By Jim KZ
The Mr. and Ms Philadelphia Leather 2016 contest was held on Saturday, February 13, on the third floor of the Bike Stop in Philadelphia, PA. There were seven contestants total: six going for the title of Mr.
Philadelphia Leather (Dennis, BearWoof, Daniel, Damon, Jonathan, and Rudy) and one for Ms. Philadelphia Leather (Alaina).
After a rousing competition, Rudy Flesher was named Mr. Philadelphia Leather 2016 and Alaina Hummel was named Ms. Philadelphia Leather 2016.
Rudy and Alaina each have their choice to compete at International Mr. Leather or American Brotherhood Weekend for Rudy, and International Ms Leather or American Brotherhood Weekend for Alaina.
First runner-up in the Mister competition was Damon and Alaina ran unopposed but had to score a minimum number of points in order to win the title. The contest
was co-hosted by Ms Philadelphia Leather 2008 Carlota Ttendant and American Leatherboy 2013 Tank Teachworth.
Judges were Mr. Philadelphia Leather 2015 Jason Hall, Ms Philadelphia Leather 2015 LasciviousJane, and MasoMutt, coproducer of the Philadelphia Fetish and Bootblack Contest and Chair of the Mid Atlantic Puppy and Handler Contest. Tally Master was Craig K, and the den staff consisted of Mr. Maryland Leather 2011 Alex Lemaire, Ms Mid Atlantic Leather 2014 Nikki Wireman, and Mr. Philadelphia
Leather 2003 Jim KZ.
The bar was at capacity all night long. The contest was held in front of a live audience on the third floor, and broadcast in HD to screens on the second and first floors for the overflow crowd to enjoy. There was no pre-judging. The Philadelphia format provides for all interviewing to be conducted on stage during the Bar Wear and Jock/Hot Wear segments. Contestants also had the chance to give a speech during the Formal Wear segment. Everyone in the bar and even folks at home were able to vote online for their favorite, and those votes counted in the fourth category to help decide the winner.
The contest was immediately followed by a Gear Party featuring DJ Dave Huge from NYC, which ran until closing time.
The contest was co-produced by the Bike Stop and Philadelphians MC.
After the last rodeo at Oil Can Harry's in Studio City, CA on Sunday night, January 31, Caleb Engen was announced the winner of the Mr. Oil Can Harry's Leather 2016 title and a slot in the roster of contestants for Mr. Los Angeles Leather 2016 to be held on April 2 at the Globe Theater in downtown Los Angeles.
The first runner-up was Matthew Robitaille and the second runner-up was Johnny Yamamoto.
The judges were Bobby Allen, Franco Americano, Shelly Lyn, Gerald Hill, Lou Romano and International Mr. Leather 2015 Patrick Smith.
The Los Angeles House of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence opened the night with one of their blessings. Spoiler alert not needed - wild.
The emcee was Jeremy Ronceros outrageous humor led to a fun evening. Ronceros, who is the president of the LA Band of Brothers, presented the stepping down Mr. Oil Can Harry's Leather Franco Americano after his speech.
On Saturday night, January 30, Monte Freeman was named Eagle LA Mr. Leather 2016 in a very packed bar, following in the footsteps of Eagle LA Mr. Leather 2015 Patrick Smith who went on to become Mr. Los Angeles Leather 2015 and then International Mr. Leather 2015.
The runner-up was Shane Boyd. Five men competed with Skip Burnett, Johnny Yamamoto and Christopher Guara completing the roster of contestants.
The head judge was Kevin Casey and assisting him were International Mr. Leather 2015 Patrick Smith, Steve Ganzell, Gabriel Green and Cody Troy. The tally master was Mike Van Horn. The judges' boy was Boy Chris and the contestants handler was Ted.
Past Mr. Oil Can Harry's Lou Romano was the emcee and his biting humor had anyone else who appeared on stage on edge. The crowd loved it.
