Solstice Cyclists

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Naked cyclist streaking the 1995 Summer Solstice Parade. This would have been before this had become an established tradition; at this time the police were still hassling naked cyclists in the parade.
Naked cyclist streaking the 1995 Summer Solstice Parade. This would have been before this had become an established tradition; at this time the police were still hassling naked cyclists in the parade.
(2005)
(2005)
(2005)
(2005)
(2007)
(2007)
Painted Inline skaters often join the cyclists. (2007)
Painted Inline skaters often join the cyclists. (2007)
Art bikes, as seen here (2005) and below (2007), are becoming increasing popular.
Art bikes, as seen here (2005) and below (2007), are becoming increasing popular.
Nudity Portal
Cycling Portal

The Solstice Cyclists (also known as The Painted [Naked] Cyclists of the Solstice Parade, or The Painted Cyclists) is an artistic, non-political, clothing-optional bike ride ensemble celebrating the spirit of the Summer Solstice, and who, by tradition, usher in the beginning of the free-spirited Summer Solstice Parade & Pageant, which is an event produced by the Fremont Arts Council in the Fremont district of Seattle. The cyclists are commonly referred to as the naked cyclists or naked bikers by those outside the group. The group was originally started by streakers who crashed the parade but transformed itself into the heavily-adorned ensemble known today when key participants decided to emphasize bodypainting and other forms of creative artistry done in the spirit of the host event. The group is now the largest and fastest growing ensemble associated with the parade. The parade, which is put on by the Fremont Arts Council, takes place at approximately 1 p.m. on the third Saturday in June (which is the Saturday before or on the actual Solstice); the painted cyclists typically arrive at around 11:45 a.m. and ride for a little over an hour so as to not deflect too much attention from the actual parade.

Body art (such as body painting) is a common form of creative expression, as well as costumes and noisemakers. The group is the most elaborately painted and costumed bike ride (clothing-optional or otherwise) in the world. Art bikes are also common, and many different types of human-powered cycles have also been used including BMX bikes, cycle rickshaws, unicycles, clown bicycles, tall bikes, lowrider bicycles, tandem bicycles and tricycles. People have come from all over the country to ride, and all over the world to see the ensemble. Full and partial (especially topfree) nudity is popular, but not mandatory, on all rides.

While the cyclists open the parade by tradition, they are not officially in the parade line-up (with the exception of 2003 when they had a float). Despite this apparent disconnect, there is a considerable amount of collaboration between many local arts groups. Parade participants who want to get bodypainted are often referred to the cyclists' pre-ride bodypainting party, and some of the cyclists also work in the FAC's Solstice Parade Workshop on their art bikes or on other parade entries. Many of the communities also share a strong bond as Burning Man participants, and are involved in other groups such as Cacophony Society and Critical Mass.

Participants are expected to abide by the FAC's Parade rules that state "any printed communications, written words, recognizable logos, signage, leaf-letting, or advertising in any form are prohibited on the parade route."

In recent years the event includes three major components: a pre-ride bodypainting party (disclosed only to participants and potential riders), an extended party ride (often indirect) through the city, and then the parade itself starting at noon. Cyclists wishing to get involved in the group who haven't heard about the bodypainting party often meet up at the beginning of the parade route.

While many of the participants underplay any political motivation for the event, the painted naked cyclists have established precedent and increased the amount of popular cultural support for non-sexualized, artistic public nudity in other ensembles in the Solstice Parade, and in Seattle in general, and have made other painted naked bike rides in the city (and in the world) much easier to stage.

Contents

[edit] Controversy

The year 2001 and subsequent years were controversial for the naked cyclists, including several references to cyclists as "parade crashers". In 2001, police and parade organizers posted signs noting the laws against indecent exposure to warn cyclists of possible prosecution. Organizers claimed that the cyclists were getting in the way of the event's true hallmark: artistic freedom.[1] An editorial that same day (May 17, 2001) in The Seattle Times echoed this sentiment: "They have stolen the spotlight on a parade that is supposed to be about art, not about being unclothed. The Fremonters resent that. They do not want the nudists doing this. But they do not want them wrestled to the pavement by police, spoiling the atmosphere of their parade."[2]

Sentiments like the above frustrated the cyclists, who were at that time getting bodypainted. They also did not like being labeled nudists, as most of them were not.

