Naked in St. John's

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - For most, standing naked facing the North Atlantic in the middle of December would be cruel and unusual punishment.

But for about 50 brave Newfoundlanders, baring it all for the cameras along the St. John's waterfront at the crack of dawn Saturday was an opportunity they couldn't resist.

"It's such a strange and interesting event," said 20-year-old Beth Fagan, an English student at Memorial University.

"How many times do you get to be naked in public in St. John's and not get arrested or molested?"

The unusual photo shoot, arranged by actor-director Mary Walsh, was intended to show people in their natural form without the riches and luxuries that separate them.

Walsh did not appear in the buff, but she said there was "a certain egalitarianism to us all being together."