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The Naked Swim (In School)
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The Naked Swim
Here I am at 14, in the worst suit of all time. Orrin’s on the left in
the fashionable sports jacket ensemble.
It was 1974 . President Nixon was still in the White House. Hank Aaron
broke Babe Ruth’s home run record. All in the Family was the #1 TV
show.
I was in Middle School. It was The Awkward Years.
The part we all dreaded was swim class. Incredibly, all boys took
swimming classes naked, an enforced rule due to the different
standards of the time. This naked swimming practice wasn’t just in
public schools, it was widespread: in Boy Scouts, Summer Camps and
YMCAs. It was even going on in Europe and I’m sure all over the world.
The people in charge gave us the reasons to swim naked, but there was
one lingering question. Why were girls allowed to wear bathing suits
and not us?
Naked swimming did teach us about hygiene, something that seems to be
sorely lacking in today’s schools, and being comfortable in our own
skin. But did this institutionalized practice of parading adolescent
boys around naked do more harm than good?
I got invaluable help in creating this episode by several of my old
classmates who emailed me their Eyewitness Accounts.
If you went through something similar like gym horror stories or bad
coaches, please post your stories and comments. Please, no names!
We ask you to support Its Jerry Time by visiting our store and picking
up our brand new soundtrack album, which includes the themes from all
our episodes, including “The Naked Swim.”
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111 Comments on “The Naked Swim”
1.
It’s JerryTime! » Blog Archive » NEW: THE NAKED SWIM Says:
April 25, 2007 at 25:24 pm
[...] on The Blogincluding eyewitness [...]
Reply
2.
Shraga Says:
April 25, 2007 at 25:47 pm
Well, I’m glad that someone finally raised this issue in a
serious way. I too was subjected to the naked-swim tortures. When I
was 13, I had a hernia operation which left a bright red scar near my
private parts. It was simply something I didn’t want to be sharing
with 30 other boys. So I went to Mr. D…, our swimming instructor,
explained the situation and asked to be excused from swimming for a
few months until things healed. He said, “Aw c’mon, it can’t be that
bad. Drop your pants and let’s take a look!” So I naively did. And he
said, “Aw, it’s nothing. You are NOT excused!” So I spent the next few
months in swim class, trying to hold up various objects in front of my
private parts to protect the view. Naked swimming — it was
institutional psychosis. Thanks, Jerry, for providing this therapy
forum.
Reply
3.
Norm Says:
April 27, 2007 at 27:34 pm
When I was in high school we had a gym teacher- He was supposed
to have been a former Mr. Universe or something, with huge arms and a
pickled face. He always carried this clipboard around, and was pretty
sadistic. He ran us miles and miles, until we dropped. As in Jerry’s
class, we too had to stand out in the cold, no matter what the season.
I remember many times having to run in the freezing, early morning
rain — all of us shivering and soaked to he bone — wearing only our T-
shirts, shorts, socks & shoes.
Reply
4.
Savage Says:
May 1, 2007 at 01:27 am
You know the first Olympics was all naked. I guess they were
extra careful when running the relay race when handing off the baton.
It was this sort of thing we’d always joke about as kids while
at track & fields meets.
Reply
5.
Harold Says:
May 11, 2007 at 11:34 pm
I am 69 years old. I graduated from Eugene High School in 1955,
and that Fall I began attending the University of Oregon in Eugene. At
that time, one could NOT graduate with a degree (4 years) WITHOUT
PROOF that he or she could swim! One either took a swimming test to
prove that they could swim, or took swimming for PE one term. Now I
grew up using the neighborhood skinny dipping hole in a “backwater” of
the Willamette River, but I had never really become a good swimmer. So
the very first term in college I took swimming for PE, to get that
requirement for graduation “out of the way.” And it was required that
we swim nude. No reason was ever given. Since I had grown up skinny
dipping with the neighborhood boys and girls, I was “OK” with the nude
swimming PE class UNTIL it was time to learn to dive from the diving
board. Somehow, being up there on the diving board nude, for all to
see, made me VERY uncomfortable. Looking back, I can’t help but
“wonder” about the teacher’s hands-on
showing me how to move my legs for swimming. At any rate,
I learned how to dive from the diving board nude, and passed
the PE swimming class to prove that I could swim, and did
graduate from the University of Oregon after completing all other
requirements
Reply
6.
Carl Isaacson Says:
May 12, 2007 at 12:34 am
It was the early to mid 1960′s at Chicago’s Albert G. Lane
Technical High School. The embarassments included bare assed swims in
a very cold pool (which proved to me that all boys are created equal,
if the temperature is cold enough.
It was an all boys high school, so we didn’t have to suffer the
fear of being surprised by teenaged girls. But it was the end of the
Brylcreme era, so we had to shower all the grease out of the hair
before we got into the pool. The gym teacher had upper class lifeguard
(who got to wear trunks) and members of the swim team at the entrance
to the pool making sure we didn’t make an oil slick in the deep end.
In addition to being obsessed with making us swim nude (Johnny
Weismueller had swum in this pool in this state some thirty years
before us and who did we think we were to object), at least one of the
gym teachers was obsessed by jock straps. He did regular checks,
pulling the waistband up from behind. It wasn’t a wedgie, it was much
more painful, as your testicles attempted to ascend back into a place
of safety and warmth.
Reply
7.
Jimmy CraicHead Says:
May 19, 2007 at 19:52 pm
Damn, we must be about the same age…1974 was also the year the
Ramones started, told to me by Johnny Ramone himself may he RIP!
Reply
8.
