Fifty-four years of naked volleyball
White Thorn’s Superbowl blends sport, history, and community
As summer closes and Labor Day arrives, White Thorn Lodge is once again alive with the sound of whistles, music, and cheers. The 54th Superbowl of Volleyball is already underway in Darlington, Pennsylvania, drawing more than a hundred teams and thousands of nudists for what has become one of the largest naturist gatherings in North America.
The story of the Superbowl
When White Thorn Lodge first opened its gates in 1961, it was just 106 acres of reclaimed strip-mined land in the hills of western Pennsylvania. Like many nudist clubs of its era, volleyball quickly became a favorite pastime. But in 1971, two members, Betty and Wayne Alwine, proposed something new: a tournament to crown a champion on neutral ground. Inspired by the NFL’s recently minted Super Bowl, they dubbed it the Superbowl of Volleyball.
That first contest was modest. But by the next year the date was fixed: the weekend after Labor Day, a tradition that has remained unbroken ever since. The Superbowl quickly grew beyond a simple tournament. The $600 raised in 1973 paved White Thorn’s first volleyball court. Within a few years it was the club’s main fundraiser, a festival in its own right, and the centerpiece of White Thorn’s identity. Today, there are eleven courts—sand, blacktop, and grass—maintained specifically for the annual event.
By the 2000s, the Superbowl had become an eleven-day celebration drawing around 2,000 nudists and over 100 volleyball teams from the U.S., Canada, and beyond. It has become known as one of the largest nudist sporting gatherings in North America.
Born on the courts
Eli Hunter’s connection to the Superbowl runs deep. A third-generation nudist, his first “visit” to White Thorn came before birth, when his mother attended while pregnant with him. With a father who trained with the U.S. national volleyball team in the late ’70s and ’80s, volleyball was in Eli’s DNA.
“I grew up going to White Thorn, playing in the Superbowl tournament year after year,” Hunter told Planet Nude. “Now, more than 30 years later, it’s still the most fun tournament of the year.”
In 2007, as a college student, he brought his own team to compete, and over time he has played in every division, from youth matches to the semi-pro AA/Open level. The championships are exhilarating, he notes, but it’s the enduring friendships that matter most. “The sense of community, the joy of reconnecting with people year after year, make it truly special,” he reflects.
That community is what sets the Superbowl apart. Spectators line the courts with lawn chairs, campers spill across every available patch of grass, and in less than two days, more than 800 matches are played under the watchful eye of U.S. Volleyball Association referees—the only people clothed on the field.
Evenings bring live bands, corn roasts, and themed parties. For many, it is as much festival as competition. Eli compares it to “a mix between a mini-Woodstock, mini-Burning Man, and a volleyball festival.”
The Superbowl remains White Thorn’s signature event and largest fundraiser. Its success has allowed the club to expand and thrive, adding new courts, cabins, and social spaces. But at its heart, the draw has never changed: volleyball played without barriers, and the community that forms around it.
“This tournament and community mean the world to me,” Eli says. “When you combine great people, music, and the open, inclusive spirit of the nudist world, you get an unforgettable experience that you simply have to see for yourself.”
As White Thorn readies for this year’s Superbowl, the event stands as both a living tradition and a vibrant, inclusive community—a testament to how sport, freedom, and fellowship can unite people year after year.
The Superbowl is already underway
This year’s program has already filled the courts with rotating-pairs tournaments, glow volleyball under the stars, and semifinals on the sand, while evenings bring foam parties, DJs, and corn roasts. By the end of the week, the championship matches will crown new winners, capping off an eleven-day festival that mixes serious sport with a Woodstock-style social atmosphere.
For Eli, who has been part of the tradition since childhood, the Superbowl represents a lifelong connection to a community. “I learned how to play volleyball here, built lifelong friendships, and created memories that I’ll cherish forever. Being part of something with such a long and rich tradition makes me feel deeply connected to its history.”
As White Thorn’s Superbowl enters its 54th year, that history continues as a living tradition that remains the heartbeat of the club and a highlight of the naturist calendar. 🪐
The first time I rode a bus in Spain (40 years ago), there were tv screens onboard. The first advert I watched was of a completely naked woman in the shower, using a particular brand of shower gel. It took me by surprise but I have come to learn that the Spanish a VERY relaxed about the human body.
2,000 nudists attending the tournament is pretty impressive. I've attended the UK version of this, it is smaller, at the Naturist Foundation south-east of London, teams from around the UK attend. There may be a bit of good-natured booing, when the other team scores at times, but overall these events are great for meeting nudists from other parts of the country, on top of the general fun atmosphere.