Are Beauty Contests Dead?

There was a time when life was simple and slower, a time when people were able to have some fun without concerns for ‘political correctness’ - a time when personal naked attractiveness could be publicly recognised. Those days have long gone, and today we try to avoid recognition of physical attractiveness (unless fully clothed). However, some vestiges of those days remain.

If you have the opportunity to glance back at old nudist magazines of the ’50s and ’60s you will find a Miss/Mr Nude ‘Something or Other’ event at most clubs. For example when I joined the nudist movement back in the mid 1960s at Woodlands Nudist Club in Sydney, the annual Miss Woodlands, was still a popular event. Women of all ages would ‘strut their stuff’ in front of club members for fleeting honour and recognition of their attractiveness. In the 1960s being ‘judged’ attractive wasn’t considered politically incorrect.

However, there is still one annual beauty pageant that continues against the tide of political incorrectness. It has been held each year at the Ponderosa Sun Club, near Chicago in the USA, since the 1970’s. Men and women vie for honours such as Mr or Ms Nude North America, Ms or Mr Nude Entertainer, Ms Nude Newcomer, and various other titles. The event attracts men and women from all corners of North America and winners pick up valuable prize money and recognition as nude entertainers. Some of the performances for these awards are quite spectacular and contestants can spend anything up to a couple of thousand dollars on their staging and costumes. The stipulation is that the performer must be nude by the end of their performance.

The diehards would ask: ‘are these contestants genuine nudists?’ Many would counter that anyone who is comfortable being nude in an appropriate venue, or in their own home, would be considered a ‘nudist’! It’s well accepted that many people (mainly young) no longer feel that ‘established’ nudist venues suit their lifestyle, but are comfortable to go nude in their own home, or at their local creek or ‘clothing optional’ beach. Should these people be ignored as genuine nudists?

This is a fun event; and, judging by the audience reaction, is appreciated in like manner. As usual, the female members of the audience created the most noise and cheering when the men came on stage for their performances.

However, don’t be misled – this is a very serious contest and everyone who enters has ambitions to win. As a result there can be some ‘cattiness’ behind the scenes, but in general most were supportive of other contestants and all seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves. In truth, the vast majority of contestants are unabashed exhibitionists. Many return, year after year, in the hope of winning one of the major awards. Some have been entering for more than 20 years and have raised a family during their annual pilgrimage to Ponderosa in their ‘dig for gold’.

In fact, the big winner this year, Dakota, won two major awards, Ms Nude Entertainer, and Ms Nude North America, and had become a regular in the event over recent years. Her perseverance, patience and practise finally paid off. Likewise in the men’s division, Bailey, won the Mr Nude North America after returning for one more attempt.

Popular opinion usually decides the winners and losers of any contest and the fact that this event has continued and flourished each year for almost four decades, attracting many thousands of spectators and hundreds of contestants, is as good a guide to its continued survival!