ALPS-ADRIATIC NATURISTS MEET –SHOULD OTHERS JOIN IT?

Željko Tomišić and angmimik, «Monsena», Rovinj, Croatia, 1997

Angelos Mimikopoulos –the feisty young Greek who was co-convener with TNS of the Naturist Conference on Nude Beaches at Antiparos Island in Summer 1986– reports that the Alps-Adriatic Meeting of the Austrians, Germans and East and Central Europeans was held again at Rovinj on Croatia's Adriatic seacoast across from Venice, in April 1997. About 700 attended, an astonishing growth.

Mimikopoulos hopes to build on this congenial, sports- and friendship-driven forum which is currently regional. He thinks it has potential as the magnet to draw the rest of the world, outside of West Europe, to a Forum and Olympics of Naturism.

Already well established as the convenient and low-budget location for Naturists from Bavaria to Greece and Austria to Moscow to gather annually, the Alps-Adriatic can become a global destination.

Meanwhile the French, North German and Dutch Naturists pursue their rather narcissistic idea and strategy of a mirror-image organization to the European Economic Union (EEU). They provide all due pomp and circumstance but little else is on their agendas.

The INF is already semi-split three ways–into Western Europe, the AANR and The Rest Of Us. Angelos wants to act on that emergent distribution of alliances.

The Rest Of Us seem to hold little interest for the self-anointed in the Center Of The Universe at either Antwerp or, far more elliptically, at Murfreesboro, Tenn., at this time.

And yet, what could be more internationalist in principle than our union of brothers and sisters under the skin? The world doesn't hold still while the EEU lookalikes step out of their vehicle for a pint with the good old boys at the good old corner tavern.

There are world, not just West European, challenges to be met. And solidarity with hard-pressed, exemplary Naturists in many overlooked nations to face. Wherever the Internet goes, we can go.

Consider attending the Alps-Adriatic Meeting in April 1998. For more info. contact Angelos at eedcnapo@groovy.gr

                                                           Lee R. Baxandall

(Source: N, 17.1, Spring 1997, p.10)