Director
Place 2
Email: Email Kathy
Phone: 920.426.5009 (option 8, then dial extension 202)
I started going to clothing-optional beaches in 1980, with my favorite then being More Mesa in Santa Barbara, California. When I met my future husband, Mark Storey, in 1986, he told me about memberships to nudist organizations. I laughed, thinking, “If you have no pockets, where do you keep your membership card?” I joined up, though, and have been a member of The Naturist Society since 1988.
Since I became a TNS member and have moved to Seattle, Washington, I’ve been impressed and appreciative of TNS, and the hard work its members have put in keeping our beaches and naturist lifestyle safe, and in promoting the naturist lifestyle to the general public. A few years ago, I upped my commitment and became a Lifetime Member of TNS.
I’ve been fortunate in getting to travel to dozens of naturist clubs, beaches, and hot springs in North and Central America, often writing about them with Mark for N magazine. I’ve also contributed to TNS’s journal with articles on naturist-related gardening practices and environmentally-friendly ways of living. I’m proud to say that one article caught Rush Limbaugh’s attention, and he pointedly claimed on the radio that “Kathy Blanchard is an idiot!”
I’ve taken advantage of making non-sexualized nudity something the public can be comfortable with when the situation presented itself. My favorite example is how my Masters Swimmer female teammate and I initiated nude swimming at an annual open-water race from Alcatraz Island to San Francisco. I completed that race nude five times, and the number of suit-free swimmers grew in number each year. I am ready to take advantage of situations to be nude in public as long as it makes sense and stands a good chance of serving a reasonable naturist interest.
I am presently retired as a Senior Gardener for the City of Seattle. I have been open with my naturist lifestyle with the press, my family, and co-workers. I’ve enjoyed serving on the TNSF board and supporting the excellent Wisconsin-based TNSF staff.