Boston — David Atkinson vows that the battle over Spaghetti Strip, a naturist beach in the artist colony of Provincetown, Mass., is not over

Last week, a judge issued an injunction blocking "clothing optional" sunbathing at the tiny strip of ocean beach on Cape Cod.

The action came after nearby landowners, including a couple planning a 50th wedding anniversary party, claimed that April's town meeting vote to allow nude sunbathing there failed to meet state law that prohibits swimming nude and indecent exposure.

"The question about the difference between indecent exposure and nudity has to be resolved," says Leonard Kesten, the attorney who represents the landowners.

Atkinson says he believes the town will eventually prevail.

"We'll fight this thing and win," says Atkinson, who is a Provincetown selectman, tree surgeon and avid naturist who supported last spring's vote.

He is right about one thing: the growing popularity of beaching in the buff. Over the past decade, naturists, nudists and plain old skinny-dippers have gained a foothold in many public areas, says Erich Schuttauf, executive director of the American Association for Nude Recreation, which is based in Kissimmee, Fla.

"Public attitudes about naturists beaches have turned a page," Schuttauf says. "A lot of these places are here to stay and have done a lot for the local economies."

There is no accurate count of the number of naturists public beaches. The legality of many nude-sunbathing areas ranges from official indifference to formal agreements.

More: https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2001/07/25/nude-beaches.htm