i heart austin

this was an article from the austin american statesman this morning:

So just what does it feel like to get on a bicycle and fly through the city streets without a stitch of clothes on?

"It's liberating; it's an adrenaline rush," swears Michael Bluejay, a local bicycling and nudity enthusiast. "It's not an exhibitionism thing, but you're testing the law, and you're also testing people's reaction to it."

Like any city with a healthy counterculture, Austin has had its share of spontaneous, guerrilla naked bike rides, often a smallish group of riders ditching the bondage of clothing and streaking through South Austin or the University of Texas area. But on Saturday, Austin will join a dozen or so cities around the globe in the World Naked Bike Ride, an event that is as much about protesting oil dependence and the war in Iraq as it is about celebrating the freedom of biking in the buff.

By Internet and flier, the call has been put out to potential naked riders to meet at Wheatsville Co-op north of the UT campus for the 5 p.m. ride. Ride organizers aren't disclosing the route, hoping to keep gawkers and unwelcome photographers to a minimum.

While this will be Austin's first foray into organized naked riding, cities such as Seattle and Vancouver have been seeing such events for years. The World Naked Bike Ride began with a ride in Zaragoza, Spain, in 2001, when Spaniards protested dependence on cars and construction of new highways. Last year, 250 riders, many of them nude, pedaled through the city before jumping into a public water fountain.

Local riders and nudists decided it was time for Austin, which has no local public nudity laws, to get in the mix. "Is there something inherently wrong with the body we were given at birth?" asked Steve Bosbach, spokesman for the Hill Country Nudists group, in an e-mail. "There are no sexual connections in this ride, and we are not exhibitionists out for a thrill. We are no different than anyone else, except we have experienced the exhilaration of feeling the wind on our skin and the utter sense of freedom from the constraints of textile coverings in the hot summer."

If it sounds like your cup of tea, veteran naked bicycle riders say there are a couple of things to keep in mind to stay on the right side of the law. State law prohibits "recklessly" exposing the genitals or the anus in public, but doesn't take a position on biking topless. Bluejay suggests wearing a thong to stay safe, and bodypainting is another option for riders who want to feel clothed while being naked.

The Austin Police Department says it's aware of the ride and is "monitoring" it, but if history is a guide, topless riding shouldn't land anyone in jail. In 2002, Austin police announced plans to arrest women who bared their breasts during Mardi Gras, but backed down after getting a legal opinion from the city's lawyers.

"I would hope law enforcement would see this as an expression of closely held sentiment," said Bob Morton, executive director of the Naturist Action Committee, which lobbies for clothing-optional rights from its Manchaca headquarters. "It should be protected expression."

At the same time, if riders were to start a disturbance with their nudity, they could be arrested for disorderly conduct.

"The law is not black and white, but there's no question wearing a thong is the only thing you need to keep you on the side of the law," Bluejay said.

And as far as comfort goes, veteran naked riders say naked tushies have nothing to fear from a bike seat. "You just have to trust me, it's not an issue," Bluejay said. "I wrap a shirt around the bike seat and don't really worry about it."

Naked riders are expecting a supportive reception from Austinites and are counting on their legendary tolerance. "Most of us have been naked and most of us have seen another naked human being and haven't received trauma as a result," Bluejay said.

Said Bosbach: "There is simply no evidence from any research anywhere that viewing the human form in its natural state results in anything but a smile."

Smile away, Austin.