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Montana Democrat Rob Quist Is Regular Performer at Nudist Resort

Quist promises to bring 'values of rural Montana' to Washington, D.C.

Montana Democrat Rob Quist / Still from YouTube
April 26, 2017

Montana Democrat Rob Quist, a locally famous musician, is a frequent performer at the Sun Meadow Resort, Idaho's premier nudist resort for guests seeking a "family nudist experience."

Quist, running to represent Montana in Congress, is featured front and center on the nudist resort's website playing the guitar with his singer daughter. Both are clothed, though others on the website's homepage are not.

(NOTE: Many pages on the Sun Meadow website, including the home page featuring Quist, contain inappropriate images.)

Quist's prominent billing on Sun Meadow's website is unsurprising given his history of performances at the nudist resort.

His earliest known concert at the nudist resort came during the second annual Skin to the Wind Festival of Fun in 2009, in which Sun Meadow attempted to break the record for the largest skinny dip ever in North America.

Quist headlined the "Festival of Fun," which also included "Friday night volleyball, homemade soup, salad bar and homemade bread, and a DJ dance."

Quist returned to the nudist resort for a 2011 concert with his daughter Halladay Quist, according to the American Association for Nude Recreation newsletters, and again in 2012 for the fifth annual Skin to the Wind Festival of Fun.

During the intermission of Quist's 2011 show the resort advertised its "now-famous pot luck chocolate feast."

Quist played again at Sun Meadow alongside his daughter in 2014. She still plays at the resort regularly, according to her website.

Quist's campaign did not respond to inquiries into his performances at Sun Meadow. Representatives for the resort also didn't return requests for interviews about Quist's involvement with the resort.

Some of Quist's concerts at Sun Meadow came during a period when he claimed he was "unable to work" due to "significant health problems" caused by a botched gall bladder surgery in 1996. He previously blamed financial troubles for his inability to perform at all in 2011.

According to pictures posted on the resort's website, concert attendees sit naked in metal folding chairs during performances. It is unclear whether Quist ever performs in the nude.

Also pictured are guests partaking in nude volleyball, nude kite-flying, and nude archery. Guests can go cross-country skiing in the nude during the winter months.

The resort, which offers one free day for first-time nudists, has a lodge where guests can rent rooms but also offers various hook-ups for RV campers. Homes on the resort grounds also can be purchased, such as these properties for sale that come with a lifetime membership.

Discounts are available for members of the American Association for Nude Recreation, which says it has "promoted nudist family values at its nudist resorts and clubs since 1931."

Sun Meadow, like most nudist resorts associated with the American Association for Nude Recreation, presents itself as "a family nudist experience" that is appropriate for children.

"Our clubs foster a wholesome, nurturing environment for members and their families," the association says.

The association acknowledges nudist resorts might not be the right vacation for every family, but predicts that nude family activities are "likely to draw your family closer together."

"It’s true that you won’t know whether nude recreation is right for your family until you make that first trip," it says. "However, based on the experiences of many members over many years, we can tell you that participating in AANR clubs and activities is likely to draw your family closer together."

"Kids usually take to our clubs like ducks to water, joyfully running, playing, and splashing without a stitch on."

Quist boasts on his campaign website that he will bring the "values of rural Montana" with him to Congress if elected.

Update 6:56 p.m.: Following publication of this article, Sun Meadow removed Quist's featured image off of its homepage.

Published under: Democratic Party , Montana