[edit] History and media coverage

[edit] 1992

1992 was the first year cyclists are said to have appeared in the fourth annual Solstice Parade. Most likely these were streakers.

[edit] 1993

In 1993 there were 7-10 people in the Solstice Parade cycling naked, maybe three of whom were bodypainted. [3] Reference to the second year of naked cyclists: "It could only happen in Fremont, said one of the coordinators, Barbara Luecke. Only such a rich artistic community could shake off the staid reserve from nearby Ballard to let loose with such creative energy and fun. ... Buck-naked cyclists who streaked the parade for the second year may have crossed the boundary of good taste (would that be Leary Way Northwest?). But one, at least, was wearing a helmet (proof that people in Seattle can get wild, but not too wild)."[4]

[edit] 1995

Eight naked men were reported to have cycled through the parade in the fourth year of the naked cyclists: "All the nudes: Overheard at the Fremont Solstice Parade on Saturday was a woman spectator commenting: "Oh, no. Not eight naked men on bicycles. I hate naked men on bicycles."[5] A separate article about a week before the parade made reference to previous years with naked cyclists.[6]

[edit] 1997

In the sixth year of the naked cyclists, one fast-moving cyclist was reported to have hit a child, resulting in the Fremont Arts Council asking police to be present in 1998.[7]

"Per tradition, there also were naked bicycle riders. They zoomed by so quickly it was hard to tell, um, the type of bike they were riding. 'I wish they had sort of stopped and waved,' said Blue Hesik Lan."[8]

[edit] 1998

The seventh year of the naked cyclists at the solstice marked the year when one of the ride's major organizers became involved in the ride for the first time, and was the only one bodypainted in a group of about six people. Two 28-year old naked parade cyclists were arrested who, according to police, "cut into the marching order" of the parade ensembles. Four police were involved in the effort. The city declined to file charges because, according to the city's prosecuting office: "in order to prove indecent exposure, it's necessary to show the person's intent was to be obscene and cause alarm."[9] Also of note is the sightings of nude cyclists in the Capitol Hill neighborhood this year.

"Crowds booed when last year's naked riders were arrested and handcuffed."[10]

"Bicyclists riding au naturel is nothing new to the quirky parade, which is known for participants in outlandish and sometimes risque costumes. But police say yesterday's arrests were made primarily for safety: The nude bicyclists typically dash quickly in and out of the parade audience."[7]

"So, why is the only focus on the nude bikers? They were only a part of the parade for a few minutes. I did not see them."[11]

[edit] 1999

In the eighth year, a second-time rider (mentioned above) hosted a bodypainting party at her Wallingford residence in response to the previous year's pseudo arrests (nothing illegal here!) and friction between the Fremont Arts Council and the City of Seattle. Twenty-odd friends gathered to get painted and ride together to the parade, including a woman who wore a 3-buttcheek bodysuit costume rather than paint. Members of the Fremont Arts Council launched a spoof of the naked bicyclists as well. Wearing flesh-colored body suits with exaggerated body parts sewn on, they cycled down the parade route while two bicyclists pretending to be police officers gave chase. When the truly naked cyclists showed up, they blended right in with their Fremont Arts Council bodysuit imposters.

"And, of course, there were the infamous and crowd-pleasing nude bikers, a regular attraction eagerly awaited by the parade watchers. ... 'This is not authorized by the organizers,' said Steve Lynch, one of the volunteers responsible for safety and order during the event. 'But it's just for fun, so no interventions.'"[12]

"Here in the self-anointed center of the universe, where the Waiting for the Interurban sculptures wear more clothing than the nude cyclists who grace the annual Solstice Parade, high-tech is moving in."[13]

"Meanwhile, Hadrann says the scent of rebellion is in the air in Fremont - or maybe it's just another rumor. 'Some people in the community are going to get nude if he (Sidran) starts arresting the cyclists,' he says. ... 'First, there was 50, now there's like 100 people. . . . Who knows what kind of chain reaction this is going to bring.'"[14] This article also includes Seattle Police Department Lt. Mark Kuehn's suggestions for safety for nude cyclists such as: "Refrain from trying out saddles in the nude, for obvious sanitary reasons. Hadrann suggests shoppers take along a few pairs of Chinese disposable underwear (made of paper) for saddle-buying expeditions."

