WNBR Seattle Cyclists:
We have just agreed on a start time for our Autumnal Equinox Mini Ride this Saturday! It is also expected to be sunny with a high of 68 degrees F! It should be perfect weather for our bike ride and beach visit!
Bring your friends and ride with complete strangers on a magical cycling tour through Seattle on your favorite human-powered cycling vehicle for one of the most exhilarating cycling experiences since taking off your training wheels! Its the perfect event to mark the end of summer! Don't miss out!
START TIME and LOCATION:
Saturday, Sept 24, 2005
1:30PM Leave Myrtle Edwards Park, Seattle
~2:15 - 2:30PM arrive at Discovery Park North Beach
The event is as Bare as you Dare! The World Naked Bike Ride dress code is "Bare As You Dare"... How bare is that ? How dare is that ?...Its all up to you, you decide what you are comfortable with. NO ONE IS EXCLUDED OR DISCRIMINATED AGAINST based on levels of clothing, bodypaint, or anything else, for that matter! PLEASE be creative and colorful! Bodypainting and bike decorating is highly encouraged!
START LOCATION DETAILS:
Please leave yourself plenty of time to get to the meet-up area/start location which will be on the NW side of new pump facility building (it looks like a restroom facility with a funky organic looking gate, but it has no public access) at the artsy overlook area with view of Puget Sound (just south of the large stone sculpture installation area). PLEASE do not dress down until everybody is ready to leave at the same time.
For those driving/carpooling:
There is very limited street parking in the area. Myrtle Edwards Park is a long, thin park and can only be entered from the north and south of park via the Elliot Bay Trail. There are train tracks and fencing on the east which cannot be crossed. There is also construction going on around the south entrance of the park, but the area is open. Please leave plenty of time to get to the meet-up/start location.
There is some parking on 16th AVE W, which parallels part of the Elliot Bay Trail which we will be traveling on (this trail is not shown on the map below). This area is located to the NW of Myrtle Edwards Park & Elliot Bay Park. The easiest way to drive there is go over an 'S'-shaped overpass from Elliot Ave West (Northbound). You will then have about an eight minute cycling trip to get to the meeting area at Myrtle Edwards Park.
See left part of this map to find the area of 16th AVE W and the overpass.
http://tinyurl.com/aby2u
ROUTE INFO:
(tentative - the route may change depending on the group, but it will not be any easier than what is outlined below):
Meet at Myrtle Edwards Park overlook area at pump station, ride through Elliot Bay Park on Elliot Bay Trail, past grain terminal, turn north up 16th AV W trail, slight jog to 20th Ave W (DO NOT continue WEST at junction to Smith Cove Park/marina area), leave the Elliot Bay Trail at that point and go North (right off trail) up 20th AVE to Gilman Ave, then continue to Government Ave and enter Discovery Park's main east entrance.
Once passing Discovery Park's Visitor's Center, keep going up the hill and proceed down restricted traffic road towards treatment facility (there is a sign) and when getting close to lighthouse, go north on path to North sandy beach area, which is NE of the lighthouse on the sandy beach. We plan on going to the very NE part of that long northern sandy beach.
Note:
(1) The gravel path that starts by the lighthouse prohibits bicycles (like all non-paved trails in DP). To avoid upsetting the Friends of Discovery Park (that help maintain it) or the Rangers we are advised not to ride our bikes on that last little stretch to the North Beach.
(2) This ride is a bit more intense hill-wise than the first two WNBR rides. If you found either of those rides to be a bit much, this ride may not be for you. However, this route is considered to be one of the more established, easier routes from the two points we are going between. After leaving the beach, the ride going up from sea level is quite steep, some may not feel comfortable cycling up that road.
(3) Much of the route is planned to be along the water on the Elliot Bay Park Trail and then through the rail yards and then off the trail with a protected bike lane all the way to the entrance of Discovery Park. With the addition of using the restricted traffic lane going down to the beach, this means that for much of our journey we will not have to deal too much with car traffic.
The route to Discovery Park is an established cycling route and can be viewed on the Seattle Bicycling Guide Map. That map can be viewed online at:
http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/transportation/bikemaps/northbikemap.pdf
(PDF file 1.58 MB)
More Park links:
Myrtle Edwards Park
http://www.cityofseattle.net/parks/parkspaces/Medwards.htm
is just south of Elliot Bay Park
http://www.portseattle.org/community/resources/parks/index.shtml
Discovery Park
http://www.cityofseattle.net/parks/Environment/discovparkindex.htm
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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WNBR_Seattle2/
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WNBR Seattle - general discussion
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Things we still need/want more of:
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- People who can take pictures and video during the ride itself.
- Donation$
- Participants! We can never have too many. Invite all your friends!
- More event supporters, donations, and endorsements from local businesses and non-profits.
