Best of the Naturist World

In the first post of this series, I paid tribute to Lee Baxandall, who is representative of naturism's past and present. In this post, I tip my hat to The Academic Naturist, who represents the future of the nude lifestyle.

Nudist and naturist blogs come and go, but I think TAN is in for the long haul. Aside from being a strong supporter of The Naturist Society and the core principles of naturism, TAN writes about nudist issues with both his heart and his mind. In his post Naked on the Net! he writes:

My girlfriend and I now have naked pictures of ourselves on the Internet. She doesn't care in the slightest, with exception that the pictures aren't very flattering. (The good ones are in our brag book!) I'm a bit more uneasy about the concept, but it's something I need to get over if I hope to join the elite.

TAN understands, as do I, that nudism and naturism cannot survive unless the people who life the life, and profess to be unashamed, begin "coming out" to family and friends. Only them will the stigma begin to fade. Although I have not revealed myself to the readers of this blog, my lifestyle is known to my wife, my daughter and a few friends, and obviously to fellow naturists. I still have a way to go before I can call myself an absolute naturist.

I have no doubt that TAN will eventually realize his ambition end up among the "elite". In one of his posts Recaps and Winter Plans, he described his trip to Lee Baxandall's memorial service:

After the service, I got to hang out with the TNS crew at their office for a while. I was finally able to meet Bob Morton and Mark Storey, both of which have bright minds and write some great articles. Mark brought up that they are always looking for new articles, and hinted that I could be a part of that. So far, I don't think I've written anything that matches their quality of work... Have I?

I suggest that the folks at TNS take the time to read The Academic Naturist and take note of the work he has done in creating The World-Wide Nudist Collaboration Wiki, and in writing posts like Review & Guide: Mazo Beach, and What About the Children?!

Most importantly, TAN understands the link between naturism and the current crisis of global warming, and can help to lead the lifestyle into the 21st century. As he noted in his introduction nearly two years ago:

I like to research and contribute to everything that I see as a good idea. This list includes things like technology (an obvious favorite), environmentalism and the whole "green" movement, and nudity. Although the last doesn't appear to fit in very well, I assure you that it's important and deserving of more research and support. I wouldn't have started this blog if it wasn't.

Without new voices from younger naturists, the movement is doomed. The Academic Naturist is a breath of fresh air on the Internet. Where most "nudist" and "naturist" web sites are out to make a buck, or to peddle porn, his mission is clear and true to naturist philosophies. As far as I'm concerned, he's already joined the elite.

Tags: nudism, naturism, nudist, nudists, naturist, naturists, nudity, nudes, bare, au naturel, nude, naked