As Vancouver continues to be lambasted by foreign press that have dubbed these Olympics the “Calamity Games,” Australia has failed to field enough volunteers to properly organize their annual naked version. Basically, they lacked the proper support.

“The…Nude Olympics won’t be happening in 2010, basically due to a manpower problem,” organizer Stephen P — who didn’t want his full name used — told QMI Agency.

The Southern United Naturists have run their bare-bottom Olympiad since the club was founded in the South Australia coastal suburb of Maslin Beach, more than 20 years ago.

The event gained worldwide attention.

Instead of toned athletes speeding down an icy bobsled run, the Nude Olympics featured often middle-aged beach goers taking part in egg and spoon races on hot sand. You wouldn’t find ice hockey, but there was a three-legged race in the 40C heat. And let’s not forget the full-on glory that came with winning the best bum competition.

However, like the original competitions in Greece — where male athletes would often compete without clothes — the Nude Olympics have also hit a snag in old traditions.

“In (the club’s) peak we would have had at least a couple of hundred active members…however times have changed,” said Stephen, a 47-year-old defence satellite communications expert.

They now have only twenty financial members.

He lamented a changing world, where people expect others to do all the work of organizing a massive event like the Olympics, as well as the social taboos that see naturists deal with society’s unease over being naked around children.

A church leader and French horn musician, Stephen does have faith though, that the Olympic spirit will one day rise again over his local beach.

He vowed: “We are confident that the Maslin Nude Olympics will be resurrected one day.”

Until then, he can at least watch the Vancouver Games in the buff.

OR

Take a vacation to Fort Lauderdale in sunny South Florida instead! The Cabanas Guesthouse & Spa is a mens only clothing optional resort, located in Wilton Manors (gay Fort Lauderdale) the gay mecca of Florida. The cabanas is close to everything including nightlife, shopping, the gayborhood, the beach and more. The Cabanas has been voted “best gay clothing optional resort” and it’s no wonder why. For more info, or to plan your mid-winter trip to South Florida, visit the cabanas website at www.thecabanasguesthouse.com

And remember, if you forget your shorts, it wont be an issue.

With the end of 2008, I felt a life tune-up was in order. So to celebrate the New Year, I made an appointment at one of South Florida’s newest spas, the Spa at the Cabanas Guesthouse. A collection of little cabanas, as the name implies, The Cabanas Guesthouse is hidden behind a high fence along NE 26th St., but inside the property opens to a lovely view of the Intracoastal Waterway.

The Spa is located in one of the cabanas, tucked into a little corner near the water; owners Norman Lachance and Flash Thunder-Fire (such a combustible name for an expert at achieving peace and serenity!) have remodeled the place from top to bottom, turning it into a refreshing oasis with a breezy allwhite interior. I was expecting it to be nice, but not as nice as this. My treatment had three parts: first I began with a full-body scrub, using Babor’s Aromatic Body & Bath Oils and pure Sea Salt ($85). Norman’s hands are big, and strong; the scrub itself felt like a massage, without ever being too harsh from the salt.

Then he wrapped me in a foil sheet to let the oils soak in, which had me worried when I made the appointment, as I though I would be too twitchy to hold still while I was wrapped up like that. But lying there, listening to the music, the experience was very relaxing. After Norman removed the scrub with a warm towel, he popped on his glasses and swung around a light, to take a look at my face. “Hmmm,” he said, as he looked at my pores.

Yes, there was a lot of work to be done. So he treated me to the Anti-Aging Facial ($129), including a collagen mask and exfoliating treatment. It was, without question, the best facial I have ever had—I wouldn’t let anyone come near my face for the rest of the day, in fear they would touch it and spoil the shimmery softness achieved by Lachance’s magic touch.

Lachance then returned to my back, and applied a Hot Stone Massage ($145), a luxurious massage aided by the placement of warmed, smooth rocks along my back. Again, those hands—those amazing hands!—found each knot, yet he never used too much force. He combined this with a Chakra Balancing Massage, to balance my “energy centers and relax the central nervous system.” Shirley Maclaine would approve.

It was definitely a day of indulgence; but any one of these treatments on their own would have been fantastic. I feel so spoiled now! I can’t wait to go back.

Less than two weeks after submitting a letter of intent to bid on selection as host city for Gay Games IX, Miami Beach, Fla. reversed a city law banning the flying of the rainbow flag–and raised a multicolored banner high over City Hall.

The flag raising drew reportage from local CBS affiliate Channel 4, which posted a story online Nov. 11.

The so-called gay pride flag was created by Gilbert Baker, a San Francisco artist, whose early version of the flag included two additional stripes, in comparison to the most common such flag of today.

Baker’s flag included the six stripes seen on most contemporary flags, along with a hot pink stripe and an indigo stripe, according to a Wikipedia article.

Baker’s flag was hoisted in the June 25, 1978 Gay Freedom Day Parade in San Francisco, the Wikipedia article said, going on to note that demand for the flag skyrocketed in the aftermath of the murder of openly gay San Francisco City Supervisor Harvey Milk, whose career–and whose struggle against a Proposition 8-like anti-gay ballot initiative–is the focus of a new biopic starring Sean Penn.

The CBS-4 story quoted Miami Beach mayor Matti Herrera Bower, who said of the newly-hoisted pride flag, “I think that this is just another step to making a whole city, a city that really welcomes gays and lesbians.”

The city commission struck down a long-standing ordinance forbidding the flying of the rainbow flag in Miami Beach–a curious anachronism for a city known as a favorite gay tourism spot.

