Thousands of people stripped down to celebrate Portland’s 13th Annual World Naked Bike Ride on Saturday.
Cyclists rolled through rain-free, 80-degree Portland neighborhoods from Mount Scott Park. Spectators crowded the streets of southeast Portland as cars came to an hour-long stall to bare witness to the hordes of nude riders.
A couple of friends swing among thousands of fellow nude participants. Mount Scott Park provides 11 acres recreational facilities among numerous trees.
Shirley Chan / OPB
Nude riders wait to get on the road at the 13th Annual World Naked Bike Ride in Mount Scott Park in Portland, Ore. on Saturday, June 25, 2016.
Shirley Chan / OPB
Volunteers of the World Naked Bike Ride promote bike safety and the recommended dress code by wearing helmets. Portland Police Bureau said wearing helmets and shoes should be the "bare minimum" in a statement released prior to the event.
Shirley Chan / OPB
A man sits in the nude and waits for the ride to begin. The World Naked Bike Ride is an all-ages for cyclists of all skill level.
Shirley Chan / OPB
Participants paint slogans and messages as a form of advocacy on their naked bodies.
Shirley Chan / OPB
Participants check their bicycles before taking off. The World Naked Bike Ride is a protest against fossil fuel dependency, for bike safety and for body positivity.
Shirley Chan / OPB
Participants use their bodies as a canvas to protest for why they ride. Reducing fossil fuel dependency is one of the many reasons people ride.
Shirley Chan / OPB
Ken Marshall, left, and David Smith, right, traveled all the way from Los Angeles. Tens of thousands of people participate in Portland's event in comparison to Los Angeles' nearly 500 participants.
Shirley Chan / OPB
Spectators line up on the streets adjacent to Southeast 74th and Southeast Knight Street cheering on and taking photos of nude riders.
Shirley Chan / OPB
Nude riders cruise down the streets of Southeast Portland illuminated by police car lights at every major intersection.
Shirley Chan / OPB
Participants ride into the night on Woodstock Boulevard with high energy. The route started at Mount Scott Park, traveled through Southeast Portland and ended at Sellwood Park.
Shirley Chan / OPB
“I think people are here for the cause of uniting for something big,” said Jason Dictson, a participant in this year’s ride. “It has grown so big, but it still brings to light what it is for.”
There is more to the ride than getting naked and holding the promise to “Keep Portland Weird.” The worldwide event started in 2004 as an offshoot from Critical Mass, a protest ride advocating bike safety that started in 1992 in San Francisco and gained popularity worldwide.
The World Naked Bike Ride is a protest against fossil fuel dependency, while advocating for bike safety and body positivity.
As the protest grows larger each year, there are more reasons why people participate, including community building, supporting human-powered transport, and desexualizing the naked body.
Many participants believe the focus has shifted from bike safety to body positivity.
Davis Henely, a first-time participant and volunteer, had lost 125 pounds prior to this year’s ride. Henely said he has experienced body shaming far too many times. Events like this give him hope that others won’t have to go through that experience.
“We treat the body as a sexual entity,” Henely said. “It is objectified as a sexual entity, when it is just a body.”
Steve and Crystal Bosbach, volunteers, have both participated three times in Austin, Texas, and this year’s event is their third in Portland.
Steve thinks the ride is more of a statement than a protest.
“A protest sounds like you’re against,” Steve said. “We don’t have a negative statement ‘against' something, but rather positive ‘for’ body acceptance and ‘for’ transportation by bicycle.”
“And how vulnerable we are,” Crystal added. “We are naked. Any bicyclist is basically naked against a car.”
Safety is the top concern of the event’s organizers and the Portland Police Bureau.
Every year, the route remains a secret until the event to minimize disruptions from spectators. Officers blocked traffic to ensure a clear route and a smooth ride. They were also available at every major intersection.
"At a bare minimum, the Portland Police Bureau recommends that riders at least wear a helmet and shoes to avoid any potential injuries," Sgt. Pete Simpson said in a statement.
[video: portlands-world-naked-bike-ride-explained,left,576dcd95a2101c005945fe29]
The legality of public nudity is another concern. Public nudity is protected under the Oregon Constitution as a form of protest. It is a crime if the person intends to commit a sexual act or arouse sexual desire.
“Riding naked is the freest feeling you could ever have,” Crystal said.
As one of more than 300 events in Pedalpalooza, a three-week celebration of Portland’s bike culture, the World Naked Bike Ride attracts the most participants. World Naked Bike Rides take place in more than 70 cities and 20 countries.