Cosmos Says:
May 20, 2007 at 20:10 am
Back when I was in HS we also had horrible times with swimming.
We weren’t swimming nude at all because it was co-ed gym class,
but the suits that we were forced to wear were either way too tight,
or way too loose. And appeared to be from the 40′s and a faded brown
color.
I remember we would all wind up fighting over the baggy trunks
and I actually came out in a victory getting a pair. After class when
I went to my locker to get dressed I noticed that the pull string
somehow got in a knot … and it was a seriously tough knot at that. I
spent several moments trying to get it untied in a panic not even
having enough time to towel myself off.
I was already late for my next class, and I had enough, so I
managed to grab an old key from my bag and tried to saw through the
thick rope like drawstring. Finally getting it off I threw it to the
side, got dressed, and began running to my next class that just
happened to be across the street in another building…. during winter…
and I was hardly dry.
Needless to say I was frozen stiff.
Reply
9.
torkeyes 24 Says:
June 21, 2007 at 21:32 pm
:P
Reply
10.
ray Says:
June 22, 2007 at 22:20 am
Parkland HS, 1976 Orefield,PA checking in
Reply
11.
IT’S JERRY TIME!: THE NAKED SWIM at United Vloggers Says:
July 4, 2007 at 04:47 pm
[...] revlogging their latest opus (read what Jerry writes about
his naked swim trauma by CLICKING HERE) we present you a RED CARPET
INTERVIEW with Jerry just before the award ceremonies. And of course
[...]
Reply
12.
Jerry Villella Says:
August 7, 2007 at 07:47 pm
We did the naked swim at Cathedral Prep High School in Erie, PA
back in the early 70′s. The pool and the air temperature were always
very cold, as I recall. It’s an all-boys Catholic school, and they
told us we couldn’t wear trunks because we would probably leave them
in the lockers and contaminate the pool water with cumulative mold.
Funny, they didn’t have any problem doing a mass search of our regular
lockers whenever they felt like it, but making the janitor sweep
through the gym lockers after swim class was too much! They eventually
allowed trunks, some time after I graduated.
Reply
13.
old monkey Says:
August 30, 2007 at 30:33 am
I actually prefer to swim naked.
Reply
14.
Rob Says:
September 11, 2007 at 11:32 pm
I live in Australia, and although I don’t remember their ever
being a culture of nudie gym class swims, as a kid I think although I
would’ve preferred not to go nude I wouldn’t have a huge problem with
it. Makes you think though, as their is probably no nationwide US gym
class instructors nude-boy watching conspiracy, they really have no
reason to enforce boys to go nude swimming.
Reply
15.
Mike Says:
September 18, 2007 at 18:50 am
Jerry, you brough back some painful memories. We also got
‘invaded” by the girls swim class, in their swimsuits, us bareass (and
barefront) It was humiliating to ask any of the girls on a date, since
they all had already ‘seen all of our goods” LOL…
Reply
16.
Mike Says:
September 19, 2007 at 19:10 am
Jerry, and lets not forget the decision of school authorities to
have doorless and or stall-less toilets in the boys bathrooms. Girls
always had locking doors, and seemed fascinated to walk into the boys
bathrooms after lunch, knowing they would catch us sitting on the
toilets relieving ourselves. Female teachers also felt they had a free
pass to walk in and ‘check for smokers” whenever they wanted. Talk
about embarrasing ……………
Reply
17.
Jerry Says:
September 28, 2007 at 28:39 pm
Gambatte, Mike! Which is Japanese for “persevere, never give
up.” Jerry
Reply
18.
Mike Says:
October 4, 2007 at 04:53 am
Jerry….how does that pertain to anything?
Reply
19.
Mike Says:
October 4, 2007 at 04:54 am
LOL
Reply
20.
Rick S. Says:
October 10, 2007 at 10:27 pm
The Jr. High School I attended in Massachusetts (1968-1969) was
so old (1880′s) that it didn’t have a functional gymnasium. So the 8th
grade boys would take their weekly 2 hour PE class at the YMCA
gymnasium down the street.(This was pre-Title IX, so the girls could
still take their class on the playground during spring and fall and
take an indoor “health” class during the winter, as did all 7th
graders.
Every third week, after changing from our school clothes to
regulation gym shorts, T-Shirts and sneakers, and having 30 min. of
exercise in the gym, we would have an hour of swimming in the Y’s
pool. Although we had heard from older students that we would all have
to be nude for this part of our class, I can still remember being
quite surprised the first day when the teacher announced at the end of
exercise: “Go downstairs to your lockers, take off all of your
clothes, and line up at the entrance to the shower room.”
So along with 25 classmates, I stripped naked, lined up and
waited until we were told to walk beneath a running shower to rinse
off before walking down a corridor to the pool deck. We did as we were
told, and no one questioned why. To me, it kind of made sense: why go
to the trouble of bringing a bathing suit, and then have to carry it
around while wet all day, when all that inconvenience could be avoided
by going into the pool without any clothing.
It was all completely innocent. As far as I know, no one felt
uncomfortable. For a few weeks prior, we had been required to take a
group shower in an open communal shower room after gym class, so we
were already accustomed to being nude in each other’s presence. It
actually felt liberating to be able to engage in an activity without
clothing. The only uneasiness I recall had nothing to do with being
nude per se, but rather related to the fact that I had reached puberty
much earlier than almost all of my classmates, so I stood out as
different having fully grown pubic hair.
Reply
21.
