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The backyard of 66 Park St. looked like a hurricane of small children had swept through Wednesday. Half-empty green paint bottles littered the lawn, and several bicycles lay on their side. It looked like an art project gone wrong.
Andrew Dunn wandered, picking up scattered jeans, bras and underwear. He stuffed backpacks and garbage bags filled with clothes into his car. He paused to marvel at a green ass print left on his driver’s side door.
Moments earlier, a green pack of naked bicyclists took off from the yard in a fury. They hooted and hollered, “Happy Earth Day!”
Nearly 30 University of Maine students, including six men (a new record), had gathered at noon to get naked, paint themselves and ride their bikes through campus – an Earth Day tradition.
“It’s quite a liberating experience,” said Amy Marchessault, a second-year student and organizer of the event.
Bikers left the house on Park Street, cruised down Grove Street and entered campus, where they had permission to parade naked. Associate Dean Angel Loredo had pre-approved the event, as he does every year. The bikers did not have permission to ride through Orono, so the location was key.
They circled around campus, waving to onlookers. High-fives were abundant and well received by supporters.
Groups gathered on the mall to get a peek at the bicyclists.
“It’s amazing. We’re getting a huge tandem bike next year,” joked onlooker Josh St. Hilaire, a second-year student.
St. Hilaire gathered with eight others, waiting for another glimpse of the bikers. As the sound of cheering approached the mall from the MLK Plaza, St. Hilaire and his friends moved out of the way.
Other spectators gawked, some smiling, some surprised. One covered her mouth with a confused look.
Marchessault explained that she could always tell who was expecting the parade and those who weren’t.
“You can tell they’re thinking, ‘Did I really just see a flock of naked people?’” she said.
Marchessault is a tour guide on campus. With spring weather in full swing, many prospective UMaine students are checking out the university. She described an incident last year when her friend – another tour guide – was giving a campus tour when the bikers rode by.
“She just looked at the group and said, ‘Well, that’s UMaine.’”
The bikers passed Stevens, Little and Boardman halls to their final destination – the Memorial Gym – where they cleaned up.
Dunn, a second-year student, was recruited to bring the bikers’ clothes to the gym.
During the painting process, bikers rubbed lotion on their bodies before the layer of sparkly, green paint. Marchessault said this would help the paint come off easier.
The bikers pranced through the backyard, comparing hidden tattoos, tying each other’s hair up and making sure everyone’s back was evenly painted.
“Yah, we’re naked,” shouted Lindsey James, a third-year student.
Some donned homemade white banners painted with images of the Earth and quotes like, “Who’s your mama?”
“I feel strangely invigorated,” one biker yelled as she left the Park St. yard, heading toward the street.
“Next time we’re going blue?” joked Jordan Antonucci, a third-year student, as he covered himself in green paint.
“Yeah, next week,” Ari Horovitz, another biker, shot back, in regards to Maine Day.
As they left the yard, Hannah Pennington, a former organizer of the event, yelled quick announcements.
“If someone falls, we all stop,” she reminded the crowd.
The herd of bikers took off in an adrenaline-rush of a ride, laughing and cheering. Pennington brought up the rear, a veteran of the event. She decided to do the event “because it’s darn fun … UMaine receives it so well.”
Marchessault agreed. “It’s really fun,” she said. “Definitely a tradition worth keeping.”
The organizers of the event were unsure how long the annual ride had been taking place, but Pennington estimated that the tradition is at least eight years old, perhaps as old as 15 years. The ride always takes place on Earth Day.
“It’s just a fun reminder to be a bit more kind to the earth,” Pennington said.
“It’s really just displaying Mother Nature and beauty at its core. It’s the feeling on campus that day. A day of celebration,” Marchessault said.
Everyone who wanted to participate was welcome to join. Announcements were sent out on FirstClass and invitations were forwarded by participants. The bikers had planned no route for their ride and scoured the campus.
“It’s kind of a subjective thing. If we feel like doing another lap, we will,” Marchessault said.
As the bikers tore through campus, the clouds parted. Students, faculty and visitors stood with open mouths and smiles as the rear end of the bike pack rode down the mall, waving and cheering into the newfound sunshine.
Bangor Daily News