As summer descends into autumn, the long, balmy evenings begin to draw in, and frosts begin to bite in the mornings, most British rowers are to be found dusting off their leggings and long-sleeves from a summer of hibernation. Not so, however, for many of the country’s student rowers; it’s naked calendar season, and across Britain student oarsmen and women are defying the cold, and stripping off to shoot their 2017 nudes.
The naked calendar craze is now firmly established in Britain, and has become a crucial revenue stream for boat clubs looking to expand their fleets and invest in new facilities. Since 2009, Warwick University Boat Club have taken the market by storm, and have now expanded their product range to include calendars, films, and signed prints. They have attracted a huge following, with over 100,000 followers on Instagram and celebrity backing from the likes of actor Sir Ian McKellen.
“The naked calendar craze is now firmly established
in Britain, and has become a crucial revenue stream for boat clubs looking to expand their fleets.”