Callista Says:
October 30, 2007 at 30:02 am
Wow. I’m suddenly glad to have been growing up in the nearer
present time. O.o When I was in school, by law the coaches couldn’t
even force us to shower since it was a communal shower – they can’t
force us to strip for any reason, unless official police strip
searchers are present. No coach would even dare to say we had to –
doing so would risk a sexual harrassment lawsuit.
Reply
22.
Jim Says:
November 3, 2007 at 03:26 pm
We had naked swimming in our Junior Highchool in Edina,
Minnesota. This was F**** UP, our gym teacher in this day and age
would have been put in prison for a very very long sentence. He was
truly an old pervert, who should have never been teaching gym classes
to young boys. Today, the High School pool in Edina Minnesota is named
in honor of this f***. If I saw him today, he’s already dead, I’d
punch square in the jaw and know his lights out. That F***@^&%!!!
Reply
*
Anne Says:
April 29, 2010 at 29:59 pm
These nude swimming classes for boys was the dirty little
secret of American educational system. I can’t believe none of the
parents ever complained about this barbaric practice imposed on their
sons. My 2 brothers went through this ordeal and even as a kid I
thought this practice was an outrage. When they told me they had to
take swim class in the nude, I couldn’t believe it, I was shocked.
When I asked why, everyone just said that’s what was done…oh well.
This must have mentally scarred lots of young boys.
Reply
o
Kevin Says:
February 27, 2011 at 27:28 am
Yes, it did.
It was 42 years ago, and I still remember it as
humiliating and degrading and I still burn with anger over those
memories.
23.
sportsbug Says:
November 20, 2007 at 20:51 am
swimming nude healthy and refreshing!!! Just gotta get used to
being nude. Will help bring your school grades up.
Reply
24.
FRE Says:
November 24, 2007 at 24:27 am
When I was in middle school and high school in the 1950s, we
were required to swim nude and take communal showers. The same was
true at YMCAs. At the University of MN in 1957, all new students were
required to submit to physical examinations and had to wait around
nude. At that time, a boy who was uncomfortable with being nude with
other boys was assumed to have serious mental problems. I hid the fact
that I was uncomfortable for that reason.
Nudity should be optional and there should be provision for
those who are uncomfortable with it.
Reply
25.
freeberg Says:
December 17, 2007 at 17:07 pm
I also attended Lane H.S. in Chicago, graduating in 1971. There
was plenty of nervous tension about attending Lane knowing we were
required to swim naked. Fortunately I had pubic hair and had developed
some as many other 14 years olds do. Once we finally took the plunge,
so to speak, we had to undress in a locker room, then take a communal
shower and finally be inspected by the lifeguards who, by the way,
were allowed to wear swim suits.
Once together however the naked part was soon overlooked and in
fact I would actually feel sorry for the few 14 year olds that hadn’t
started puberty, at all…….with their baby soft smooth bodies and
little equipment, lol.
Reply
26.
Wiley Says:
December 29, 2007 at 29:29 pm
i was in the 8th grade. i had changed schools. in the 7th grade
i didn’t play n e football or n e thing. my new class mates talked me
into playing football with them, so on the first day of my football
practice, after practice i kept my tidy whities on and the coach made
me take them off so i could take a shower with the other boys. it was
the next to last class and he didn’t want me to go to my last class
stkinkin’. after the first day, i was used to it an’ it didn’t bother
me n e.
Reply
27.
Donny Says:
December 31, 2007 at 31:47 am
I was in 7th grade in the 70s and I swam nude for 12 weeks with
50 class mates. After the first few days it was not a big deal except
at least once a week one of the female gym teachers would come into
the pool area to get a look.
Reply
28.
Steve Says:
January 9, 2008 at 09:02 pm
Heritage High School, Littleton, CO. 10th grade, 1972. New high
school, new swimming pool. I hated PE anyway. And I didn’t know how to
swim. There was some new requirement with the new school that everyone
had to take a swimming class. All PE-classes were single-sex, except
that the swim classes were co-ed, I guess to make better use of the
facilities. Anyway, I took a beginning-swimming class. The class was
full(crowded) of students that already knew how to swim and was taking
a beginning-level because it was “easier” (The following year, you
couldn’t get into the beginning class unless you could prove you
couldn’t swim!). I was one of two boys in the class that absolutely
couldn’t swim. The woman coach they had teaching the class didn’t have
time to teach the two of us to swim becuase the class was too full. So
the two of us were put into the charge of the student-assistant. The
other guy learned to swim. I showed up in my swimsuit everyday, and
stood in a corner of the shallow end of the pool. For that, I got the
passing grade of “C”. All the boys wore nearly identical dark blue
swim trunks that were about like white briefs(underwear) in cut. To
this day, I can’t swim. The showers were communal. I hear that these
days, because of some Title IX requirement for equal PE instruction,
all PE classes are co-ed, and many of the contact-sports have been
eliminated.
Reply
29.
pissed off Says:
January 27, 2008 at 27:13 pm
I had a ymca membership after getting my first permanent f/t job
so I could to weight training. that way I wouldnt get bullied anymore.
it worked.
I could never ever ever ever ever figure out why the fuk swim
trunks were banned. so I stopped using the pool time and only went
when it was mixed gender and trunks were mandatory.
Reply
30.
Allen C Says:
February 24, 2008 at 24:35 pm
I also attended Lane Tech in Chicago in the late 60′s. All swim
classes were in the nude and I also loved to go to the local “Y” to
swim on Saturday. The “Y” was a no suit venue too. I guess that I
never thought about why did we need to be nude.d
Reply
31.
boe Says:
February 26, 2008 at 26:34 am
i was in the boy scouts in the 70′s and on a field trip to a
forest we camped on a river and swam and played naked all day now that
im older i think that our scout leader was a pedofile but i wasnt
touched or seen anyone molested but he sure liked us naked i didnt
mind after all we all have the same parts and its only flesh and i got
a great tan
Reply
32.