What to bring:
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- A suggested sliding scale donation from $5-$10 (cash only please) is accepted at the event. This "love donation" is to help pay for our larger WNBR events for permits, promotional expenses and sound system rental equipment. Help prevent the event coordinators and artists from going broke! They need your help! Do not give your money to suspicious people asking for it. There was one report of a lady last year going around collecting money, saying it was for WNBR, and the organizers never saw a dime of it. Please remember that WNBR is generated 100% by volunteer efforts and your participation and contributions are an integral part. Daniel Johnson will be collecting money for this mini ride.
- Water for the ride (we don't want you to die). At least one bottle, preferably two. Expect to ride about 2 hrs or so including at least two moderate hills.
- If bodypainting please use NON-TOXIC bodypaint (we use non toxic textile/fabric paper printing ink, and then dilute it with water depending on thinness desired). Do not dilute the original paint containers, use a separate container to mix and dilute your paints! You can buy this paint at
Artist & Craftsman Supply <http://artistcraftsman.com> or
University Bookstore Seattle <http://www.bookstore.washington.edu>
***NOTE*** Unlike our Main WNBR events we ask you NOT to get painted while naked at this startup location.
- Inexpensive foam brushes are favorites for applying the paint in broad strokes.
- Ben Nye Final Seal spray if you want it to stay on after being in the water. Display and Costume sells this. You can buy this at
Pacific Northwest Theatre Associates <http://www.pnta.com> or
Costume & Display <http://www.displaycostume.com>
- Sunscreen (several people reported burns last year, facial/waterproof sunscreen is recommended if you want some on the face without being blinded by it dripping into your eyes). Put on the sunscreen FIRST then allow it to dry a bit before putting on sunscreen.
- a "minimum" to wear if necessary, shorts shirt whatever (PLEASE bring it with you on the ride). Don't assume you won't want to use it. You can stow it in a plastic bag and attach it to your bicycle. You never know if your bicycle will fail and we can't throw you and your bike on our backs and bring you with us.
- any food you may want for the ride.
- your mutant cycling vehicle (be sure to check it and ride it to make sure it is safe and problem-free before the ride). Be prepared to deal with a flat tire. Ride will probably not stop to help fix your bike (another reason to bring a "minimum" with you to cover up). Bike decorations are highly encouraged, just make sure they are safe and secure for the ride.
- A bike lock will come in handy, you might want to bike a lockup buddy to lock your bike up to if there is no rack available at any given stop.
- your helmet, avoid a $30 fine for not having one.
- footwear of some kind
- your creativity, a non-antagonistic, fun-loving attitude and common sense when it comes to respecting peoples' personal space and ride safety.
The After-Ride Party
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This ride is very last minute, feel free to suggest a place!
Photography Policy
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For this Mini Ride event we ask people to please limit their photography until people more or less start cycling around and are getting ready to leave. There will be no bodypainting areas or leaflets distributed for this mini-ride.
Seattle WNBR event has adopted a photography policy which
- Prohibits photography taking place close than 15 feet from subjects.
- Prohibits photography inside body painting tent areas without permission from those getting painted.
This policy is intended to curtail any inconsiderate photography which might otherwise take place. We wish to create a safe and supportive environment for all riders. All photographers and videographers present at the ride must abide by this policy. Those who do not will be asked to leave the WNBR event area. This INCLUDES any riders or press who take photos.
To ensure that this policy is clear to all present, it will appear on leaflets distributed at the event.
If you are attending the ride as a photographer, we would like to remind you that the there are various points along the route which feature particularly striking backgrounds for photos of the ride. Photographers are encouraged to give out contact info on small cards to those who ask.
Riders and supporters are actively encouraged to enforce these policies. Please report any problems with photographers to ride organizers.
If it makes you uncomfortable, let the photographers know that they don't have permission to photograph you. Keep in mind however that this is a public event and you are in a public park. That does not give people the right to be disrespectful or to harass you with their photography. Also, let other riders know this so they can tell photographers not to photograph you. Another approach is to keep your clothes on during the first bit of the ride, and take them off after you have left the assembly point. We recommend this approach too. Both of these approaches will cut down on photographs taken at the start of the ride, but it's not really possible to stop people from photographing during the ride.
WNBR local events often do have a documentary team taking pictures and video, but they are generally very considerate people and will try to keep your best wishes in mind as much as possible. You can see many of their images on this website and on WNBR-generated media, which is sometimes shared with other non-profit progressive groups.
There are also those who are at the event to use the images for other reasons, and you won't know without asking. If someone is being aggressive, acting suspiciously, or making you feel uncomfortable please tell a WNBR team coordinator or someone who can confront them and tell them to back off a bit and give people personal space. People need to understand the positive message of WNBR and understand that part of respecting each others' bodies is giving each other enough personal space to be comfortable, this is especially important for those that have never been naked in front of strangers or in public before. They have their own issues they are dealing with and aggressive gawking or unwanted exposure adds an additional unwanted complication to their experience. So speak up!
How to avoid trouble
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Have fun, be enthustiastic, be safe, and WNBR's message will speak for itself. Here are some guidelines for people who need clarfication on expectations of behavior and safety during the event:
(1) Don't be an idiot. Use common sense. Remember all those lessons that you picked up in grade school about appropriate social conduct.
