To Bare or not to bare?: Musings from the first pool party of 2009

A trail of gingerbread crumbs in the form of Jack Colton’s business cards leads the way to Bare pool last Thursday. Actually, it was only one lone card on the Mirage floor, but it alerts me to the Weekly contributing nightlife writer’s presence and that of the first real pool party of the 2009 season at Bare pool.

Sure enough, I run into Colton and crew as they wait for his table at Bare’s fortress of an entrance. The tops optional, adults-only pool is carefully shielded from prying eyes and camera lenses save the recognizable older gentleman quickly snapping a few photographs from the upper pool deck.

Earlier in the week, chilly temperatures made me wonder if anyone would actually go to a pool, but Mother Nature must be going through menopause because the weather is suddenly hot. Though Bare is not the first of Vegas’ favorite pool hot spots to open its door this season (the Palms Pool & Bungalows opened March 6), it takes the honors as the first big poolside party of the 2009 season.

“It’s ‘My nipples are going to be hard’ kinda weather,” says Colton as he sips on a mojito freshly poured from the pitcher. “After you get out of the pool,” he adds.

I glance across the pool at the only two women brave enough to shed their bikini tops thus far. Perhaps they’ve gained liquid courage courtesy of a few alcoholic raspberry lemonades or maybe they’re just proud to show off their perfectly perky purchases. “I would do it if I didn’t know people here,” says Rok Vegas cocktail server Susan Lane. She has a point.

A few lounge chairs down from the first two topless sunbathers, a group of four female friends are laughing hysterically. One of the friends has whipped her top off and is encouraging the others to let it all hang out by tugging on their bikini strings. She succeeds and soon the whole group is demurely covering themselves as they adjust to the newfound freedom. Colton, on the other hand, still has his top in place on our side of the pool, and I’m fully clothed. I guess we’re super-pale party poopers.

“I’ve never done this,” says Krystle K., one of the now-topless quintet. Krystle is visiting Vegas during Spring Break with her friends Holly H. and Ashlee W. from Chicago and Shauna A. from California. (I have to wonder if they even gave me their real names. I wouldn’t blame them.) They decided to check out Bare after meeting one of the pool’s promoters. “We’ll never see these people again,” says Ashlee of the other guests at Bare.

By the time I depart around 3 p.m., every chair is taken and the cabanas are overflowing with people. The mojitos are looking mighty tasty, but I settle for another ginger ale instead, curse myself for leaving my suit at home, then head back to the office. I’m sure I’ll have many more chances to not take my top off at Bare. After all, it’s week one of pool season in Vegas, at least seven months to go.