| This six-kilometre long, secluded beach is Canada's first
and largest, legal, clothing-optional beach. It's located at the western tip of
Vancouver, adjacent to the University of British Columbia campus, down a long
flight of steep stairs. On a summer weekend, as many as 14,000 visitors flock to
the beach which stretches from the Musqueam Reserve to Spanish Banks West.
Vendors Row, located down the middle of the beach below Trail 6, offers snacks
and refreshments.
Activities
Relaxing in The Sun
From just quietly basking in the sun to joining volleyball or group dice games,
one can choose from Wreck's variety of activities for all types of people.
Perhaps that is part of the magic and allure of Wreck, along, of course, with
the freedom of being able to be clothed only with the sun!
Wreck beach is an especially magic place for families and kids and the child
within with its wide sand flats for building sandcastles and often-warm, large,
shallow pools.
Checking out "Vendors' Row"
When hungry, one can buy food ranging from Greek gourmetto Peruvian empanadas,
which can be washed down with beverages of every shade and hue! From
hand-crafted jewelry and sarongs to buffalo burgers and the freshest sandwiches
in the West, one can savour the flavour of Wreck Beach on Vendors' Row while
also getting a pedicure, massage or haircut! Normally in Canada, parks boards
build fast food stands and rent them to concessionaires, so the free enterprise
arrangement, as well as freedom to be nude the way nature intended, is unique to
Wreck and unprecedented in Canada.
Leisure Pursuits
From bocci ball, juggling, and beach croquet, Volleyball and dicing, one can
pick from a plethora of fun things to do. One can play Majong, checkers,
Scrabble, and a variety of board games to help spend time in the sun even more
pleasantly. As well, one can build unofficial sand sculptures, jog, dance to the
throb of the beach drums which somtime begin in the summer afternoons, join in
the improv jam sessions, or merely just stretch out on the warm sands to listen
to the ebb and flow of hot jazz, R&B, or primitive African rhythms. Wrapped in
the serenity of the sun, dancers, drummers, musicians, and sun worshippers bond
as the nightly sunset ritual draws them into its thrall!
Come Hear the Music of the Beach
Wander off towards the breakwater and listen to the songs of the lovely birds
swooping around. You can sometimes hear Frank playing those soft, haunting
violin strains near the shoreline. Others get together and jam quietly amongst
themselves as they enjoy a little relaxation after class at the university. Or
sit in the thick of the group and choose from so many musical options. There are
many "regulars" who get together with guitars for a hootenanny-style jam. This
is truly one of the main features that makes Wreck Beach so different -- it's an
international-Naturist Mecca destination, clothing-optional beach centered
around a stable, core community of numerous "regulars" as we call ourselves.
People are usually welcome to join in to harmonize, tap a foot, or just to relax
and take it all in. Read more . . .
Volleyball
Volleyball is one of the most popular sports on the beach. Games are ongoing,
but enthusiasts are always looking for new blood. Just ask and you will find
yourself involved in a game in short order. Some games are advanced with
highly-serious players, while others are more relaxed for beginners. Pick a game
that seems right for your skills and you will find yourself invited to join
right in.
Body Painting
Ever since the first Wreck Beach Day in 1983, body painting has evolved into a
Wreck Beach tradition. When body painters who had been invited for that day,
failed to show up, Judy Williams bought her first body paints, and has never
looked back. The painting at the right is done by Bob Vaughn. As Joi at Black's
Beach became known for her body art, so too has Williams, who loves painting
children and adults as well. On any hot summer's day or at the various Wreck
Beach events, Williams will often put together a body painting team sometimes
called Cricket Lady and the Crickettes. Together, other Wreck Beach artists and
Williams can finish painting the line-ups of children and the young at heart who
want to be decorated with body art.
Beach Casino
The point of these games is social interaction while enjoying the sun au
naturelle. These games are nude-only. If you wish to try your luck, ask and if
space is available, you may be asked to join in the next game. If it's money
you're after, you'd be better off picking up pop cans for the deposit! The
object is not to get rich as one can play $1.00 per game.
Note: Wreck Beach enthusiasts are a loyal and protective bunch
who take their right to "bare" arms, legs and everything else pretty seriously.
http://www.wreckbeach.org/ |