(2) Follow the golden rule. Treat others as you want to be treated.
(3) Bicycle safely and be polite and exercise caution around any people. Do not bicycle near anybody laying on the beach. Be vocal and polite when passing. Always keep a respectable and responsible distance from people for safety and for personal comfort levels.
(4) Do not be "obscene". Nude is not lewd - mind your manners! Humans are sexual beings, but being naked is not an indication or an invitation for overt sexual behavior.
Respect peoples' bodies and their personal space. Sexual harassment, creepy or predatory behavior or abusive language will not be tolerated and we will either ask you to leave or we will summon the police.
While there is nothing in the Seattle Municipal Code about nudity and expectations of behavior, Washington State does have a law protecting against "obscene" behavior while being fully or partially naked. This law is intended to protect citizens against unwanted lewd behavior:
RCW 9A.88.010
Indecent exposure.
(1) A person is guilty of indecent exposure if he or she intentionally makes any open and obscene exposure of his or her person or the person of another knowing that such conduct is likely to cause reasonable affront or alarm. The act of breastfeeding or expressing breast milk is not indecent exposure.
Any Questions?
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If after reading this confirmation notice you have further questions,
we kindly suggest that you check the extensive FAQ (Frequently Answered
Questions) section of our website and then if questions remain, please
send us an email. We will try to answer your e-mail but no guarantees as we are very overloaded at them moment.
We look forward to your participation on Saturday!
Cheers!
Daniel Johnson
World Naked Bike Ride Seattle 2005 Team
http://worldnakedbikeride.org/seattle/
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Subject: World Naked Bike Ride Seattle Autumnal Equinox Mini Ride - Sat, Sept. 24, 2005 1:30 PM
From: The Work Less Party and The Rainbow Party
Date: Sept 22, 2005 (two days before the ride)
Contact & General Info:
Global Event Website: http://worldnakedbikeride.org
Seattle Interviews - Daniel Johnson e-mail: ******
Seattle website: http://worldnakedbikeride.org/seattle/
You've heard of the legendary painted naked cyclists of the Summer Solstice Parade... now Seattle will stage its fourth naked bike ride in 2005* to usher in the Autumn season and to celebrate a successful summer of funky cycling events! Introducing the
World Naked Bike Ride Seattle Autumnal Equinox Mini Ride!
On September 24th we will 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. Stop indecent exposure to automobile emissions! Protest oil dependency and celebrate the power and individuality of our bodies! Join us and ride as Bare as You Dare!
This third Seattle WNBR will be a stripped-down version of the last two larger WNBR events and will feature a new riding experience for participants as they ride from Myrtle Edwards Park to Discovery Park's North Beach, enjoying beautiful views of the Olympic Mountains for much of the ride. While this Mini Ride will not have a Pre-ride Party with DJs, our trademark Bodypainting Village and catering of our larger ride, participants are encouraged to express themselves creatively and host bodypainting/bike-decorating/costuming parties ahead of event, which is tentatively scheduled for the afternoon (See web site for details as the event approaches).
More information
The theme for WNBR Seattle 2005 Autumnal Equinox Mini Ride is Renewal and Renewable Resources, celebrating the transition towards a future free from oil-dependency and body-negative culture. This is the second event in the US for both The Work Less Party and The Rainbow Party.
The ride aims to bring more awareness to sharing the road with cyclists, the need to fix specific local deathtraps encountered by cyclists, and to promote a general culture of walkable, bicycle-friendly communities. The Seattle ride also wishes to promote accessible, family-friendly, clothing-optional areas on local beaches, reflecting the increasingly culturally-diverse and body-positive population of the region. For more info visit:
http://worldnakedbikeride.org/seattle/
Endorsements:
http://www.worldnakedbikeride.org/resources/endorsements.html
Background of event organizers:
The Work Less Party (http://worklessparty.org) focuses on changing society to devote less time to production and consumption, and more time to the things that matter most, like the arts, culture, family, and community. The party promotes the 32-hour, reduced work week to help meet this vision.
The Rainbow Party (http://rainbowparty.us) represents a full spectrum of progressive politics and culture. The focus is on promoting hate-free creative expression; vegan living; culture-jamming; electoral reform; body-positive culture; and sustainable, healthy, organic living.
Ends
* The three preceding 2005 Seattle naked cycling events include World Naked Bike Ride Seattle 2005 (June 11th), the painted naked cyclists of the 2005 Summer Solstice Parade (June 18th - featuring ~160 riders!), and the premiere of the First Annual Body Pride Ride at the 2005 Seattle Gay Pride Parade (June 26th). In addition to ongoing monthly Critical Mass rides ( http://scrimass.org ), 2005 marked the First Annual Independence From Oil Day Parade (July 3rd http://independencefromoil.org ) and the emergence of the Ghostcycle project ( http://ghostcycle.org ) raising awareness of cyclists on the streets with evocative installations around the city.
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