Home at last after three weeks on the road! But not to rest - The Mr. Leather Colorado Foundation weekend of contests is here! During this first weekend of May, we select the new Mr. Leather Colorado, Mr. Colorado Rubber, and Colorado Bootblack titleholders.
I was honored to be able to judge this contest for the second year in a row, and I had the distinct honor of serving as head judge. Luckey served as one of two Talleymasters - the folks who collect the scores from each judge and do all the math and ultimately tell us who won.
Friday night started with a meet & greet at the Denver Wrangler. This is a chance for the contestants to interact with the public and the judges and show off their social skills. For the general public, it's a chance to socialize and meet the contestants. But for the judges - the game is on. We are watching everything the contestants do and how they do it. Social interactions are a major part of being a titleholder, and most of it occurs in a bar setting.
After the night slowed down, it was time to sleep and get ready for the contest on Saturday. Interviews started around 4pm, and we had three contestants for Mr. Leather Co, two contestants for Mr. Colorado Rubber, and one for Colorado Bootblack. The panel of judges were no pushovers - they were local and regional folks, most were titleholders, but all were experienced and had strong views of what kind of person they wanted to send forward to represent Colorado.
There were hard questions asked; emotions were high with some contestants, others were peaceful.
When it was all done, Lonnell took the title of Mr. Leather Colorado, Boy Paul will represent Mr. Colorado Rubber, and Boy Erik will serve as the Colorado Bootblack. Congratulations to all three of these fine men!
Sunday brought us back to the Denver Wrangler for a Victory Beer Bust, which served as both a party to celebrate the winners and a fundraiser towards their travel funds.
I want to thank the panel of judges - Michael, Dayton, Nate, Fox, Treasure, and Marty - it was a pleasure to work with all of you!
Thank you Rocky and Luckey - you kept us all on track and made sure our scores were legible.
And I want to thank the producers of the contest, the Mr. Leather Colorado Foundation, for the opportunity to serve on the panel and for their hard work every year.
There are some pics of the event here!
Now it's time to rest for a few weeks and pack for IML!
Showing posts with label Colorado. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Colorado. Show all posts
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Monday, June 10, 2013
Colorado Master/slave Contest
About one week after we came back to Denver with the ITPC titles, I attended the Denver Danse of Life. It's a hook pull event with live drumming held in sacred space - bliss.
Afterward, one of the organizers, Master Trent, asked if I'd consider serving on the judging panel of the Colorado Master/slave Contest he was organizing. I looked at him and cocked my head. "You know how I feel about that track, right? I don't really get it." Yes, he knows. We've had many discussions before. He asked me to bring my Leather viewpoint to the panel and contribute that way. I agreed.
Friday night, March 29th, we met at the Denver Eagle for the introductory Meet & Greet with the contestants, judges, and general public. There were two contestant pairs, and both represented well. I sent a "mystery person" who was not dressed very leather-y to visit with the contestant pairs and report back to me later, and I made sure to spend some time visiting with each pair as well. It was a fun night and the turnout was great.
Saturday the 30th rolled around, and the judges and contestant sat down for Interviews at 2pm. That is always an interesting dance, and this one was open to the public. I was honored to sit on a panel of highly respectable judges from the local community, and I learned a great deal from them over the weekend. The interviews were fun, spirited, and intense. Afterwards, we broke for a snack/meal, and returned at 5 to begin the contest. When it was all done, Lady Marquetta and Slave Leonis carried the patches home with them and will represent their community for the next year. We all wish them the best.
While I don't "get" the entire Master/slave dynamic, I'm always learning more. This weekend exposed me to people who are willing to educate and share their lifestyle in a very public way. I appreciate their dedication and thoughtful discussions. They listened to me as I expressed some of my perceptions and opinions based on personal interactions; we laughed about some really funny bad examples of how NOT to approach this lifestyle, and they opened up their hearts to me so I could better understand a dynamic I haven't yet grasped. I am grateful and blessed. Thank you all.
Afterward, one of the organizers, Master Trent, asked if I'd consider serving on the judging panel of the Colorado Master/slave Contest he was organizing. I looked at him and cocked my head. "You know how I feel about that track, right? I don't really get it." Yes, he knows. We've had many discussions before. He asked me to bring my Leather viewpoint to the panel and contribute that way. I agreed.
Friday night, March 29th, we met at the Denver Eagle for the introductory Meet & Greet with the contestants, judges, and general public. There were two contestant pairs, and both represented well. I sent a "mystery person" who was not dressed very leather-y to visit with the contestant pairs and report back to me later, and I made sure to spend some time visiting with each pair as well. It was a fun night and the turnout was great.
Saturday the 30th rolled around, and the judges and contestant sat down for Interviews at 2pm. That is always an interesting dance, and this one was open to the public. I was honored to sit on a panel of highly respectable judges from the local community, and I learned a great deal from them over the weekend. The interviews were fun, spirited, and intense. Afterwards, we broke for a snack/meal, and returned at 5 to begin the contest. When it was all done, Lady Marquetta and Slave Leonis carried the patches home with them and will represent their community for the next year. We all wish them the best.
While I don't "get" the entire Master/slave dynamic, I'm always learning more. This weekend exposed me to people who are willing to educate and share their lifestyle in a very public way. I appreciate their dedication and thoughtful discussions. They listened to me as I expressed some of my perceptions and opinions based on personal interactions; we laughed about some really funny bad examples of how NOT to approach this lifestyle, and they opened up their hearts to me so I could better understand a dynamic I haven't yet grasped. I am grateful and blessed. Thank you all.
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