Shirley Mason is an African American naturist pioneer. She is a Founder, Executive Director, Secretary of the Beach Education Advocates for Culture, Health, Environment & Safety (B.E.A.C.H.E.S.) Foundation Institute and South Florida Free Beaches Association

As a young girl, Mason participated in an activity one summer that ended up being a life-altering experience. Skinny dipping. This was something she would end up doing often as she pursued her love of the water, “warm water”. This generated an attraction to Florida at a young age since her home in northern Minnesota provided few opportunities. ¹

“Every summer, there were only a few days of the year where I could go down to this area called Park Point and get in the water,” she recalls. “It used to drive me crazy because I love the water. But I love warm water. So from the time I was a young girl, I was attracted to Florida.” ²

Once in Florida Mason established herself in the tourism industry as the executive director of B.E.A.C.H.E.S.and a driving force behind establishing a clothing-optional section of Miami-Dade County’s Haulover Beach. Haulover is widely acclaimed as one of the world’s best nude beaches.

As the President of South Florida Free Beaches (SFFB), Shirley, along with a small group of leaders of that organization, was involved in every aspect of working with local and state governments and area businesses to establish and secure Haulover Beach in Miami, FL for naturists. Shirley literally wrote the book(let) on How to Establish and Secure a Clothing-Optional Beach. She served on the founding Board of Florida Association for Nude Recreation (now known as AANR Florida, the Florida Region of the American Association for Nude Recreation) and, as Past Chair, Executive Director, and Treasurer of two national organizations, the Naturist Action Committee and Naturist Education Foundation. Jointly with her husband, Richard Mason, current SFFB President, Shirley received in 2014 AANR’s prestigious Jim Cossins Memorial Award for distinguished, meritorious, and continuous service and lifetime achievement in the cause of nude recreation.

I became actively involved in organized nude recreation in 1989 after declaring myself as a naturist and member of South Florida Free Beaches in 1982. It’s been an insightful, edu-cational, and consciousness-raising experi-ence. I’ve learned so much from naturists / nudists on working visits to areas I’d never been to before. I’ve given much thought and action on how to improve public acceptance of nude recreation and overcome growing legislative obstacles to our survival. We’ve shared ideas, knowledge, successes, failures, and friendship, and these years have only served to strengthen my resolve for the preservation of nude recreation.

Shirley has organized several successful projects to educate the public and governmental agencies concerning the viability of clothing-optional recreation as an asset to community as well as individual well-being. Shirley and Richard collaborate as social activists and partners in work and life. She is a strong voice with revolutionary ideas for clothing-optional recreation in Florida, nationally, and interna-tionally. Those ideas have become realities, successful for the naturist market and profitable for business and government. Her diverse professional experience, skills and leadership have led to her numerous achievements in both private business and nonprofit arenas. ³

Shirley Mason

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