Fernwall Says:
February 26, 2008 at 26:57 pm
I had nude swimming in senior high. I took junior high in
another district and had gym class where the teacher made syre we had
the right color. The summer after I graduated high school I visited
Europe and spent time on a nude beach in Denmark. It was just like any
beach except most were nude. What is with the big stink in this
country over skinny dipping? Sides, if you are going to marry somebody
both of you should be nude before so you know what you are getting.
Reply
33.
frank benson Says:
March 1, 2008 at 01:29 pm
I did the nude swimming in gym class. It was 1970-1973 in a
suburban Chicago high school. At first I was very scared
because I was afraid of getting beaten up, or worse, by the
older kids. I started high school early, and I was physically immature
at about 4’10′ and 87 pounds. I was also very apprehensive about the
prospect of corporal punishment as the swim class would be the worst
possible time for it. It turned out okay. The older kids left freshman
alone, and the coach was sympathetic to our insecurities and did what
he could to smooth things over. It was eventually a liberating feeling
to swim nude without any fear or carnal self-consciousness.
Reply
34.
john Says:
March 13, 2008 at 13:46 am
Actually, I did not really take pe naked. however, If i had
forgotenned to wear my pe attire that day(it happens most of the
time), I was made to take pe naked and mine was a mix school! how
humuliating. Sometimes , I got caning by my parents the day before
usually 5 – 7 srtokes. However, there was once i did somethng real
bad , and I was caned countless times until my skin tore. It bled.
Afterwhich, I was not allowed to redress.(i was naked) I was made to
stand outside the door of my house and do pushups . How my ass really
hurt.
Reply
35.
ray Says:
April 4, 2008 at 04:28 pm
1968-69 …Thacker Junior High School in Des Plaines Illinois was
the scene of my naked swimming experience. It was weird at the time,
but the creepiness factor has increased substantially as times have
changed and I now look back. If our coach “Coach K” observed any
horseplay, he would have us come out of the pool, stand on the edge,
and plant a “rose” on our ass…basically his handprint. Pretty
unbelievable. I now wonder about whether he got any thrills out of
this.
Fortunately, we moved to our newly built school in eighth grade
which thankfully did not have an indoor pool.
Reply
*
JJ Says:
January 30, 2010 at 30:54 am
I was at Thacker also – 1958-1960 – The “rose tatoo” was a
well established custom. Always wondered why the coach was allowed to
wear a suit….
Reply
*
bruce btw Says:
November 22, 2010 at 22:28 am
The nude swimming documentary on yu tube talks about how a
coach contrived a scenario for all the boys in a nude swimming class
at a Houston middle school to get the paddle on the bare butt.
Seems to me like some coaches had more on their minds than
sports! I cannot say for sure if, after all these years, some of the
gym teachers or swim coaches at my school did not have an unhealthy
obsession with teen guys and their bodies. I was certainly not
paddled, and I would have quit the school and left school grounds if
any teacher or admin. thought he was going to paddle me. Not in the
pool or anywhere else.
Reply
36.
james gavin Says:
April 10, 2008 at 10:23 am
Catholic schools in the 70s were oppressive in many ways.
Required p.e. showers, required gym “jockey” straps, slaps to
the face,
required swimming in the buff, forced work with no pay to take
down chairs after Bingo, etc. Not to mention “the paddle” at about 2.5
feet long and 6″ wide with 30-35 airholes, made of oak. Maybe I was
bicurious or just an exhibitionist, but I had no problem at all with
swim class, not even when I had paddlewelts on my keyster and got
teased about it. I liked girls, but the thought of 30-35 athletic,
tanned classmates swimming in the buff together had an attraction all
its own. But it was innocent, not sexual. Some of the coaches may have
been ephebophiles, but if they were they did not use corporal
punishment nearly as often as they could have.
Reply
37.
SHAWN Says:
April 12, 2008 at 12:29 am
I am not really sure of this subject matter; but swimming naked,
i think was to get the male population to get ready for WAR. The point
was to shape the male to feel comfortable in close quarter situations.
To rid the male of this discomfort would enable the highest percent of
survive due to hygiene.
Reply
38.
ITS JERRY TIME!: THE NAKED SWIM at United Vloggers Says:
April 22, 2008 at 22:43 pm
[...] revlogging their latest opus (read what Jerry writes about
his naked swim trauma by CLICKING HERE) we present you a special page
where you’ll find a Red Carpet Interview with Jerry just [...]
Reply
39.
Ferd Harbohl Says:
May 3, 2008 at 03:00 pm
I had swimming in gym and the clothing code was we could wear
whatever. I did it in jock whereas everybody did it in speedo or girls
panties. There was an exception. We had water polo and half the guys
were “skins” which meant wear nothing. The last day the coach promised
a surprise. First the whole class was told to strip and then some of
the girls ran though and screamed while looking at us. Turned out the
girls’ class had girls that wanted to look so they had talked the
teacher into letting them streak and making us strip for the girls.
Several girls went into the cage nude. They handed out the towels
while watching the showers. There were a few woodies and the girls let
us know that they knew.
