International LeatherSIR® / Leatherboy®
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International LeatherSir 2005 Dexter Edmond on Leather Pantheon Weekend
International LeatherSIR 2005 Dexter Edmond (photo: BullmanX) Sunday greeted us with slightly warmer temperatures, though it was still well below freezing. Since there were no pressing activities until later in the day, we took our time to get ready, but with a definite encore performance of the previous morning. We all decided to make a trip back over to the Leather Archives & Museum, after having a quick lunch at White Castle - again. Today’s visit to the LA&M was to go through the collection of old Drummer magazines available for purchase. Ah... if only we had several hours to spend going through and reading some of them, especially since they are part of the heritage of the ILSb family. It’s amazing how the images of those men who graced the covers and articles of those issues, which date back a few decades, are just as hot today! Needless to say, Stallion and I enjoyed our time going through the issues, and, of course, several of them now have a new home in my personal collection ;-). We purchased a few other mementos from the store then headed to dinner at Reza’s since Lou and Stallion had not been there before. Lou, boy Ed, Stallion, and I enjoyed a nice meal together and great conversation. It’s nice to have moments like this during a busy event weekend to relax and enjoy the company of very dear friends. As we finished and donned our leather jackets - ah, the attention that a man, and even more so with four of us, in leather draws even in today’s society - we stepped outside to hail a taxi back to the hotel and were met by a friendly woman who inquired about the location of our Harleys. Though she seemed a bit disappointed when we told her that we, in fact, were waiting for a cab, she asked if we were in town for "the big leather weekend." We just smiled as we briefly told her about being in town for Pantheon and what it is about. As we told her about the many contributions the leather community has made to various charities in both time and money, the smile on her face grew as she informed us that she works for a non-profit organization and how touched she was to know how important charity and community involvement is in the leather community. I think we made her evening and possibly gave her a new perspective on the leather community; but, what she might not have realized is that she also made our evening. After returning to the hotel, we quickly got ready as Stallion helped me get into my uniform and packed the sashes and a few other needed items into his backpack before we all headed back out to the Eagle for the Mr./Ms. Olympus contest. We arrived and boy Ed, South Central Leatherboy 2004, headed upstairs to represent the Dallas boys of Leather in the club parade, while Stallion and I donned our sashes before heading up to the theater. It had been 4 years since I last climbed those steps for an event - ah... the memories. Once again, we were in the midst of familiar faces and the sound of Frank Nowicki’s voice - yes, the hair was still flawless (okay, so that was my second obligatory hair reference) even after having emceed every event of the weekend. The contestants alternated through their fantasies and on-stage questions, and I have to say, there was a very interesting array of showmanship and talent displayed during each of the fantasies - from a strict nurse to kinky stand-up comedy to knife play. Soon, it was time for the entertainment break, and we were treated to one sizzling shower scene between two very hot boys. I can’t speak for everyone else, but I know I could have smoked a cigar after that - with both of the boys at my feet, of course ;-). The contest resumed with the contestants completing their rotations of fantasies and on-stage questions. Now, it was time for intermission, as we waited for the Tally Master to process the scores. During intermission, I had opportunity to chat with a few people I had not been introduced to yet, including Bill Stadt and Robert Gunther. It was a great pleasure being able to talk to Mr. Gunther and share with him. It is men and women like him who have helped build this community and who are able to be a bridge to our history. I also took some time to chat a bit more with the contestants. Just before returning to the theater, I took a few moments to talk to Freddie Marshall. Freddie was about to give his step down speech but was just a bit nervous about finding the right words to say. Having been in the position of being on stage many times in my life, I knew what he was feeling, and I just took him and gave him a quiet pep talk before giving him a strong hug to send him away a little more reassured.
International Leatherboy 2005 stallion, International LeatherSIR 2005 Dexter Edmond (photo: Dexter Edmond) We reassembled after intermission, and soon it was time for Freddie and Lady Caro to give their step down speeches. Needless to say, they both did just fine and had very heartfelt messages. Then, they both took the stage for a step down fantasy they had prepared. It was set to the song, "You Raise Me Up," and was a powerful ending to their year as Mr. and Ms. Olympus Leather. Afterward, George Hester took the stage to give us a few remarks to update us on the state of things in New Orleans and the fundraising efforts for victims, which led us into a special drag performance to mark the beginning of Mardi Gras. With everyone rejuvenated and in a festive mood, it was finally time for Frank to announce the winners. The crowd roared as Lady Raven was announced as the new Ms. Olympus Leather, followed by the announcement of Terrell Brown as the new Mr. Olympus Leather. After taking pictures with the winners, Stallion and I were stopped briefly by Sandy "Mama" Reinhardt who gave us a great compliment on how well we look together as Sir and boy and offered her best wishes for the remainder of our title year - thanks "Mama." Finally, we a djourned downstairs to the bar for more mingling and talking with some of the other Pantheon winners - IMsL 2004, Lori Ellison, and the ever-entertaining Karen "Ultra" Crecelius. As the group of us was standing there talking, unbeknownst to us, Dave Rhodes was observing and made a declaration, which he had Master Lou Molnar come over and deliver to us - we officially had been dubbed the Napoleon Club because of our short statures. Yes, that’s right, Mr. Rhodes... and, we’re taking over! Soon, it was time to call the evening - and the weekend - to a close and head back to the motel one last time to rest before we all headed back to our destinations. So, there you have it - a nice mellow ending to an event-filled and VERY cold weekend in Chicago. Stay tuned for the rest of my experiences during this year...
In Leather and community,
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