DENMARK: Festival-goers run a naked race across Denmark's Roskilde camp site -- part of an annual rock festival in the 'hippie' spirit

Record ID: 528844

  • Title: DENMARK: Festival-goers run a naked race across Denmark's Roskilde camp site -- part of an annual rock festival in the 'hippie' spirit
  • Date: 7th July 2012
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) ICELANDIC FESTIVAL-GOER AND MALE WINNER OF NAKED RUN PETUR GEIR GRETARSSON SAYING: "My expectation was winning, I was going to win, I knew that." WIDE OF FESTIVAL (SOUNDBITE) (English) DANISH FESTIVAL-GOER RONNI JENSEN SAYING: "To relax and go away from all the day's problem we always have." FESTIVAL-GOERS HAVING THEIR WRISTBANDS CHECKED FESTIVAL-GOERS CHILLING AT AN ORGANIC ART INSTALLATION FESTIVAL-GOERS HOLDING HANDS, WALKING ACROSS CAMP SITE FESTIVAL-GOERS WALKING WALKING THROUGH THE MUD FESTIVAL SCENES SMILING FEMALE FESTIVAL-GOER WEARING DARK SHADES FESTIVAL-GOERS DANCING FESTIVAL-GOERS AT THE CHILL OUT AREA
  • Embargoed: 22nd July 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Denmark
  • Country: Denmark
  • Topics: Entertainment,Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA8ZRYKUUBVSRGNAZTY3O8GDL7Z
  • Story Text: Music and partying are the main ingredients to a good rock festival, but Denmark's Roskilde Festival on Saturday (July 7) also encouraged guests to participate in its signature event: getting naked and racing for charity.
    Thousands are drawn to Roskilde both by the hippie and epic nature of the event, as well as by the quality of the bands it normally features, this year playing host to rock legend Bruce Springsteen among others.
    "The orange feeling is about loving and sharing, its about listening to good music. Its just about being together and having blast," Danish festival-goer Eva Kaas said.
    Away from the music, the annual recurrent attraction at Roskilde is the naked run around the camp site. Whether motivation comes from the free ticket to next year's festival the male and female winners are given, a desire to contribute to a good cause or the wish to experience a feeling of freedom, dozens of participants try their hand at nude running every year.
    Female winner "Evalina" from Sweden, a Roskilde rookie, was surprised to claim the title. "I did not have any expectations, I did not think I was going to win," she said, not wanting to reveal her real name.
    Her male counterpart, Icelandic male winner Petur Geir Gretarsson felt exactly the opposite. "My expectation was winning, I was going to win, I knew that," he said.
    Roskilde is one of Europe's largest rock music extravaganzas inviting festival-goers to performances at seven separate stages, each dedicated to a particular genre of music, such as rock, heavy metal, and electronic.
    To many, it is the perfect getaway to let go of daily stress. "To relax and go away from all the days problem we always have," Danish festival-goer Ronni Jensen said.
    Roskilde opened Thursday (July 5) and will run until Sunday (July 8), hosting 200 world-class bands and solo artists from around the world.
    According to organizers, this year's 42nd edition has attracted over 77,000 visitors, largely from Denmark and the Nordic region, of whom 50,000 have pitched tents at the thronged festival site some 35 kilometers west of Copenhagen, the Danish capital.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register