issue); Nude & Natural (N) "An Idea Worth Pedaling" in 'N' Trends (23.4 Summer 2004); CSU Northridge Daily Sundial (article); WLOS-TV newspot (ABC affiliate in Asheville, NC) (4 May 2004); Virato interviewed on 24 May 2004 by the news on WWNC 570 AM, Asheville's talk radio station, part of the Clear Channel network; "Naked protesters on bikes dare to bare, make June weekend in Asheville interesting"; Asheville Citizen-Times; May 23, 2004; The Vancouver Courier "Activists bike in the buff for revealing June 12 ride" (Vol. 95 No. 43 May 30, 2004); The Stranger (Seattle) (Vol. 13, No. 38 June 3-9, 2004); Reuters: (Oddly Enough) 3 June 2004 (similar version shared with MSNBC (Peculiar Postings) and CNN.com (Offbeat News) "Church bikers versus nude cyclists" ); Metro Newspaper (UK) 03 june 2004 (poor quality scan); This is London: Life & Style "Take the Buff" 3 June 2004; Bikemag.com (4 June 2004); Globeandmail.com "Anybody got any duct tape?" (5 June 2004), Mountain Xpress: Independent Asheville News, Arts, Events & Information News Briefs vol 10 iss 44 (9 June 2004 direct); The Seattle Times (Article 1) "Bicyclists will shed clothes in protest ride" (11 June 2004 direct) -> leads to Associated Press distribution; King 5 TV News Seattle (11 June 2004 direct)

Post ride media coverage:

LA Times 13 June 2004 (direct); Chicago Sun-Times (14 June 2004 direct); Komo 4 News (Seattle) (13 June 2004 direct); The Seattle Times (Article 2) (12 June 2004 direct); The Seattle Times (Article 3) (13 June 2004 direct); The Daily Camera (Boulder) (13 June 2004 direct); Toronto Sun (13 June 2004 direct); BBC News (12 June 2004 direct); King 5 (Seattle) (12 June 2004 direct); Scotsman.com (12 June 2004 direct); Koin.com (Portland) (12 June 2004 direct); North Seattle Herald-Outlook (June 16, 2004 - small blurb with picture); San Francisco Indymedia; Santa Monica Daily Press (14 June 2004); Montreal Mirror; The Seattle Times (Article 4) (18 June 2004 direct); Citizen-Times (June 20 direct); MISCmedia (June 13 2004); Courrier International (France) - n° 712 - 24 juin 2004 "Nus face au trafic"; ClothesFree TV "Nudes in the News" (Show #63, 19 June 2004) USA. A production of International Naturist Association (INA). Contains coverage of Manifestación Ciclonudista/WNBR, including Seattle photos. http://www.clothesfree.com. Windows Media format video; ClothesFree TV "Nudes in the News" (Show #64, 1 July 2004) USA. A production of International Naturist Association (INA). Contains coverage of WNBR in Spain. http://www.clothesfree.com. Windows Media format video; Nude & Natural (N) (published by The Naturist Society) "The Wheel Deal, The World Naked Bike Ride—An Idea Whose Time Has Come" by Jim Meyer, "World Naked Bike Ride, Seattle-Style "by Mark Storey, "Naked in the Streets" color photo section included pictures of the painted naked cyclists of 2004 Summer Solstice Parade in Fremont. Issue 24.1, Autumn 2004; AOL (America Online) CityGuide: Seattle - "Top 10 Naked Experiences" The Seattle WNBR is rated as #4, 2004; Flutterby! : WNBR Seattle [2004] (blog coverage with 41 images) June 14, 2004; Travel Naturally (a publication of Internaturally, Inc.) Issue No. 52, Fall 2004; High Life (British Airway's in-flight magazine, available on all flights) "The Cheek Of It" by Jennifer Cox, Seattle. November 2004 Issue. Talks about WNBR, BFC, and the painted cyclists of the Fremont Summer Solstice Parade. Jennifer interviewed Daniel Johnson and another Seattle cyclist. There are several major inaccuracies in the article unfortunately; Clamor magazine (The Revolution of Everyday Life). Issue 29 - November/December 2004. Sex & Gender "Critical mAss: Bare as You Dare-The Ride for Humanitarian Exhibitionism" by Teri Denai; Chicago Reader Dec 17, 2004 Vol. 34, #12 Our Town: Public Displays: "The Naked Word" by Cara Jepson [mentions Chicago WNBR 2004 ride and event organizer Aurora Donovan Danai]; The Bulletin published by American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) August 2004 "World Naked Bike Ride Protests Social Issues" by Lynn Von Hagel.

2005 coverage:

[ Feb 2005 ride coverage ] : Pinellas from TBO.com/The Tampa News Tribune and Suncoast News (Florida, USA):Jan 23, 2005 "Oh, Sure: Now We're Having A Nude Bike-In"; The Sydney Morning Herald, 11 - 17 Feb 2005 Metro section: "Breezy Ride" by Charles Purcell [about Newcastle, Australia Ride, issue was available 11 Feb 2005]

[ Aucklund Feb 2005 ride Coverage ] : The New Zealand Herald "Naked cyclists treat motorists to '21-bum' salute" 14 Feb 2005 by Mathew Dearnaley; Aotearoa Indypendent Media Centre: "Join Arrested Naked Cyclist to Protest Charges (Naked)" 16 Feb 2005; STUFF: "Naturist cyclist to go to court...naked" 17 February 2005; Scoop Media "Climate Change And Transport Activists Appear Naked At Court" 17 Feb 2005; Aotearoa IMC "Climate Change & Transport Activists Appear Naked at Court" 17 Feb 2005; Ashburton Today "Naked protestor charged with indecent exposure" 16 Feb 2005; FindLaw - Legal News and Commentary / The Associated Press (AP): "Man facing indecent exposure charges arrives at court naked" 17 Feb 2005; Yahoo! News / The Associated Press: New Zealand Man Arrives Naked to Court 17 Feb 2005; BBC News "NZ protester goes to court naked" 17 Feb 2005; ClothesFree TV Nudes in the News Show #93 February 19, 2005 (short piece about Simon's arrest); Fox [anti-]News : Out There: "Naked Jaybird Chickens Out Before Judge" 20 Feb 2005 from AP; PLUS .... 1/05 - http://www.naturist.co.nz; 10/2/05 - Prime TV, Paul Holmes Show, 11/2/05 - G&T Access Radio;11/2/05 - Central Leader (or Harbour News?); 13/2/05 - TV1; 14/2/05 - Solid Gold FM; 17/2/05 - Solid Gold FM ; 17/2/05 - Radio Network; 17/2/05 - NewsTalk ZB; 17/2/05 - TV3; 17/2/05 - Prime TV, Paul Holmes Show; 16/2/05 - Triangle TV; Forthcoming - AUT Student Magazine Interview

More added soon