Nudists Flock To Oregon

Naked volleyball will accompany defense strategy on the agenda of a national nudist convention this week in the Cascade foothills of Oregon.

Some 1,000 people are attending the American Association for Nude Recreation's meeting. At the convention, the lifestyle choice is not only accepted, but individuals are encouraged to take their celebrations of nudity to new heights.

Concerned with more than just fun and games, conventioneers want to fatten up their legal fund, which has been depleted by an increasing number of court battles against laws cracking down on nudity.

Based in Kissimmee, Fla., with more than 50,000 members, the association has a legal defense fund as well as a government affairs division to deal with all the ordinances they need to follow.

Nudist groups are exposed to a whole range of possible legal problems, such as city laws regulating the consumption of alcohol at strip clubs or ordinances preventing teens from getting into adult businesses.

Many cities, such as San Diego, which used to tolerate it, are also beginning to crack down on nudity by enforcing decades-old bans on beach nudity.

The group took another black eye last month when the FBI arrested the man suspected of killing three sightseers at Yosemite National Park. Suspect Cary Stayner was arrested at a nudist colony near Wilton, Calif.

The association says its membership rolls have grown dramatically over the last ten years, by 76 percent. The group has chapters in every state except Alaska.