Reply
*
amel bliss Says:
November 4, 2010 at 04:54 pm
dear Ferd
Could you expain in a little more detail.Were the girls
naked?How many?What was the aftermath of this?Thanks Amel
Reply
40.
ghfgh Says:
May 8, 2008 at 08:05 pm
fhfgh
Reply
41.
j9howard Says:
May 14, 2008 at 14:56 am
I swim laps in a pool several times a week and wish I could swim
naked. I swim about five hours per week. I grew up in the 50′s and
60′s when all the YMCAs required naked swim. I also went to a boy’s
camp in New Hampshire that occaisionally woke everybody up and forced
everyone to skinnydip in the lake at night which was horrible. Other
than that involuntary experience, swimming naked is the way to go.
This country is so uptight about the silliest things. If there was
legalized, community skinnydipping maybe there would be less mass
murdering.
Reply
42.
mackenzie Says:
May 24, 2008 at 24:11 pm
eww eww ewww ewww eww
Reply
43.
Dr Dan Izzo Says:
May 25, 2008 at 25:25 am
BLAME IT ON ORGANIZED NUDITY
THE MORAL EROSION OF AMERICA:
WHY DID AMERICA FROM THE 1950S – 1970S FORCE BOYS TO SWIM
NAKED ?
It was the Communists , in The Communist Manifesto
( a crime manual ) here is a quote from the Communist Manifesto:
” The Manifesto suggested a course of action for a proletarian
(working class) revolution to overthrow the bourgeois social order and
to eventually bring about a classless and stateless society, and the
abolition of private property. ”
Well it worked, America is NOT going to be a Super Power for
much longer, because of this bad policy..countries like Iran will
develope WMD at a faster rate, and because America brain froze its
thinking class , we’ll be passive and allow these criminals to streal
top secret 75 year COPYRIGHT PROTECTED Data..even the A Bomb is United
States Priority Date still.
Somehow the CIA through project Bluelbird ordered Schools to
Force Students into Organized Nudity to Brain Freeze them.,
maybe under the idea that America would soon be leaving the
Silver Standard and by Brain Freezing Students through organized
nudity , civilization would accept valueless paper money as we have
been since 1969-1970.
somehow the Communists Bribed the CIA through project
Bluelbird , to force and degrade the thinking ability of America’s
children:
here’s a quote from Wikipedia on Project Bluelbird
” BLUEBIRD was the cryptonym for a CIA program involving special
interrogation methods, including the use of drugs, hypnosis,[1] and
isolation. It lasted from 1949 to 1950 when it was renamed
“ARTICHOKE”, and would eventually become the infamous MKULTRA.
Responsibility for the project mainly lay with the Office of
Scientific Intelligence. ”
The FBI’s J Edgar Hoover should have done something more to stop
the Abuse of America’s children , even Psychoanalyssi education would
ahve helped prevent the moral decay of the United States.
NOTICE THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL IS THE NEED FOR FOOD.
Reply
*
amel bliss Says:
November 4, 2010 at 04:00 pm
Dr Dan How can you explain that the Communist
forbad nudity in their own countries but insisted on it
here.And did you know that it is the left wing of this country that
has taken away nude swimming both in schools and any other place where
they have absolute power.
I am an avid Anti-Communist
Reply
44.
Jerry G. Says:
June 11, 2008 at 11:05 pm
I swam at 5:30 AM in a private club with an outdoor pool. Often
I was the only one there. One morning I thought my swim suit was too
tight, so I looked around in the dark, saw no one and, and took it
off. There was a running track around the club which ran by the pool.
On rainy days I knew there would be no runners, so I looked forward to
those days. One morning I was able to swim 10 laps nude before I lost
my nerve and put my suit back on. Later, I was swimming without my
suit and sensed someone coming to the pool in the dark. It was a young
married woman I’d spoken to off and on. She had been a competitive
swimmer at UCLA. When I got to the end of the pool I immediately began
swimming to the other end, where I’d left my suit. When I returned to
the other end (clothed) she said that I had really gained some speed.
I told her that there was a reason for it–that I wasn’t wearing a
suit. She said only “Whatever works fo you–do it!”
On another morning I heard a female voice say “OK, put your suit
on!” and wondered if I’d been found out. It was just this woman, who
knew of my little secret and didn’t mind.
I took a job in Northern California for a year and was away from
my family for 5 months. One Saturday, while looking for Night Clubs in
the Yellow Pages, I saw a listing under Nudist Clubs. The one listed
was pretty close by, so I drove there on a sunny Sunday afternoon in
April, since I had always been curious about nudism, As I drove in, 5
or 6 bare men and women were sitting on folding chairs across the
entrance. They welcomed me in, I paid the $10. rate for the day, and
had a great time swimming in their pool, talking with them and was
invited back for their pot-luck the next Saturday night. I really
enjoyed the freedom of being able to be totally free of clothes, and
at ease with the people. I went there often after that.
My wife doesn’t share my attitude on nudism, so I don’t bug her
about it. Occasionally when she is away I have visited a few nudist
places in Southern CA, and enjoy being in the sun and meeeting new
people, playing water volleyball, etc. I’m not a womanizer, so I don’t
attempt to make anything more of it. I still swim daily in a local
pooll (wearing a bathing suit), and my body is in great shape. But I
prefer swimming without the suit. I did so on a recent trip to Cancun,
when the hotel pool was open all night–I’d use the pool in the early
hours, and no one objected–had it all to myself, though.
If more pepole were able to see each other without clothes, we
wouldn’t be such an uptight population, always making the appearance
of sexiness, but not wanting to expose ourselves.
Reply
45.
John Says:
June 18, 2008 at 18:26 pm
I took a beginning swim class in 1960 at the University of
Illinois. We were not allowed to wear suits. I still prefer to swim
nude. Thankfully, my backyard pool allows me to do just that without
being observed. I do not mind being naked with other nude individuals
but I would not like to be watched by clothed neighbors who might
raise an objection.
