Authors Note: These stories are based on my life experiences. The names (or most of them) have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent. If any of the readers out there ever visited beautiful Wreck Beach, in Vancouver BC you will understand what I mean when I write it is (or was) 'full service' beach... For those of you who haven't, it's changed quite a bit over the past few years (thanks to the 'protectionism' of local government) – but it is still a lot of fun on a sunny summer day...
Wreck Beach was, what a good friend of mine called a 'full service beach'. It was (and still is) as unique a beach, or place, as I have ever been to before in my life – or indeed, since...
The beach itself is a several mile long strip of golden sand situated several hundred (very steep) feet below the University of British Colombia. The beach itself is accessible by several routes – the most direct is a steep winding trail of steps and ramps. Of course it is also accessible by water and alternatively (for those who hate the hike UP those stairs), you can also walk around several miles from Spanish Banks. I've done all three over the years – but that's another story...
Wreck is a very popular weekend spot for sun loving nudists of the greater Vancouver area – in fact, if you arrive late on a weekend, finding a decent piece of beach can be a bit difficult. The age/gender/peer groupings and at the beach are also very amazing – everyone from the very young, to the very old; fit to fat; young executives to middle aged housewives; young mothers to aging hippies; gay and lesbian; and everything in between... All enjoying the sun on the bodies...
Apart from the fact it is a 'clothing optional' beach, it also has a myriad of other things which make it a singularly wonderful place to visit. There are vendors wandering the beach – selling a huge variety of refreshments and food. You can buy hash laced ginger snaps & brownies, fresh watermelon (and other fruit), 'ice-cold' beer & coolers, pot, sushi, pizza and there is even a falafel stand (made from washed up driftwood). Along the back stony edge of the beach there are driftwood booths selling hand tie-dyed beach wraps, handmade leather goods & jewelry. What makes it quite interesting is the majority of the vendors are completely nude as well...
To put it mildly, it is kind of surreal for the first time visitor...
It was the first summer of the new millennium and I was just barely nineteen when I made my first trip to Wreck Beach. Oh, and what a trip it was, but I'm getting ahead of myself...
It really started the weekend before – it was third weekend in August – I remember this clearly because my new campus roommate, Cheryl and I had just finished unpacking in our shared dorm room. This was my first year at UBC – on a full scholarship which included my accommodations in the student residences – my major was to be in sciences and math. Cheryl was taking the four year nursing program.
I have known Cheryl for about 5 years – since we both joined the same extra-curricular girl's soccer team – and as it turned out, the same extra-curricular volleyball team as well. We both had many of the same interests, and had spent plenty of time together over the years. It was only natural that when we found out we were both going to be attending UBC we decided to room together.
This was my first time living on my own – away from home. I grew up in the Fraser Valley (about 60 miles) from the University in one of the smaller farming communities that are spread out throughout the 'Valley'. Although not far from Vancouver, I could count on both hands the number of times I had been into the city. Cheryl was from the same area as me (different community) but basically the same background. Country girls... Now it wasn't that we were ignorant of the city, of big city life, or even virgins for that matter. (At least I wasn't, and I didn't figure Cheryl was either) it was more simply a matter that we had not been exposed to the wilder side of the city either...
We had spent all day Saturday unpacking, and settling into our Dorm, and had decided to go to Spanish Banks (another beautiful, but not clothing optional, beach) on Sunday. The Sunday turned out perfect – sunny, hot, but with a nice soft breeze blowing too... As we were both going to be living on campus neither of us had a car – but public transit in Vancouver is handy, quick and efficient. So, we packed out beach supplies into a couple of bags and headed for the beach.
The bus ride was simple enough – around the campus, and down the hill to the beaches... As we started out, we quickly passed by the 'Pacific Spirit Regional Park' sign at the Wreck Beach trailhead. Cheryl poked me in the ribs, laughed and whispered "Hey, we could have just gone there..." I wasn't even sure 'there' was, but I had a good idea – I had heard about Wreck Beach plenty of times (living anywhere in the Valley or Vancouver you would have to be deaf not to have) and I knew the location was close to UBC, so I just guessed the location. I blushed a little, and poked her back, and said "Maybe we should have..." Cheryl did a brief double take – and laughed back nervously... But she didn't say no either...
Now my interest was piqued...
But we didn't get off – instead we carried on to Spanish Banks.
