BARES
HIBERNATE
Miami Herald, FL
BY JENNIFER LEBOVICH
jlebovich@MiamiHerald.com
Nudist couple decide it's time to cover up
After 37 years, a Pompano Beach couple turned over the reins to their beloved
nudist camp
Janice and Charles Youngman have run South Florida's only nudist camp for the
past 37 years.
They were on the cutting edge. They sponsored nude volleyball teams; they
hosted the ''Barely Proper Players,'' a weekly theater; and a preacher even led
services in the buff.
''Our intent was to live and die there,'' said Janice Youngman, who raised
four children on the grounds.
J. ALBERT DIAZ/HS
Jan and Charlie Youngman, 28-year owners of the Seminole Health Club Nudist Resort in Davie.
But now that Janice and Charles are in their 70s, his poor health has made
nudism difficult. He gets chilly. And the two have taken to wearing clothes.
They have given up their beloved 10-acre compound in west Davie and moved to a house in Pompano Beach.
It's time to give up the lifestyle, Janice said.
''My husband's cold all the time,'' she said. ``He's gotta wear a
jacket.''
Will they stay in the buff in Pompano?
``We have a house, and we don't have a fenced-in yard, so naturally we
don't.''
In June, the Youngmans sold the Seminole Health Club to businessman Patrick
Toma (a non-nudist developer) for $3.2 million.Toma has recruited his best friend, Ryan Hennessey, also not a nudist, to
manage the property and live in one of the cabins. It's been a bit of an
adjustment from his former digs on Las Olas Boulevard.
Toma said he sees potential in ...
the nudist park and hopes to bring back the
Miss Nude Florida pageant the Youngmans once hosted -- their daughter Cindy took
the crown in 1976.
He also wants to attract more locals, who may want to spend weekends in the
nude.
On a recent afternoon, Pat Waite shed a printed wrap and waded into the
Seminole Health Club pool, a jeweled necklace and sunglasses the only thing
between her and the water.
As she swam, a man with nothing more than his sagging belly as a cover-up
wandered past.
''It's a way of life,'' Waite said. ``It's very relaxing, very natural.''
A common question from a lot of non-nudists, said Janelle Cardini, 46, who
joined Waite in the pool: ``What do nudists do when it gets cold out?''
Her answer: ``We put our clothes on.''
Standing at the edge of the pool was Toma, wearing noticeably more
clothing.
Some cover up slightly to walk around the park's RVs and cabins, others throw
on jeans and T-shirts to leave the park for work. One man mows the lawn in the
altogether.
A smattering of exercise equipment sits next to the pool, where residents
have the option of naked cardio workouts.
Nude volleyball is a popular activity, with the park trying to field a
traveling team.
FOLLOW THE RULES
But there are certain rules. Sitting down without a towel is a no-no, as is
wearing dark sunglasses.
One thing Toma doesn't plan to change -- the park's clothing-is-optional
policy.
Toma hopes to capitalize on being the only nudist camp in South Florida and
learn from other larger nudist campgrounds in the state.
He wants to add space for 100 more RVs at the site and create a mile-long
jogging path.
''Some people think I'm crazy,'' Toma said. ``Even the appraisal said the
highest and best use was homes for $1.5 million to $3 million, but I see the
potential in the long run.''
The park's 40 permanent residents haven't objected to the new ownership.
''We're trying to get them to be nudists, we're working on it,'' said Waite,
who has lived at the park for about a year.
Her husband, who has been a nudist for 30 years, persuaded her to join in
about two years ago.
''I was raised here in South Florida, and I used to try and peek over the
fence, never thinking I'd be here,'' she said.
To celebrate the park's 37th anniversary over Labor Day weekend, there was a
naked luau, complete with a roast pig.
PERKS OF THE JOB
Toma has recruited his best friend, Ryan Hennessey, also not a nudist, to
manage the property and live in one of the cabins. It's been a bit of an
adjustment from his former digs on Las Olas Boulevard.
''Carrying on a conversation with a naked guy takes a little getting used
to,'' said Hennessey, 32. But the job isn't without its perks.
''If I order any Chinese or pizza, it comes fast,'' he said with a smirk.
Janice Youngman said she misses the 150 or so French Canadians who come to
the park each winter. Many had been coming for more than a decade.
She'll also miss the resident monkey, Chip, who lives like a king on his very
own island. But so far, Janice hasn't minded covering up.
''We're busy, so I don't miss that part,'' she said. 'We can always fence in
our yard if we want to do it. Right now, I don't miss it. We've been nudists for
years and years, and they'll probably be times we'll say, `It might be nice to
get in the yard.' We could probably take our clothes off in the pool, and no one
would know it.''
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