Before the winners were announced, bar owner Charlie Matula presented Eagle LA Recognition Awards to Patrick Smith and Steve Ganzell.
Freeman will compete at Mr. Los Angeles Leather 2016 on Saturday night, April 2 at the Globe Theater in downtown Los Angeles.
Mr. Chicago Leather Weekend was held January 22-24. Hosted at the Leather Archives and Museum in Chicago, IL and was produced by David Boyer of Touché Chicago. Six Contestants, #1 Jonathan, #2 Achilles, #3 Rod, #4 Todd, #5 Steve, #6 Stitch competed to represent The Windy City’s Leathermen as Mr. Chicago Leather 2016. In the end it was Contestant 4, Todd Harris whose scores won Mr. Chicago Leather 2016.
Contest Judges were IML 2015 Patrick Smith, International Mr. Rubber 2015 Jeffrey GummiBarchen Basile, Mr Tri State Leather Brian Bolt Donner, DC Eagle 2015 & American Leatherman 2015 Dan Ronnenburg, Mr. Chicago Leather Luis Tipantasig (He’s single and looking). Tally Masters were Josh Fortuna and Ron Moser, Den Daddy was Rob Czar, and Judges’ boy was Sara Beth. Bootblacking at the bar for the event was by Great Lakes Bootblack Meghan and Sparkie.
The show itself was skillfully conducted with playfully slick and appropriately dirty humor delivered via John Pendal’s jocular tongue and its vigorous Leather base.
Mr. Chicago Leather Weekend unofficially kicked off with the Opening Night Gala of Leslie Anderson Naked Leather Exhibit in the LA&M Gallery downstairs. Officially it started at Touché with The Welcome Party at 10 PM and the Roast of Mr. Chicago Leather 2015 Luis at Midnight. Saturday was a busy day of Flea Marketing and Kink U classes hosted by Titans of the Midwest, followed at 8 PM by the contest at the Leather Archives and Museum.
This year’s recipient of the Chuck Windemuth Mr. Chicago Leather Mentorship Award went to “Founding Father of Onyx Mufassa," for 20 years of service and mentorship to the men of Chicago.
2016 marked was the first live webcast from LA&M. It was sent to Touché for the overflow crowd to enjoy the contest at the bar. The webcast was made possible by Touché and The Leather Journal.
Sunday’s Brunch was held at Andersonville Brewing Company followed by a Beer Bust and Black T Dance at Touché.
By Pony
The Golden Gate Guards will host the 44th Golden Dildeaux Awards (GDA) Ceremony on Saturday, April, 16 at the SF Eagle. This event is an annual club fundraiser with net proceeds donated to the AIDS Emergency Fund (AEF).
The GDAs were established by the late Mr. Marcus in 1972, 44 years ago. In 1994, Mr. Marcus asked Andy Rose of the Golden Gate Guards to take it over, provided AEF was always the beneficiary. These humorous awards are intended to poke fun at various sexual activities while at the same time provide a unique charity fund raising opportunity.
The GDAs are held in three phases: Nomination, Voting and Awards Ceremony.
Community nominations and voting are held on the Guards web site http://www.ggguards.org
Anyone can submit the names of their friends and/or enemies as nomination phase starts February, 20 and closes March, 17. Funds are raised by voting for the most popular nominees, with each vote raising $1 for the AIDS Emergency Fund. Voting will commence March 19 through April, 15. Box stuffing by casting multiple votes is highly encouraged.
Awards will be presented to those winning the most votes in a fun and casual ceremony at the SF Eagle 398 12th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103 from 6-9 PM. Entertainment will be provided by Raquela and members of the Golden Gate Guards.
About the Golden Gate Guards
Originally founded in 1976 as the Imperial Guards of San Francisco, the club served as an unofficial liaison between the Imperial Courts and the Leather-Levi's community. In late 1986, with the courts' blessing, we became an independent organization known as the Golden Gate Guards.
