A day at the beach in his birthday suit isn't always a party for Dennis Crane
First, he and his fellow naturists were told they could no longer sunbathe at Trail 6 on San Onofre State Beach. Now, the gloves -- and everything else -- have come off in a dispute over another beach.
"We're peaceful, fun-loving, we're obviously not a threat," said Crane. "When you're out in the sunshine and you've got that wonderful glow -- there's something that's just very magical and peaceful and relaxing. You shed all your inhibitions -- Zen-like, almost."
That Zen state turned into a legal fight about two years ago when the state cracked down on nudity at San Onofre. It had traditionally been a clothing optional beach, but officials cited complaints.
After a legal battle, a court upheld the state's right to cite the naturists.
So the sunbathers moved to a federally owned beach at Camp Pendleton. Crane said park rangers have followed -- an allegation the parks system denies.
Crane accepts that it's federally owned land, but he said sunbathers and the military can share.
"People have been using that beach for decades," he said. "When the military needs it, they come in, they do a sweep, and the military does some maneuvers."
The beach in question is Gold Beach, a site used for Marine training. It's also just a short walk from Trail 6.
