Interview with Flemming Sørensen about clothed bathing. Broadcasted from "Radio Syd" (Radio South) August 4th. 2006 at 5:10 PM. **** The interview was a part of an afternoon radio show where the story of the day was that a woman had complained that she felt offended by naked German tourists that bathed naked on the beaches on the coasts of Denmark. The researcher called me a couple of hours before the interview was taped. I was in a car shop at that moment. That's why I make a remark about buying a car. The persons are: G: Gert - the guy who is the host of the show. J: Jens - the "assistant" F: Flemming - me. **** Start MUSIC FADES OUT G: Jens, I read something funny yesterday. You know how some headlines seems to catch you eyes imidiately. J: Hmmmm? G: This was one of those headlines. It said "Nudibathing the German way"! J: Hmmmm!?! G: I said to myself: "I wonder how that is done"? Maybe the text would reveal the mystery? G: The text was actually a letter to the editor written by Birgit Filskov from the town of Kollund who wrote: "The "family-juvels" are often out in the open on the beach of Kohagen and the same is the case at Kollund. Pleas about supporting the local textile industry in the name of modesty has been totally without result. I have seen several mothers with small children leave the scene in anger. Wouldn't it be possible to get a big sign on the beach explaining - preferrably in German - that bathing in the nude will not be accepted? Of course I must admit that there are also Danish people amongst those who prefers this way of bathing". J: Does this take place on all kinds of beaches? G: Apparently it does. J: We know that there are nudi beaches on the southern parts of Rømø and also in other parts of the country you can swim naked if that is what you like. G: But I can say for sure that I would get pretty annoyed if I were on a beach with my children and other people - maybe "Fritz from Freiburg" - just stripped naked nearby. Just like Birgit gets. J: Well, modesty can be both that you don't like to be naked amongst other people. But it can also be that you don't like to see other people go naked. G: Keep your private parts covered! J: Understood, I totally aggree with Birgit on that subject. Well written! G: And I guess that we can find others who also aggrees on Birgit's POW. J: Probably many. I think a lot of people would prefer to have nude and clothed beachgoers separated. G: But on the other hand I think there are some people - maybe even in this radio studio - who would swim naked if they were all alone. J: Maybe I would.... G: I bet you would! J: Yes, maybe if I were at a deserted forest lake in Sweden. G: You would swim naked in a lake in Sweden? J: Well, if there were no people and no mooses I would probably do it. G: I think you should do it if you like and you were alone. G: But now we shall meet a guy who would never swim naked even if he was alone. J: Who is it? G: His name is Flemming and he lives in Billund. Why not give him a call? J: You are saying that he would never swim naked? G: That's what I have been told. In fact he prefers to jump in the water fully clothed. J: Fully clothed....? G: Yes, suit and tie and everything....well maybe that was slightly exagerated. SOUND OF TELEPHONE DIALING J: You mean that if he swims in the cold season he would swim in a quiltet jacket? G: I don't know. Maybe you could ask him. G: But anyway this is a guy who not at all likes to be in the water naked. In fact he doesn't even likes to wear swimwear. J: And that's the guy you are calling? G: Yes, Flemming Sørensen from Billund. SOUND OF TELEPHONE RINGING F: Flemming Sørensen. G: Hello this is Jens and Gert from "Radio South". F: Yes, I thought so..... G: Are you in the water at the moment? F: In the water? G: Yes. F: No, I'm in my living room. G: You are not at the beach right now? F: Naaah, I don't have any wheels at the moment. Some light-fingered delinquents have stolen my scooter last sunday. G: That's a pity. F: Yes, but that was why I was in a car shop when you called me earlier. G: Oh, yes I understand. J: Flemming, Gert has told me that you would never bathe naked under any circumstances? F: Yes, that true. J: And he has also told that you prefer to bathe fully clothed? F: That's also true. J: Fully clothed? You mean that you don't in any way get undressed - like swimming in you underwear or so? F: No, no, it is....how should I put it...ordinary clothes. J: You are saying that if you arrive at the beach in jeans and a sweater then you will swim in that? F: Maybe not the sweater. It will probably get a bit too heavy. J: Maybe a shirt? F: Yes, a shirt or a T-shirt. J: How about socks? Do you take off your socks? F: Sometimes I do - sometimes I don't. It depends on the shoes. I normally go for light shoes and usually I remove my socks. J: Are you a very modest man.....or how should I understand this? F: Hmmmmm......modest....modest......I don't like to be naked if there are other people. J: Excuse me for being a bit psychological here but is it because you were forced to be naked at school after gym in the showers? F: No, in the gym showers I was naked at my own will and I didn't think about it then. After all the other boys were naked too and today I don't have any problems about being naked in a locker room either. But in public were everybody can see it I don't like to be naked. G: But isn't it unpleasant to wear wet, clingy, and heavy clothes? F: It depends on the kind of clothing. Off course I try not to wear the kinds of clothes that gets unpleasant when wet. G: What is pleasant "swimwear"? F: It depends on who you are asking. To me it is mostly loose fitting clothes. J: You mean like a sweatshirt and loose fitting cotton jeans? F: Yes. J: But if we imagine a beach like the one at Vejers and there are twenty naked Germans and twenty persons in "ordinary" swimwear and then you jump in the water wearing ordinary clothes. F: Yes? G: Aren't people staring? F: Let me put it this way: I get more attention than the twenty naked Germans! G: I can imagine that! You are more of a rarity? F: That's probably the right way to put it. G: Do you go to beach on a regular basis? F: Hmmmm.....I think I have been at the beach....Hmmmmm...fifteen to twenty times this year. G: So that's pretty often? F: Yes. G: That makes a lot of wet clothes to dry? F: Ha ha, yes but I have a good clothes line. J: OK? F: I just have to make shure that I have rinsed the clothes properly. If I don't do it the metal buttons will rust. J+G: Hmmm....? F: Once I left a pile of clothes wet from salt water for a couple a days and it took me some time to remove all the rust stains. G: So all the metal rusted? F: Yes. J: When you get out of the water soaking wet do you then change into something dry? F: It depends if I'm going out in the water again shortly after. But I change clothes before going home. It's too cold to drive home all wet. J: Can we get closer to an explanation on why.....why are you bathing in your clothes? F: Hmmmm....not an absolute clear explanation. I remember falling into the water from a wooden raft in my early teenage years and then I found out that I liked to swim in clothes. It was pleasant in some way. So I have continued to swim like that. G: Maybe we should try it out.... J: Are you the only one in Denmark into clothed swimming? F: No, but I'm one of the few who do it in public. J: I can understand why. It is like it's more legitimate to remove all your clothes when bathing compared to bathing fully clothed? F: Yes, that's true. J: So you are saying that there are other "in-closet" clothed swimmers in Denmark? F: Yes, there are. J: And they go to the beach maybe in the evening? F: Yes, or at deserted beaches, or in a pool in the garten, or other places where they can do it alone. I have done that myself untill a couple of years ago. I have often been swimming at small lakes in cloudy weather or in the rain because then I could do it undiscovered. G: And now you do in public? You have broken down that psycological boundary? F: Yes. J: So now you just go to the west coast and jumps into the waves? F: Actually I'm wading out! It's hard to find something to jump from. J: That's true. G: Well, Flemming Sørensen we got your story. Thank you for participating. F: You're welcome. G: Bye bye F: Bye. MUSIC STARTS End **** f