Our overlay pays tribute to our beginnings with both the year (1976) and the Imperial Crown. The year 1987 and the phoenix represent the beginning of the GGG.
By Cherielle
A weekend of bootblack instruction will be happening in Phoenix, AZ weekend of February 26 – 28.
Instructors are International Community Bootblack 2010 redwarrior, Southwest Community Bootblack 2015 Cherielle and Philadelphia Bootblack 2015 Wicked Jade.
The fun will begin on Friday night at The Rock with a Cigar and Chocolate Social. There will be a traditional chocolate cake. This event is open to the community.
Saturday will find registered attendees at The Bunkhouse for classes on Bootblack 101, Erotic Leather care, repairs, garments, toys and history.
On Saturday night the group will support the Phoenix boys of Leather by attending Gear Night at Anvil.
The highlight of the weekend happens on Sunday when the group heads up to Snowflake, AZ to tour the Huberd’s Shoe Grease Factory. The fee of $40 covers snacks, lunch on Saturday, handouts, and the trip to Snowflake.
Attendees will be responsible for dinner on Saturday night and lunch in Snowflake on Sunday.
Hotel 502, offers a relaxing resort style heated pool and over-sized guest rooms that boast great views of the well-known Camelback Mountains, Phoenix Skyline, and Piestewa Peak. Hotel 502 is transforming into a sleek, trendy hotel hotspot in the midtown/downtown corridor of Phoenix. To reserve a room check out http://www.hotel502.com/
Find more info at http://swbootblackbootcamp2016.weebly.com or contact Cherielle at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Southwest Community Bootblack 2015 Cherielle
Cherielle is the current SW Community Bootblack 2015 and ICBB First Runner Up 2015. She resides in Phoenix, AZ with her Daddy, Daddy Tyr and their two dogs, Peanut and Chloe. Cherielle has been a part of the Leather community since finding out about in Dallas 16 yrs ago. She discovered bootblacking during SWLC in 2007 when she walked past the bootblack lounge and heard all the fun being had. She wanted to be a part of the fun, so reached out to an experienced bootblack in the area. Cherielle has discovered that her passion is helping others become a part of tight knit family known as bootblacks. She also has a deep desire to preserve the history of bootblacks, and in an effort to do that, she has published 'Tales from the Chair' and is currently working on Volume Two.
International Community Bootblack 2010 redwarriorredwarrior is a saucy, switchy slave owned by Robin Pyro for over six years. She has served her community as Southeast Community Bootblack in 2010 as well as International Community Bootblack 2010 and was honored as Pantheon of Leather Woman of the Year in 2011. She loves boots, bootblacking, whips, and all things sharp and stingy. She currently serves as Sergeant at Arms for the Tooth & Claw Riding Group in Alaska and rides her Harley all over the last frontier!
Philadelphia Bootblack 2015 Wicked Jade
Wicked Jade received her first bootblacking lesson from girl Amelia in 2012 and continues to learn under the mentorship of Cherielle from Arizona. She has served as Bootblack at many events on the East Coast, including Mr. & Ms. New Jersey Leather Contest, Pittsburgh Leather Pride, Philadelphia Leather Pride Night, the Lehigh Valley Girls of Leather events, TES Fest, The Floating World, and the Master/slave Conference. In 2015 she competed for and received the Philadelphia Bootblack title.
Jade’s work philosophy focuses on taking care of not just the leather or footwear, but the whole person. The job isn’t really done unless the customer is shining from within.
Daddy Tyr
Head of the Support Staff is Daddy Tyr has been in the Scene since the early 1980’s. She began her journey in New York City and on Long Island before moving on to Florida, Georgia, and Virginia. In March of 2012, she relocated to Phoenix AZ after sustaining life altering injuries in a car accident where the other driver was texting and driving. Before her injury, Tyr taught classes on SM skills and the M/s D/s Dynamics both nationally and internationally. Daddy Tyr splits her time between supporting her local community, wrangling the bootblacks in her life and annoying the love of her life, Cherielle. She has a fondness for cigars, rope, bootblacks, and the Leathermen and women in her community, not in any particular order.
