Why I was talking about Naked people on Saturday

It started with an email "Kyle, I know you’re going to hate me and life…" 

Let's pause there for a second. An email from my weekend producer titled "Saturday Assignments" should never start this way. Having just returned to the station ending my 12 hour shift I was in a fairly grumpy mood. I could have stopped there and said I never received the email. I could have stopped reading and done anything, instead like a moth to a flame I was hooked, I read the next line.

 "but I am sending you to the naked bike ride…"

Naked bike ride...

Those three words burned into my retinas.

Okay. I've been asked to cover some pretty ridiculous things. Car washes, people walking in circles for hours, court. Never once have I been asked to go get video of naked people. I've seen these stories covered in the news papers. It's easy with stills, a simple black bar over the FCC branded "danger zones" or a cleverly framed photo of a passing by cyclist, even a simple slightly out of focus long shot. Video is a different ball game. It's like comparing the time wasting computer game minefield to actually running through a minefield.

That's what I felt like I was doing when I was surrounded by dozens of old men, and a handful of women, all of whom were naked. Did I tell you it was raining? Oh and it was cold, real, real cold. Just imagine what I was seeing. 

Yet there I was in the rain watching as 30 some odd naked folk hopped on their bikes and began their ride around our states capitol. I ran after them for about a block and a half to the heart of the down town. There I set up and began my wait for them to loop back around and cause a stir.
To hoots, hollers, and cheers the bikers returned and made their way back to the secluded parking lot whence they came. I grabbed a quick interview, after they got dressed, and sloshed my way back to my truck. I sat there for a minute thinking about what just happened.
It wasn't the naked people that kept me pondering, at least not in the sense your probably thinking. The thought racing through my mind was "I just shot video of 30 naked people, now I have to make it TV friendly."
I wasn't looking forward to that editing session.