He's just in the mood to run in the nude
By Paul Breschuk
Features Editor
March 10, 2010
 Seconds before the halftime kickoff of the 2004 Super Bowl, with audiences still abuzz after Janet Jackson’s titillating wardrobe malfunction, there would to be yet another unexpected flash of bare skin. This time, the malfunction seemed ingeniously planned as a referee lookalike, in one fell swoop, peeled off his striped costume while jogging to centerfield. The pure showmanship of this planned routine, a class above that of the typical drunken daredevil, brought an immediate roar of cheers from the crowd. This glorious sound, an audible proof of a successful performance, is like music to the ears of a streaker.
Fueled by a mix of laughter, chants, and catcalls, while wearing nothing but a referee’s cap, socks, cleats, and a modified thong, the man at centerfield began his dance routine.
Knowing of his short window of opportunity, mere seconds before security personnel can mobilize, he made every move count. And after finishing with two bravely executed pushups, displaying all the brashness and swagger of a seasoned matador, he sprung back to his feet. The inevitable security guard chase began.
This memorable infiltration of the Super Bowl was the work of world famous streaker, Mark Roberts. Roberts, now a cult celebrity and Internet sensation, is part of an unofficial collective of thrill seekers who travel around the world to perform their amusing misdeeds. Known as streakers, or jumpers, these men and women see it as their duty to make surprise visits to major public events.
When Jaume Marquet Cot, better known as Jimmy Jump, ran across the pitch of the 2004 UEFA Euro final, live images of his exploits were sent around the world. As a stroke of fate, they were seen by Canadian filmmakers Dan Emery and Mathieu Wacowich.
Sitting in a Vancouver pub, watching the dying minutes of a close final between Portugal and Greece, Emery and Wacowich watched in amazement as Jimmy Jump evaded a seemingly endless barrage of security guards. After throwing a Barcelona flag in the face of Portuguese captain, Luís Figo, the invader then drove himself full force into the back of a soccer net. The impressive amount of g-force Jimmy Jump sustained while clinging onto the mesh, suddenly-taught as it bounced back, was shown in countless high-speed replays.
After learning about Jimmy Jump’s desire to become famous by dedicating his life to jumping, the Canadian filmmakers set out to document the ups and downs of his quixotic quest. Their result was the 2009 documentary, Jump! – The World’s Greatest Streakers.
“As far as I know, we are the only ones who have tackled this subject in a longer form documentary,” said Emery. “That was a huge motivating factor for us to go out there and get this film made, because, like the personalities in our film, we saw the opportunity to do something new, big, and exciting. So, we just jumped.”
Emery explains that while everyone has watched streakers, hardly any of those spectators have actually heard from streakers. It was, then, the goal of Emery and Wacowich to give these silent performers a voice.
As the filmmakers became more involved in the project, they realized that streaking contains deeper philosophical aspects that have been overlooked, or, at least overshadowed by the performance’s intrinsic shock value.
“Streaking is the ultimate expression of self. It is freedom from labels, styles, and symbolic ties,” said Wacowich. “Our clothes are the last barriers for our true, naked selves to breakthrough and say to the world ‘Here I am in all my glory. Revel in all that is me and only me.’”
Wacowich hints at the possibility of these streakers, and even their audiences, as having a desire to recapture an innocence through infant-like, unabashed nudity. After all, we were all born into this world naked.
Certainly, most streakers aren’t trying to present anything close to resembling an eroticized body. Sexual deviants or perverts, they are not. Wearing diapers, tutus, or fairy wings, most of these ridiculously dressed and realistically shaped individuals aren’t concerned about winning beauty contests.
“Streaking is not about being sexual at all,” explained Emery. “It is about making people laugh and the adrenaline rush of doing something totally crazy. Being naked is just the added element that makes it so surprising and entertaining because we have become so conditioned to being covered up in clothing and seeing others that way as well.”
This sentiment is shared by British super-streaker, Mark Roberts, who has over 380 streaks to his credit. The events which have played host to such streaks range from football, rugby, and tennis, to synchronized swimming, curling, and billiards. No sport is safe from the fleshy intrusion of Roberts.
Starting as a result of a drunken bet in a 1993 rugby match in Hong Kong, Roberts has continued his legacy of funny, unique, and tasteful performances. He abides by a strict code of conduct that guarantees a well-timed, short and sweet streak. Further, Roberts voices disdain for people like Jimmy Jump whose biased antics have often influenced the outcomes of sports matches, negatively affecting a single team or player.
“You do something comical for just under a minute, make everyone laugh, get chased by the police, and then you go home and have your tea,” said Roberts.
While most find nothing objectionable about such tactics, there are a select few who wish to stand in the way of his entertaining the masses. Therefore, not every performance goes smoothly, without injury or legal implications.
Whenever one is being chased and tackled by security guards and police officers, the risk of injury is ever present. During his many streaking exploits, Roberts himself has suffered bone breakages of his ankle, toe, finger, and ribs. These, of course, come at the end of his streak. Tim Hurlbut, a streaker who attempted to scale down to the playing surface of a 2002 Calgary Flames NHL game, was not so lucky.
While jumping to the ice, landing on the only articles of clothing he wore (a pair of red socks), Hurlbut had his butt hurled to the frozen surface, slipping and banging his head. And before a stretcher was summoned to haul away the unconscious man, the audience had ample time to gawk at the pitiful sight of his limp, naked body as it lay cooling on the ice.
For performers like Hulbut, Roberts, and Jimmy Jump, they must also navigate a minefield of stiff fines and penalties associated with streaking-related charges. Roberts, being well-known to the authorities, has been banned from every football stadium in England. Jimmy Jump, on the other hand, faces 12 months in prison for his attempt to put a traditional Catalan beret on the head of Roger Federer during the 2009 French Open.
Despite these dangers, the thrill and notoriety that streaking can offer keep these performers active, plotting the next big streak. Whether it is from behind the fence of an off-limits Wembley stadium, or behind the bars of the local jail, they dream for the next chance to entertain you with nothing but a smile.
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