Edit by Vonn Tramel 3:48pm 2/7/16: Dave Rhodes and I have spoken with Event Producer Steven Parker, who informed me that "TABC told me during their "raid" that we (the event) did nothing wrong and they were going after the bar."
/end edit Original Post:
Attendees of The 2016 Alamo Leather Contest will certainly never forget!
Late Saturday evening, at approximately 1030, just a few minutes prior to the announcement of The Alamo Leather Contest’s Winners bar staff swept through the Mad Marlin’s basement and parking lot. They were instructing customers in the basement to finish their drinks and instructed to dump their drinks if they were in the parking lot. Soon thereafter contest producers abruptly announced Mr. Alamo Leather 2016 Shawn Fox and Alamo Bootblack 2016 Sugar Bear.
At this time the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and San Antonio Police Department proceeded to raid the north side establishment. It was announced at the beginning of the raid that persons with faces not matching their photo ID could be ticketed and or arrested. Members of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and the event’s emcee bolted from the establishment.
The neighborhood watering hole has been described by Website My San Antonio as a fun, unpretentious addition to the neighborhood who is valiantly trying to set itself apart. According to International Ms Olympus Leather 2016 boo, “that describes the bar, its owner and management to the Tee”. She went on describing the bar as completely accepting of all folks just wanting people to have a good time. “The bartenders were asked to dress in fetish wear and seemed to have fun with the evening. During an auction for Project H.O.T. An HIV outreach program, the bars owners announced that they would match each bid.
We do not yet know if, any arrests were made or if this raid was related to an incident in December during which a young man and a young woman were shot after an incident occurred in the parking lot at the bar. We have reached out to both the bar and San Antonio information officers, but do not have any more information at this time.
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Connecticut Braces for Total Bear Invasion
Mr. Connecticut Bear Announces Hotel Takeover for Summertime Event
Meriden, CT: Mr. Connecticut Bear, Inc., producers of the Mr. Connecticut Bear competition, announced this week that they will be taking over the entire Four Points by Sheraton hotel in Meriden, CT, for the upcoming Mr. Connecticut Bear Weekend, to be held August 6 -8, 2016. Already the largest bear event in Connecticut, drawing hundreds annually from across the Northeast, this move will likely boost the event to a level not seen in Connecticut since the days of Bear Trek in the early 2000's.
Mr. Connecticut Bear's executive producer, David "Skeeter" Bielski, had this to say about their new host hotel. "After outgrowing our space last year, we listened to what our guests said they wanted to see in 2016. Many wanted an all-in-one location. Most wanted a hotel with a pool. This new location gives us just what our bears asked for, with lots of options to grow the event into something even bigger, that the Bear Community of Connecticut can be proud of."
Mr. Connecticut Bear, Inc's, Facebook Page and website report that plans are in the works for an exclusive pool party, a full vendor market, and the centerpiece of the weekend: the Mr. Connecticut Bear 2017 competition. Hotel rooms are available now at mrctbear.com, and run packages will be announced shortly thereafter.
About Mr. Connecticut Bear, Inc.: Mr. Connecticut Bear, Inc., produces events for the Connecticut Bear Community, including bar parties, charitable fundraisers, and the Mr. Connecticut Bear Competition. Since its inception in 2012, Mr. Connecticut Bear titleholders have raised thousands of dollars for charitable organizations such as True Colors, AIDS Project New Haven, and the Hartford Gay & Lesbian Health Collective. The Mr. Connecticut Bear Weekend is held annually on the first weekend in August. For more information, visit www.mrctbear.com or facebook/mrctbear.
The Leather Journal was founded in May, 1987. The Leather community was hungry for news magazine that covered clubs, organizations and events. TLJ has successfully met that need for 34 years. We have adapted to change more than once and when the Internet came about we were there by adding www.TheLeatherJournal.com