Reply
46.
Men's Rights (David) Says:
August 1, 2008 at 01:46 pm
Hi, This Trauma represents the singular biggest issue of my
entire life. The experiences have left a permanent scar ever since.
This sort of thing should’ve NEVER been permitted. It’s totally
outlandish and unconstitutional. I especially agree with mike. As for
my bad experiences, the worst was receiving a physical from a female
nurse. All the boys were forced to line up naked. (all my other
physicals were a “One to One” basis). And wait for our physical. This
was in an ordinary classroom, I don’t know why. The curtains were
shabby, but I don’t think anyone looked in.
Plus, we were only informed about it, just a few hours earlier.
We were told , sometime today, the boys must go to check for
infection.
Finally, 2 additional female teachers were present, and they
both watched me get the physical. (they were facing me, while standing
next to the nurse. I was the last one to receive the physical.)
Beforehand, I always asked lots of questions. But, they
insisted, “It could save my life”. I also asked why it required 3
teachers, to give a physical. She said, it was important to make sure
all of the boys got their physical. This is just one horrid memory… -
Dave from N.Y.
Reply
47.
Men's Rights (David) Says:
August 1, 2008 at 01:58 pm
OH , by the way, I urge everyone to read DR.DAN IZZO’s comment ,
(4 comments above). Because I have theories similar to his.
Ironically, I’m the ONLY person who also includes a hypothesis
involving “forced immodesty” on the part of female administrators. In
other words, women seek to prefer when a man trusts her. I just
witnessed a case in 2008. at a center where young college men work &
live, there’s A middle aged cleaning lady who spent alot of time
hanging out near their locker. And she always chatted with them.
Eventually, she was able to gain their trust, so that , she now walks
inside their locker, and hands towels to them. NOW here’s the
punchline: she says that they “prefer her being there”. They look up
to her, like their own mother. Basically: she doesn’t want them to be
“shy” while she’s present. This is one unique (BUT TRUE) example of
“Forced immodesty” which I’ve personally witnessed, THIS YEAR.
by the way, I’m sorry this was too long, BUT, I could give many
many more examples. believe me, I could. As for me, I’m afraid to take
showers ever since. I usually use Rubbing Alcohol instead of
showering..
Reply
48.
Matt N. Says:
August 5, 2008 at 05:41 pm
In Junior High School our PE class met for 2 hours every Wed.
morning alternating each week between sports (soccer in the fall,
volleyball and basketball in the winter, and softball and track in the
spring) and swimming. At the first class in Sept. we were told that we
always had to be “dressed” for class, meaning that when class would be
at the field or gym we were to report to class dressed in our “gym
suits” (regulation gym shorts and tshirts, and sneakers). The teacher
said that on those weeks when we had swimming, we were expected to
report to the pool deck “dressed in your birthday suits.” Everyone
gave a nervous giggle. So every other week we’d strip naked in the
locker room, rinse off in the communal showers, walk down a tiled
passage way to the pool deck where attendance would be taken, and then
spend 90 min. or so taking class in the nude. It was kind of weird the
first time. After that no one cared.
Reply
49.
johnk Says:
August 12, 2008 at 12:52 pm
I used to live in ausrtalia. In our school all the boys had to
do the naked swim. Unfurtunetly I had the smallest penis so after
swimming and after I put my underwear the biggest boy in the class
would grab me and everybody would hit me in the testicles. I was in
agony for hours
Reply
50.
Earl Says:
September 16, 2008 at 16:17 pm
People, get over yourselves! It’s just your body. We all have
pretty much the same thing. We swam naked in gym class in the 60′s and
I don’t know of anyone who had a problem with it.
Then along came the lawyers…
Reply
51.
Jim Lanzalotta Says:
January 11, 2009 at 11:16 pm
I grew up in Connecticut in the late 60′s. We had nude boys PE
swim class at Windham High School, and also at the local YMCA. We had
a communal shower room for boys PE class. It didn’t seem that any of
this required nakedness was any big deal. The pool water seemed cold
at first, but after getting used to it, was fine. I was a thin kid who
wore high prescription glasses all the time, so without glasses during
swim class, could not see well at all, but visual acuity was not
required for swimming, so I did all right. I was already used to nude
swimming from the YMCA during grades 1 through 8, so swimming nude at
the high school was no big deal, except that the boys were bigger and
in puberty. After getting used to the water, i rather liked the
feeling of freedom of naked swimming. The only contact I remember was
during a PE water polo match that involved some rough playing for the
ball.
College also required a nude boys swim test at the beginning of
freshman year, in 1970. But had co-ed recreational swimming that
required swim suits.
After college I tried going to a nudist resort. After getting
used to co-ed nudity, I rather enjoyed it.
Reply
52.
jerry Says:
January 12, 2009 at 12:17 pm
With all due respect “Samuel,” it sounds like a fantasy, not
reality.
Reply
53.
darren Says:
January 19, 2009 at 19:59 pm
i went to highschool in the early-mid 80`s in a country town in
Australia. the boys did PE seperate to the girls and there was no
nudie swimming.We hated that our PE teacher(pommie bastard)used to
stay in the shower room when we showered,while the girls teacher let
them shower in peace.We thought he was a “perv” just for this so i
dont think we would have handle him being able to watch us “skinny
dipping” all class. I think,too, that this practise,of nude PE, could
be harmful to slower devolpers.We were pretty cruel at times to them
as it was.
