6:15 AM
khmer
Every Memorial Day weekend, thousands of hot and sexy Leathermen, gear heads, rubber lovers, a fistful of well-dressed women, and their fans converge in Chicago for International Mr. Leather. To the uninitiated and/or virginal, I describe the event as part contest, part convention, part dysfunctional family reunion, and all adventure.
There’s nothing like seeing the Hyatt in Downtown Chicago slowly being taken over by a self-selecting group of leather lovers, fetishists, academics, bears, muscle men, and sexuality educators every year. IML is my favorite way to party with my brothers and friends.
I kicked off the 2011 event on Friday Night with a visit to the “Greet the Meat” Party, hosted by the friendly guys from the Chicago Rubbermen. The Rubber guys are generally younger, and more fun, than some of their more traditional Leather counterparts, and they threw an amazing party. Later, just before last call, I headed over to the Gear Blast party, which had guys running around in all kinds of gear, from football players to motocross racers. Everyone was socializing and having a fantastic time.
Saturday started off with a lovely late gay brunch at Ann Sather’s in Boystown, followed by shopping in the vendor mart at the Hyatt. The vendor mart is the largest annual gathering of leather and fetish retailers in the country, with more than 100 merchants in attendance. I picked up some new boots and matching laces at BootWerks, and stopped by the Mr. S Leather booth to catch up with Skeeter Barker, the famous dyke responsible for the store’s perfectly tailored leatherwear designs. Skeeter has been with Mr. S for years, and she is responsible for many of the breathtaking custom outfits worn by the contestants on stage every year.
Check out photos from the weekend, and find out who won, below.
Slideshow photos: Missy Leach
Sunday was the final part of the contest at Chicago’s brand new Harris Theatre in Millenium Park. The top 20 contestants were announced, and each man gave a 90-second speech in formal leather, and a quick strut around the stage to show off their physique one last time. Then the winner of the International Mr. Bootblack competition was announced: Jim Deuder from New York, New York took home the top honors and he will join International Ms. Bootblack 2011 kd from Portland, Maine as bootblack royalty for the year.
As the audience waited for the judges to finish scoring the contestants, a Beatles cover band entertained the crowd. Finally, Frenchman Eric Guttierez, Mr. Leather Europe 2010, was named International Mr. Leather 2011, and the audience burst into thunderous applause.
Enjoy these pics from IML 2011, and I hope to see you there in 2012.
Winners photo by: Bullman X
Pictured are Eric Guttierez, Mr. Leather Europe 2010; First Runner Up, Douglas “D” Pamplin, Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather 2011; Second Runner Up, Anthony Rollar, Mr. San Diego Leather 2010; International Mr. Bootblack 2011 Winner, Jim Deuder, Sponsored by NYC Bootblack Roundtable, Leathermen NYC, The Eagle NYC.
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