The CBS-4 story quoted Miami Beach resident Luis Randazzo, who said, “It’s a historic day for us.

“The gay flag is a representation of diversity,” continued Randazzo. “It represents equality. It represents the cultural identity of the community.”

As another resident put it: “Miami Beach has a little bit of everything.

“I think that’s what makes Miami Beach what it is–so I’m okay with it.”

The presence of the flag might also help make Miami Beach the next host city for the Gay Games. Miami was one of four American cities to submit letters to the Federation of Gay Games expressing the intention of bidding to become the site for the next Gay Games in 2014.

Boston, Cleveland, and Washington, D.C. also submitted letters notifying the FGG that those cities, too, intend to throw their hats into the ring for the honor–and the profit–of hosting the games, according to a release from the FGG.

Site inspectors from the FGG will travel to each of the four cities next summer to determine which one will be chosen to host the 2014 Games.

Every four years, more than eleven thousand athletes and other participants join together for the world’s largest GLBT sporting and cultural event, according to the FGG news release.

The 2010 Games are already scheduled to take place in Cologne, Germany.

Past host cities have included San Francisco (twice: 1982 and again in 1986), Vancouver (1990), New York (1994), Amsterdam (1998), Sydney (2002), and Chicago (2006).

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Thank you for visiting our Gay Fort Lauderdale / Wilton Manors Travel Information Site!
http://www.thecabanasguesthouse.com

The Cabana’s Guesthouse has long established itself as the area’s premier all male resort. Its central waterfront location in Wilton Manors, the heart of gay Fort Lauderdale, and endless amenities make it popular destination for Bears travelers from around the world. The new addition of a European style Spa further extends The Cabana’s commitment to providing guests, as well as locals with world class amenities and services.

A Spa is a perfect complement to The Cabanas meticulously landscaped grounds and will offer European Spa Treatments using an exclusive line of imported products. Services will focus on your individual rejuvenation and well being. All treatments have been carefully selected and include Full Body Treatments, Manicures and Pedicures, Hair removal, facial treatments. A variety of massages are also available which include: Swedish, Deep Tissue, Couples Massage, Warm Stone, Aroma-Therapy, Chakra, Sportif and, of course, The Cabana Massage.

A variety of spa packages will be offered, include complete Day Spa Packages, Room/Spa Packages and Holiday Packages ,just to name a few. For more information go to: www.TheCabanasGuesthouse.com

Dust off those wigs and over-the-top costumes, it’s time to celebrate the most ghostly of holidays … Halloween. Join us in Greater Fort Lauderdale for the hottest party in Florida – the Wicked Manors Block Party on Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors. This year’s theme, “The Silver Scream” will feature classic horror films from the past with party-goers in more eclectic and eccentric costumes than anywhere in South Florida. Female impersonators, contests, food vendors, bars and themed booths will fill “The Drive” with lots of good old Halloween fun. Looking to play some tricks or get some treats then come to one of these devilishly fun events or contests:
Schedule of Events

5 PM: Trick or Treat on the Drive

Get in the Wicked Manors spirit and trick-or-treat the entire length of the Drive from 5 PM to 7 PM. Participating businesses will offer special “treats” for the kids and adults and be on the lookout for your favorite storefront decorated in the spirit of Halloween!

7 PM: Wicked Manors Block Party Begins

Party the night away with a fabulous DJ and other live or (undead) entertainment.

Pet Costume Contest: Don’t leave the pets at home! Dress up your dog, costume your cat, masquerade your mouse! Furry friends can win big in this contest! Prizes will be awarded for large and small breeds.

Best Wig Contest! New for ‘08, this hair raising contest will flip your lid!

Celebrity Look-A-Like Contest: Has anyone ever told you that you look like Marilyn Monroe or maybe Hugh Grant? Here’s your chance to dress like a diva, wear movie star make-up, be a Britney (or not). Celebrate your inner celebrity and join the fun.

Drag Queen Walk Off! Bring out the high heels for this one! A quick walk down the runway, past the crowds and back to the stage – FIERCE!

Costume Contest: The prizes get bigger and the judging gets tougher! Can you be the scariest? Or even the best?

Winners announced throughout the evening and at 11 PM, we crown the Lord and Lady of Wicked Manors!

For more info check out www.WickedManors.com

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Thank you for visiting our blog! Come visit us!
Bill and John

The Cabanas Guesthouse

Presented By: The Cabanas Guesthouse In Wilton Manors

By the mid-1990’s, this small, once comfortably middle-class city just north of downtown Fort Lauderdale had its share of woes. Crime, drugs and prostitution blighted various neighborhoods. The local Piggly Wiggly supermarket needed security guards before it shut down completely.

Then in 1997 George Kessinger converted a boarded-up bank in a derelict strip mall into a gay bar, and things began to change. Boards were removed from other storefronts in the mall, and more gay-oriented businesses opened — a bar, a coffee shop, two men’s clothing stores.

Soon homes that would not sell for $80,000 or $90,000 even in a frenzied market moved briskly for $300,000 to $400,000, as gay men and women priced out of South Beach, Key West and Victoria Park in Fort Lauderdale moved to the more affordable bungalows of Wilton Manors.

Now, the city is thriving. It has a higher proportion of same-sex households than any other city in the country except Provincetown, Mass., and Guerneville, Calif., in the Sonoma wine country, according to a new study of census data. to San Diego but couldn’t afford it.

You can read the full New York Times article HERE.

Thank you for visiting our blog! Come visit us!
Bill and John

The Cabanas Guesthouse