Thanks to a stroke of luck, I was able to catch a glimpse of this year’s World Naked Bike Ride in Vancouver.

I actually had no idea at all that this was going to be happening on Saturday, June 12, and I was just on my way back from getting that complete waste of money AirCare checkup, when all of a sudden, the naked bike riders started riding by right through the intersection I was stopped at.

World Naked Bike Ride 2010 Vancouver

2010 World Naked Bike Ride heading down Granville at Davie

The World Naked Bike Ride is an event that started in Vancouver back in 2002 as an anti-war protest. Since then, it has blossomed into a worldwide event held in 70 cities in 25 countries around the world. It’s current purpose is supposedly a protest against oil dependency and car culture.

WNBR ad

The ad for this year's World Naked Bike Ride, beginning at Sunset Beach at the corner of Beach Avenue and Bute Street

Personally, I think many of these people are the type who just want to be naked in public for any reason, and any message or purpose behind it is secondary. Doing stunts like this also won’t make a bit of difference in the world. There is a girl in my picture in the front with the words “Stop Oil Spill” painted in red on her leg. That’s all pretty nice, but what kind of effect is this really going to have? If the U.S. government can’t do anything about it, what kind of a difference can a naked girl on a bike make? Still, I think it’s all quite interesting and funny to see, and yet another cool event that makes Vancouver a special place.