By Amaris Pollock, Special Correspondent to Philly Grub
For the past 9 years, people have participated in the annual Philly Naked Bike Ride (PNBR) which promotes bicycle safety, body positivity and leaving a smaller green footprint on the environment.
This year marks the event’s 10th anniversary, and in addition to that milestone, the PNBR was sponsored by Naked Grouse this year. Both Philly Naked Bike Ride and Naked Grouse adhere to raising awareness of being true to yourselves, and to embracing the best life that you can live.
Philly Naked Bike Ride [Photo: Amaris Pollock]
In that spirit, the cyclists stripped off any fears and wore their birthday suits and were painted with brightly colored designs or even more glamorous—glitter. And as the large crowd gathered together at Glenndinning Rock Garden for the free and message-worthy Philly Naked Bike Ride to begin, curious passers-by honked at the spectacle of that celebration of bodies.
[Photo: Amaris Pollock]
“This will be my 4th ride, so I’ve done it 3 times before. I mostly do it because I support green transportation initiatives, so it’s mainly for cycling, but I’ve always been a bit of a naturist as well. I do feel very comfortable in my own skin, and I know there are a lot of people who don’t and it’s about promoting a positive self-image, so that is why I do it,” stated Steve Prudente who drove from Columbus, Ohio to participate in this year’s race.
[Photo: Amaris Pollock]
Christal Watson, who is a Philly Brand Entrepreneur for Naked Grouse stated, “It’s about being true to exactly who you are, and authenticity, and freedom of expression. Obviously today we’re out here celebrating body positivity which I think is super important. So we want to celebrate every single body; every single body is beautiful. So we’re just proud to be out here and proud to be a sponsor of the bike ride.”
Naked Grouse, which is a new supplier that makes a blended scotch whiskey, gave a donation to the PNBR along with sponsoring the after-party. So as the riders slowly made their way through a 10-mile stretch of the streets in Philadelphia, they ended at Warehouse on Watts located near Temple University’s campus for the after-party.
PNBR After Party Warehouse on Watts [Photo: Amaris Pollock]
The day ended up being rainy and cold, so at the after-party, most of the riders showed up wearing their clothes to stay warm. However, once inside Warehouse on Watts they once again stripped off their inhibitions to embrace the #LiveNaked lifestyle and continuing to advocate on behalf of body-positivity.
After a small fee of $12, which included their first complimentary cocktail made with Naked Grouse whiskey, the riders continued to celebrate in body positivity as they danced to music wearing nothing but their smiles. I tasted their Nearly Naked cocktail, consisting of Naked Grouse and Bitters. It was smoother than any other whiskey I’ve tried, and I enjoyed the great bold flavor of Naked Grouse’s whiskey.
[Photo: Amaris Pollock]
Meanwhile, outside of Warehouse on Watts, the riders could choose from two food truck vendors to refuel after their eventful ride. Jennifer Zavala’s Tamales, which is an unofficial food truck that serves Latin-based foods and Oscar Marin’s dessert-based food truck CRÈME BROLÉE.
Tamales by Jennifer Zavala [Photo: Amaris Pollock]
Although I did not indulge in Tamales, I did try out CRÈME BROLÉE’s Peanut Butter Fluff, which was silky and had a nice level of peanut butter flavor. The bruleed shell was thin and cracked easily, and the toasted marshmallows complimented the delicacy with a fluffy sweetness—his truck is definitely worth eating again.
Peanut Butter Fluffy by CRÈME BROLÉE [Photo: Amaris Pollock]
Speaking of, re-visiting next year’s Philly Naked Bike Ride should be fun. I know it is a year away, but I’m sure that with its growing popularity and sponsorship that next year will have the same positive activities and advocacies with twice the fun!
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Independent Journalist. Food marketing/PR expert.
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