  • "The council decided this week against posting 'no nudity' signs for the neighborhood's arts parade, where two men were arrested for naked bike riding last year. Police had asked that the signs be posted for this year's parade, set for Saturday. ...Council President Bradley Erhlich said the public nudity might be a form of artistic expression. ... 'If it is art, then the Arts Council should support them,' Erhlich said. ... Crowds booed when last year's naked riders were arrested and handcuffed."[10]

[edit] 2000

In the nude cyclists' ninth year, internationally acclaimed bodypainting artist Steven Bradford [1] joined the bodypainting team and assisted in transforming 4 women into Fire, Earth, Air, and Water at the painting party at Fire's home.

[edit] 2001

In 2001, according to The Seattle Times, there were 50 cyclists, mostly in bodypaint.[15] To the amusement of many, this year an artist had a painting in the parade showing a naked female bicyclist next to a baton-wielding police officer. The pose itself could have either shown the apprehension or the cop gleefully stopping for a picture next to the bicyclist. The panel was put on a small platform on wheels and parade goers were invited to have their pictures taken with their heads poking out of the holes of the naked bicyclists and the officer.

In 2001, the city threatened to withdraw the event permit for the Fremont Arts Council because of the nudity. Signs were actually made warning naked cyclists that they may be subject to arrest. The city ended up backing off before the event day. Fremont Arts Council parade organizers urged riders to participate within the artistic spirit of the event. [1] Many locals were very upset that the city would threaten to arrest one of the parade's most popular and creative ensembles. The blowback effect, as predicted by Seattle City Council Chair Nick Licata, ended up being more publicity and popularity for the cyclists which, in turn, led to more cyclists wanting to join the ensemble.

In efforts to combat this effect, the Seattle City Council was invited by the Fremont Arts Council to participate in the parade. Nick Licata was the only one who agreed and ended up cycling through as the "un-naked cyclist". After jeers of "Take your clothes off" he was met by a parade monitor who told him to get off the parade route, stating "Yeh? We still don't have bike riding in the parade. If one person rides then others will and then the whole parade will have bikes riding all over the place."[16] Licata later lamented in a Seattle Times article, "I was waving to the photographer - smack in the middle of a pack of painted, naked bicyclists."[17]

"There was no better illustration of the fair's quirkiness than in its parade - with its wild costumes, floats and giant puppets - and nude bicyclists, which led to a flap over the permit for this year's parade. ... Before the city issued this year's parade permit, police said they have gotten numerous complaints about the nude cyclists every year. They asked the Fremont Arts Council to post signs along the parade route warning cyclists, who are not a sanctioned part of the parade, about laws against indecent exposure. The council said no, even though members discouraged the nudity. ... In 1998, two bikers in the buff were arrested. None were arrested this year."[18]

[edit] 2002

"What solstice is complete without nude cyclists? To get your annual fix, see the Fremont Summer Solstice Parade and Fair on Saturday and Sunday."[19]

"As has been the tradition, a number of unauthorized naked bicycle riders start the parade. Last year there were 50 — most in body paint."[15]

