Nude beach articles help media outlets get noticed

One of the oldest tricks in the newspaper editor's playbook is to run an article about nude beaches in the summer.

It's guaranteed to attract a lot of eyeballs to the page.

So I wasn't surprised to see a website owned by a large U.S. corporationtrot out a list of the best nude beaches in North America.

Eight were south of the border, but the writer shrewdly included Wreck Beach in Vancouver and a nude beach in Toronto to generate more page views from Canada.

I'm a little sorry that Crescent Rock Beach in White Rock wasn't included on the list.

To date, it hasn't been officially designated as clothing optional. But it still has a great code of ethics and the RCMP have informed members of Surrey United Naturists that they won't be arrested for going au naturel.

It's also too bad that the U.S. article didn't delve into the serious issues threatening the future of Vancouver's most famous nude beach. For that, you have to go here.

Recently, one of Wreck Beach's greatest promoters, Watermelon, has been raising concerns about Metro Vancouver's enforcement of a ban on late-night visitors. My guess is we wouldn't still have a nude beach in Vancouver were it not for the efforts of Watermelon, Judy Williams, and members of the Wreck Beach Preservation Society.

Follow Charlie Smith on Twitter at twitter.com/csmithstraight.