“Welcooooome to TechnoKiiink,” says a disembodied voice with a deep rumble, like thunder.
Dry ice fills the air, and a light show begins. Electronic music pumps through the speakers and scantily clad men in futuristic costumes strike erotic poses as they move toward the stage in this now-decommissioned church.
Welcome to TechnoKink, indeed. The 2012 Mr Leather Ottawa competition, Nov 12 at the St Brigid’s Centre for the Arts, has gotten off to a great start. The audience of several hundred is transfixed. But before we meet the contestants, local drag legend Dixie Landers is invited up onstage to do what she does best — in this case, a number to Rihanna’s song “S&M,” with two very cute boys on their knees.
The contestants are then introduced one by one, giving the audience a chance to hear what the leather community means to them and give them a long look. Throughout the night, they have the chance to show off their bodies, their minds and their kink fantasies and try to convince the panel of judges that they would be the best ambassador for Ottawa’s leathermen’s community over the next year.
It is a roller coaster of applause and laughter throughout the night — the audience can see just how badly each of the contestants wants to be this year’s Mr Leather Ottawa.
As the judges tally the final scores, a visiting title-holder gives a little behind-the-scenes look at the difficulty of balancing domestic life and kink. The skit, by International Ms Olympus Leather 2012, Sir Kira, and her boy, Dan, is right on the mark. Every time they start to have a little bit of sexy-kinky fun, her mother calls or the baby cries or the doorbell rings. It has the whole audience in stitches.
On that fun ending note, the envelopes are handed over and the contestants line up onstage for the announcement of the winner, as well as the first and second runners up.
The second runner up? Jordan Thomas. The first runner up? Steve Stewart. And the winner? Isaac Wesley — a relative newcomer to the Ottawa scene whose mix of playfulness and earnest respect for the leather community charmed the pants off the judges all night.
Wesley is proud and overjoyed to have been chosen, hugging everyone in sight. He says he looks forward to being with and growing his family, the leather community, over the next year.
And, with that, one of the most vibrant local parties of the year comes to a close. But we’ve immortalized the experience with a scrapbook of the event – check it out below!
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