SAN FRANCISCO—The World Naked Bike Ride will return to San Francisco on July 25 to protest the international dependence on fossil fuels and oil cartels.
According to the World Naked Bike Ride’s website and wiki page, WNBR is an international effort joined by “many different groups … connected only by their determination to be naked on their bikes on WNBR day, riding in celebration, jubilation to deliver a vision of a cleaner, safer, body-positive world to the masses.” During each WNBR event, they “face automobile traffic with our naked bodies as the best way of defending our dignity and exposing the unique dangers faced by cyclists and pedestrians as well as the negative consequences we all face due to dependence on oil, and other forms of non-renewable energy.”
The concept of WNBR was born 11 years ago in 2004 to protest pollution caused by motor vehicles. The organization believes that having riders bike across the city, naked, is the best way to gain widespread attention for their global environmental cause.
The World Naked Bike Ride is held each year in 20 countries. San Francisco holds several rides throughout the year, the most popular include the June “Southern Hemisphere Ride” and in March the “Northern Hemisphere Ride.” The upcoming July ride will mark the last San Francisco WNBR ride of 2015.
Riders are encouraged to stay clothed until there are a substantial number of bikers ready to depart. Organizers also encourage body paints, markers, and bike decorations to be brought to the event. Riders will meet at 11:00 a.m. in the Justin Herman Plaza between Market Street and the Embarcadero for body painting. Riders will depart at 12:00 p.m.
The route will take riders through many popular tourist spots in the city, such as Fisherman’s Wharf, Embarcadero, Civic Center, Haight/Ashbury, the Marina, the Castro, and if weather permits, Ocean Beach.
All supporters are encouraged to participate and ride “as bare as you dare,” whether they are bikers or not. In the past years, skaters, skateboarders, and even unicyclists have joined the organization in their ride. Riders have also worn bikinis, lingerie, bubble packs, costumes, or have just gone topless in the past.
According to the City Attorney’s office, San Francisco has an anti-nudity ordinance, and does not permit public nudity within city limits unless prior approval has been granted for a permitted event. The organization stated that they have successfully held several rides without citations or complaints, but they support riders bringing sarongs, beach wraps, or shorts for quick cover-ups.