[edit] 2003

2003 marked the twelfth year of naked cyclists taking part in the Solstice Parade. The parade took place on June 21, 2003. Numbers quadrupled from previous years to between 75 and 80 riders. An internet discussion forum was established for the first time. The bodypainting party took place at the host's house in the Ravenna neighborhood, with a photo shoot at Cowen Park. The procession then began south through the University District on Roosevelt and then on 45th through Wallingford to Phinney Ridge. This is also the first year that the cyclists were officially part of the parade with their Helios-themed float, which several cyclists (partially dressed) climbed aboard after they cycled through the parade. The float featured wispy clouds and gold-painted "chariot" exercise bikes to evoke a sense of pulling the sun through the summer. Ironically, toward the end of the parade, and despite all the "Happy Solstice" chants, the sky clouded over and it began to rain. Two digital video films were produced from footage of this year's event. One is called Painted & Naked: The Fremont Solstice Riders 2003 and is sold to friends and future potential riders with proceeds going to a local charity. The other video was called Solstice: A Celebration of the Art of Bodypainting produced by James W. Taylor/Circle Rock Productions and premiered at Naked Freedom Film Festival [2], held at the Seattle Art Museum on May 15, 2004. Unusually cool weather this year resulting in a number of weather-themed paint jobs.

Also in 2003, much publicity was focused on David Zaitzeff's determination to walk naked through the Solstice Parade. Zaitzeff sued Seattle police Chief Gil Kerlikowske in a federal lawsuit because he "desires to go nude at the Fremont Solstice Parade without fear of unjust arrest". U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik said that because Zaitzeff had not been arrested for indecent exposure, the court couldn't make a prospective ruling on the matter.[20]

Much later in the year there was a suggestion to have the group become part of a larger international naked bike ride, later known as the World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR). The idea was unpopular because the Solstice Parade, unlike WNBR, is a non-political arts event. Secondary reasons for not liking the idea included that WNBR would not be as spontaneous of an event and some may not be as inclined to participate in an artistic way.

[edit] 2004

The parade took place on June 19, 2004. About 116 cyclists participated, setting a new record. The main group started to ride from the pre-parade bodypainting party at the old Segway building in Ballard. (The building was later demolished to make way for Ballard Civic Center Park.) The ride proceeded down NW Market Street to Leary Way to the parade. The cyclists did not have a float in the parade in 2004, but there were more elaborate art installations on bikes. 2004 also marked the beginning of the Synchronised Cycling Drill Team within the group. The year's theme was Noah's Ark animals. One of the cyclists provided rides to children along the parade route in her cycle rickshaw.

A week prior to the event, on June 12, was the first annual World Naked Bike Ride event in Seattle [3] and was the first time a major naked cycling event has crossed the channel into downtown Seattle. This ride featured a pre-ride bodypainting party at Gas Works Park, where the end of the painted cyclists ride traditionally took place.

[edit] 2005

The Synchronised Cycling Drill Team shown performing.
The Synchronised Cycling Drill Team shown performing.

The parade took place on June 18, 2005. Approximately 138 cyclists leave bodypainting party on the south side of the Lake Washington Ship Canal, and once joined by those waiting at the parade, the numbers probably grew to around 160 cyclists. Part of the ride included going down the Ballard Bridge on 15th Avenue and turning again on NW Market Street. About five cyclists broke off from the group after the end of the parade ride and rode around Green Lake and came back to Fremont.

One of the big controversies in 2005 was the Fremont Arts Council excluding People Undergoing Real Experiences (PURE) (now known as Pure cirkus) from dressing "up as pirates with two people suspended on a pirate ship float from hooks in their skin" as they go through the parade. Much of the media noted that while the naked cyclists are tolerated and widely popular, this has become the new controversial area for the council.[21][22]

A week later, a third painted ride, called the Body Pride Ride, was started by one of the painted cyclists, and took place for the first time in the Seattle Gay Pride Parade on Capitol Hill. A WNBR mini-ride in September marked 2005 as a record-setting year not only for the number of painted cyclists participating, but also for doubling the number of painted naked rides in Seattle to a total of four.

"If bike riders rode nude in a Los Angeles summer solstice celebration, the LAPD would shoot them dead, after a 'slow speed' chase televised on all 28 local channels."[23]

"Really, that's just the crazy naked bicyclists who precede the parade every year. They get all the press, all the hype, all the lasting impressions. People who work on the parade openly despise them. ... The nude bikers take away from all the legitimate art that volunteers spend countless hours creating. With one exhibitional blow, months of hard work by solstice parade artists is knocked from our collective conscious."[24]

[edit] 2006

The 18th Annual Summer Solstice Parade & Pageant, on June 17, 2006, marked the 15th year that naked cyclists have participated in the parade. On March 27, 2006, the Painted Cyclists went public with a public portal website: The Painted Cyclists. KUOW-FM in Seattle did an interview for their program called Weekday with the cyclists at the Ballard neighborhood where the bodypainting party was taking place, taking up at least three residential lots. The interview was reportedly about cycling safety in Seattle. This is confirmed by several cyclists and pictures taken at the bodypainting party. The segment aired on June 22, 2006.

