David Wraith raises his bare arms and waits for the dozen other naked people around him to quiet down. It's Friday night, and they've gathered in the second-floor bowling alley of Saratoga Lanes in Maplewood.
"Just a few announcements!" Wraith shouts, waving his hands for attention. He and fellow St. Louis sex blogger Kendra Holliday planned this outing for Sex Positive St. Louis. It's the organization's first ever "clothing optional" bowling party.
"Be care careful about bending over, people," Wraith begins. "Do what you need for the purposes of bowling, but if you drop something, please, for all our sakes, consider bending at the knees."
See also: Photos: People of The World Naked Bike Ride
Though bowling may seem a stodgy backdrop to a wild nudist retreat, there is precedent: The long-closed Carriage Bowl, which used to occupy the corner of Kingshighway and Arsenal Street, reportedly offered patrons the option to bowl in the buff, according to the Post-Dispatch.
"We're just carrying on tradition," says Wraith.
We asked Wraith the basics: What is nudism, anyway? Is it a sexual orientation? A lifestyle fetish like BDSM? Maybe an exhibitionist kink?
"It's a gray area," admits Wraith. "I'm not sure how I would define it in those terms. Personally, I am an exhibitionist and I am a voyeur, and I feel comfortable around naked people."
Despite the debauched atmosphere, Daily RFT could detect no orgies or associated hanky-panky at the bowling party -- other than some standard PDA between couples. At the party's height around 7 p.m., 30 or so people crowd the lanes, mingling and noshing on catered appetizers.
It's a diverse crowd of the naked and nearly naked: young, old, white, black, some chiseled like Greek statues, others pear-shaped and paunchy. More than a few generously portioned bellies broke free of their waistband prisons that night as well. Over the course of three hours, the bowlers play several spirited games. Thankfully, everyone brings their own towel to sit on.
Continue for more NSFW photos, and learn why one nudist says "You can't go back" after a taste the naked life.
