Is this the year you go Gunnison?

You know, total commando, full monty…at New Jersey’s only nude beach.

I have a vivid imagination and I’m sure there nothing like the feeling of full freedom, letting the sun and ocean breeze permeate every inch of your body.

However, from practical experience, I wouldn’t know!

Perhaps it’s because of the hang up we all have of being completely nude.

And if I did, I can't see going without my wife, and I know full well she’d not be into it.

Besides, there’s always the thought that if your family and friends find out, they’ll think you’re a freak!

Like I should really care at my age!

But the idea’s always intrigued me for the longest.

So I’m wondering whether or not you have, or are considering it.

Probably the only other objection to going besides the aforementioned is the ubiquitous camera phone.

Every beachgoer has a cell phone, and every cell phone has a camera.

"There’s always going to be some jerk out there with a camera. But cell phones make it more convenient for people who are going to do something like this," said Dale Distasio of Atlantic Highlands, who runs Friends of Gunnison, a group for beach regulars.

Gunnison regulars, who are fiercely protective of their little bit of heaven, use everything from public shame to technology to fight back.

Eric, 42, who has been going to Gunnison since high school, has found that if an intruder ignores a polite request to stop, it is particularly effective to turn the tables and take his photo.

In addition, beach regulars use text messages to warn each other of anyone whose behavior seems suspect.

A group of three 20-something women, first-timers deciding whether to proceed past the clothing-optional warning sign, said it hadn’t occurred to them to worry about being photographed. The prospect gave them pause.

"I just want to relax, get some sun — and no tan lines," said Jennifer, who didn’t give her last name because of her occupation. "It doesn’t mean I want to be on the internet!"

So I wonder…if Gunnison is such a happy, carefree place, where the only thing one would have to worry about is the “lurker” looking for his own gratification with a cellphone, why does Wildwood always come in each and every summer as Jersey’s Best Beach?

No surprise here: The Wildwoods have once again taken top honors in New Jersey's annual best beaches contest.

The New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium announced the winners at a news conference in Sandy Hook today.

Ocean City came in second. The six towns on Long Beach Island placed third, followed by Sea Isle City, Belmar, Cape May, Manasquan, Island Beach State Park, Sandy Hook and Seaside Heights.

With all that in mind, is this the year you “Go Gunnison?”

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