[edit] 2007

The 19th Annual Solstice Parade took place on June 16, 2007, marking the 16th consecutive year that the painted cyclists have ridden therein. Roughly 200 cyclists took to the streets at 11:45 a.m. with little or no confrontation, legal or otherwise. The annual painting party took place at a nearby residence on NW 48th Street.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "If you fret, stay clear of Fremont" by Nicole Brodeur, The Seattle Times, May 17, 2001
  2. ^ "Cheeky Fremont", The Seattle Times, May 17, 2001
  3. ^ Information gathered by Daniel Johnson in interview done in Fall/Spring 2006 with hair stylist who had friends who were involved in the early years of the ride.
  4. ^ "Free Spirits Parade Through Fremont" by Sherry Stripling, The Seattle Times, June 21, 1993
  5. ^ "Momentous Decisions For Council" by Jean Godden, The Seattle Times, June 21, 1995
  6. ^ "Time & Again" by Ferdinand M. De Leon, The Seattle Times, June 11, 1995
  7. ^ a b "In The Buff, Police Call Their Bluff -- 2 Nude Bicyclists Arrested At Parade" by Arthur Santana, The Seattle Times, June 21, 1998
  8. ^ "The Eyes Have It At Fair In Fremont -- Wild Kickoff Parade Is An Ocular Overdose" by Florangela Davila, The Seattle Times, June 22, 1997
  9. ^ "Sightings In Seattle - They're Buff" by Jean Godden, The Seattle Times, July 19, 1998
  10. ^ a b "Council refuses to ban nudity at Fremont parade" by D. Parvaz, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, June 17, 1999
  11. ^ "Fremont Parade -- 20-Minute Parade Is Some Of Best Entertainment Around", The Seattle Times, July 21, 1998
  12. ^ "Who's The Fairest Of Them All? Fremont's -- Free-Wheeling Festival Lets Creativity Reign" by Magdalena Kulig, The Seattle Times, June 20, 1999
  13. ^ "High-Tech Learns From Fremont Funk" by Helen Jung, The Seattle Times, June 22, 1999
  14. ^ "Solstice Parade Fears Crackdown on Nude Bikers" by D. Parvaz, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, June 19, 1999
  15. ^ a b "Hog wild for Fremont festivities: This year's Solstice Parade bigger than ever" by Bobbi Nodell, The Seattle Times, June 21, 2002
  16. ^ "Council Member Nick Licata As Himself, Or, How I Was Busted For Riding A Bike, With Clothes On" by Nick Licata, June 17, 2001
  17. ^ "Uneasy rider in Fremont" by Jean Godden, The Seattle Times, June 20, 2001
  18. ^ "Fremont shows its sunny side" by Reid Forgrave, The Seattle Times, June 17, 2001
  19. ^ "Resources to help you savor the summer", The Seattle Times, June 20, 2002
  20. ^ "Puget Sound-Off: Public nudity in Fremont parade", Seattle Post-Intelligencer, May 2, 2003
  21. ^ "Fremont lowering the bar on tolerance" by Robert L. Jamieson Jr., Seattle Post-Intelligencer, July 16, 2005
  22. ^ "Piercing group too far out for even Solstice Parade" by Kery Murakami and Robert L. Jamieson Jr., Seattle Post-Intelligencer, June 14, 2005
  23. ^ "Letters to the editor: Strictly Seattle: Nothing to see here", The Seattle Times, June 21, 2005
  24. ^ "People power: Chaos, creativity fuel Fremont parade" by L.J. McAllister, The Seattle Sun & Star, June 2005

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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