Reply
54.
darren Says:
January 19, 2009 at 19:11 pm
I gotta say i luv the suit man and i would have liked being
15/16 in `74. The music- Deep Purple,Led Zeppelin,Black Sabbath,Grand
Funk,Aztecs(oz),Coloured Balls(oz) but judging by your suit your
household musicwould have been something more along the lines of “101
polka hitsof the piano accordian. lol
Reply
55.
Randy Says:
January 20, 2009 at 20:37 am
Hi Orrin
I remember having to swim naked in middle school in Buffalo NY.
Have you heard the story of the red badge of courage? As I vaguley
recall the story, our gym teacher had a bunch of rules that we were
all to follow in and around the pool (like no running). failure to
follow the rules would result in a hard swat on the ass, resulting in
a large red welt. This became known as the red badge of courage.
Stories of boys who broke the rules and received the red badge filled
the lockerroom. I never had enough courage to break the rules.
Reply
56.
Frank Says:
February 4, 2009 at 04:04 pm
I went to an all boy private prep school and we had nude
swimming twice a week for the six years I attended the school (grades
7 to 12). I really didn’t mind it all that much. To be honest it was
no big deal.
Once in a while some teachers would come in to watch (all men).
I did not think anything of it at the time, but looking back I guess
that was weird.
It was a different time (1965 to 1971). Our parents all knew
about this and didn’t care. My two older brothers both went to the
school and sometimes we were all in swim class at the same time.
This would never be allowed today. I guess the world has
changed.
Reply
*
cenk Says:
February 15, 2010 at 15:35 am
I used to swim nude for my high school boy’s swim classes
in Dearborn, Michigan in the mid 1970′s. I think if the not swim suit
policy returned it would bring back cleaner pools. We always had a
soap shower as a group before entering the pool nude for gym class. WE
have so much in the popular media as far as murder and crap like this
for entertainment, yet nude recreation, it appears is practically
illegal and a taboo subject for the movies. Sexual harassment in the
workplace is so common these days (but there is no nudity in the
workplace). Teen sex, teen pregnancy is cool also in the movies.? !
Weird, I think I see that in Littleton Colorado, they not only did
away with nude male swim classes, but they are now forced to hold co
ed swim classes. Maybe this is another reason that could have lead up
to school shooting. They learn how to fight each other, insteadhow to
relax and have fun.
Reply
57.
Tom Says:
February 19, 2009 at 19:59 am
I went to High School at Janesville Craig High School in
Janesville Wisconsin. I gradutated in 1981. When I was in High School
we swam naked in phy ed class. At the time it didn’t seem like that
big of a deal. I know it seems so hard to beleive now. But at the time
no one thought a second thing about it. I never saw anything pop up
that would be embarrassing. It never caused me any mental pain. It
didn’t seem to stress out any of my classmates either. We were just
boys. Being naked did not have a sexual connection. Letting another
boy see what was hanging between your legs was no more embarrassing
than allowing them to see our bare feet, or ungloved hands. It’s just
a God given body part.
Reply
58.
bj Says:
February 24, 2009 at 24:06 pm
We swam naked in my school days. It seemed totally normal back
in the day. I didn’t mind it that much. I didn’t like it when we had
to swim with younger kids. Sometimes when we were in 11th and 12th
grade we were swimming with 11 and 12 year old kids. Sometimes they
were as young as 8 or 9 years old. Inevitably we would have to teach
the younger kids how to swim. That was awkward when we were all naked.
We got through it alright. It’s amazing how times have changed. Kids
are a lot more conservative today. I think part of the reason kids are
more conservative today is because the family sizes are smaller. When
I was a kid it was nothing to have 4 school age kids home with mom and
dad. Now it is much more common to have 2 school age kids at home with
mom and dad. Kids don’t have to share bedrooms and bathroom facilities
like we did when I was a kid. I came from a family of seven kids. We
had to share bedrooms and the bathroom. I had to share a room with my
older brother. It was not uncommon for us to see each other naked in
the morning when we were getting ready for school. It was not uncommon
for us to see each other naked in the evening when we were getting
ready for bed. We shared the bathroom too. We saw each other stepping
in and out of the shower. We saw each other doing a number one, or
sitting on the toilet. I think it helped take the shyness out of us.
It carried over into the schools. A high school kid today would die of
embarrassment if his mother saw him walk from the bathroom to his
bedroom naked. With seven kids all getting ready for school at the
same time stuff like that will happen.
Reply
59.
will Says:
March 8, 2009 at 08:48 am
I think I have figured this out why only the boys were required
to swim nude. First off, the problem could have been easily solved by
using the same material for both the boys’ and the girls’ suits or
having the girls swim nude also. But we know only the boys were
required to swim nude. I conclude this was done to get boys ready for
military service. Forcing the boys to swim nude was deliberate, it was
psychological training. The schools wanted the boys nude to totally
break down the individual. Get rid of their modesty so they will stop
thinking about themselves. Replace it with the concept that you are
the same as the guy next to you and are all just part of a team (a
unit, platoon, company, etc). The good of the unit comes first, men
who can’t put the good of the unit over their own well being put the
entire unit in jeopardy. Combat requires men to endure stress and
conditions unlike anything in normal life. This conditioning is
essential to how the military functions. The sooner the boys got use
to it the better (for the US government).
Conscription was in effect during WWII, Korea and Viet Nam.
Conscription was also in effect during the Cold War of the late 50s
and early 60s (read Wikipedia-Conscription). Conscription ended in
1973, US involvement in Viet Nam ended in 1975. Guess what, shortly
thereabouts so did this nude swim policy.
