Lake Havasu Memorial Day 2002

Lake Havasu Flashers Photos and Report © Fingers

OK, here's the way to spend a holiday weekend: Drive 10 hours (to a place where the temperature is running above 110 degrees), talk your way onto a boat to get dropped off in the middle of the river (with a $1000 camera, memory, batteries, beads), jump into the river (trying to keep everything dry), shoot a bunch of photos of people partying, hitch a ride back to shore, and drive 10 hours home.

All of this is done to bring you the story and pictures.

"The Sandbar" is a place located on the Colorado River north of Lake Havasu, and still attracts a crowd on weekends and even summer weekdays. It became so popular that soon video companies were showing up with strippers and porn stars and putting on a very explicit show. Now the sheriff plants a houseboat on the Sandbar on holiday weekends and does not allow the party to happen any more. Copper Canyon, also on Lake Havasu, had been shut down by the sheriff for the same reason earlier, but has returned to activity. I've not shot Copper Canyon, because I don't have a boat, and because shooting is limited as it is in deep water and you can't get off the boat to wander around. The Sandbar was perfect, as you could wander around in shallow water and everyone gathered to party.

I went to Arizona again over the Memorial Day weekend and shot some wet t-shirt contest pictures at a local floating bar. While there, I sought out information and learned about another sandbar, one not near the famous one. You can see this one from a hotel with a marina, so it's a very short boat ride. I won't disclose the exact location, because I don't want the big video guys to show up and bring the attention of the sheriff again.

For this trip I lucked out and ran into a boat owner that let me leave my stuff on his boat. He was just checking out the party, and I told him I'd take my stuff off the boat whenever he was ready to leave. It turns out I led him to a spot right in the center of the party, and since he had his video camera, he was entertained all afternoon!

Beads are becoming the norm at many public nudity events, so I brought some left over Mardi Gras beads with me. You are a pervert if you just want to take a picture of a woman's breasts, but it's considered perfectly acceptable to barter a flash for some beads. If your beads are unique, they may even proposition you, which happened several times while I was there.