Reply
*
cenk Says:
February 15, 2010 at 15:39 am
Very interesting idea. Nude swimming was tied into
preparing for the military!
Reply
60.
Tom Says:
March 9, 2009 at 09:40 pm
This is Tom again from Wisconsin. I think the last two blogs hit
it right on the head. I remember the older kids in High School were
given the designation of “Cadet” if they earned it. There were other
military terms used too. The fact that bigger families see more of
each other from time to time is very true too. I knew several families
that had 7-9 kids. When I would stay overnight at their homes it would
be necessary to check your modesty at the door. Conscription is
probably the reason boys received physical exam the way we did too.
Reply
61.
Jennifer Says:
May 22, 2009 at 22:37 pm
I love your website. But put pictures of boys bottoms.(you know
the thing under their underwear)
Reply
62.
Jennifer Says:
May 22, 2009 at 22:38 pm
I love this website!
~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reply
63.
Jennifer Says:
May 22, 2009 at 22:39 pm
YOUR WEBSITE IS THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reply
64.
Mike Grant Says:
September 4, 2009 at 04:50 pm
I grew up in the 50′s and 60′s in Santa Ana CA. Nude swimming
was required for all boys in high school. We would line up along the
wall for roll call. About 100 in the class. What I liked best about
it, is that it eliminated the different types of kids, You know the
cool kids, the dorks, the brains, the loners. We were all equal when
we were naked.
Reply
65.
Will Says:
November 28, 2009 at 28:48 am
I noticed that there were several posters who attended Lane Tech
in Chicago, Illinois and reported that they did the nude swimming BS.
I was in the last class in Lane Tech’s school history that was
required to take nude swimming. It was the 1977-78 school year. Now,
I’m going to speak frankly about why nude swimming was BS. So, if you
don’t like frank and staightforward language, please don’t read on.
First, I believe firmly that my PE teacher who taught the swim
class was some sort of pervert/pedophile. I won’t use his name, but
the following is factual.
Now, swimming nude in a school environment was uncomfortable for
most people in my class. Hell, why would I want to expose my junk to
the world. Why would I want to practice racing dives (and we did) that
painfully smash my exposed parts into the water? Why would I want to
practice lifesaving techniques (and we did) that put my nude body in
closer contact with that of another male student than I’d ever been in
with a girl?
But, we did it because we were freshmen in high school and we
were told that we had to, unless you had a doctor’s excuse.
However, the following story takes the prize. One day, the PE
teacher (who was also the coach of the swim team and a f’in pervert in
my opinion) says that we are not going into the pool that day because
we are going to be practicing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation techniques
on the pool deck as part of our lifesaving training. Okay, so at this
point we are all sitting there naked because that is how we take swim
class, that is, naked.
The PE teacher then points to a bunch of gym mats set up on the
side of the pool and says we are going to head over there for the
mouth-to-mouth training. So, I’m thinking, you knew we weren’t going
into the pool today, so why didn’t you tell us before class to stay in
our street clothes. Furthermore, you know we aren’t going into the
pool today, so why don’t you at this time let us get dressed.
No such luck. We are all marched over to the mats, buck naked,
to practice mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. The PE teacher/swim coach
tells us to pick a partner who we will practice our technique with and
issues us all a piece of gauze. F me. I slunk to the back of the class
and did not pick a partner, hoping to avoid the humiliation. Most did
picka partner.
The first pair of 14 year old boys is called up and takes turns
lying completely naked on their back in front of 30+ naked kids
watching while the other naked kid simulates mouth-to-mouth with only
a gauze pad as a barier between their mouths. How f’ing f’ed up is
that Lane Tech.
The next pair of kids does the same. And the next. And the next.
And the next. Until finally, when the uncomfortableness is beyond
palpable, one of the lifeguards (who, along with the fat PE teacher,
was the only one allowed to wear a swimsuit) says “maybe they could
get dressed because they aren’t going into the water today”.
Brilliant.
So, what does the PE teacher say in response. After thinking
about it for a good minute, he says, “well, maybe they can get into
their unederwear.” So, we were all ordered to put on our tidy whiteys
as fast as we could and to get back to the mats, where the humiliation
continued.
That was one of the most f’ed up experiences of my life.
Reply
66.
Dave Says:
February 24, 2010 at 24:08 pm
I don’t know if the issue was raised in any of the posts (don’t
have time to read all of them), but I can see one definite problem
with forcing adolescent boys to be naked together for extended periods
of time: not all of them are heterosexual. A boy who has just hit
puberty and is attracted to other boys is bound to get aroused being
naked with them. Erections in situations like that are almost sure to
be met with cruel teasing and gay slurs being hurled at the boy in
question. How is a boy supposed to hide an erection when he’s forced
to be naked for an entire class?
I never had to swim naked in PE myself. My older brother hit PE
a few years before I did, and when my parents heard that the boys were
going to be made to swim nude, they raised the roof. Other parents did
the same and that was the end of naked swim at my high school.
Reply
*
matt Says:
June 21, 2010 at 21:02 pm
when you are swimming naked in a pool there are no
erections.And if there are, nobody sees them, for obvous reasons.Under
showers trrnagers erections occur every once in a while,ihave seen
that happen and most guys dont laugh at the erection, most of them
just ignore it,knowing it could happen to anyone..Some time ago for
many generations, teens swam and showered naked in YMCA.and in many
colleges and universities.Nude swimming unfortunately belongs to
bygone times, nude showering for hygiene s sake is under attack.Five
years from now guys inthe USA will be showering and using lockers with
male burkhas!!!
Reply
67.
Geo Say
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