International Mr. Leatherbear 2018
My original plan to return to Houston for GLUE weekend was abrogated when Daddy Eric told me earlier this year he was going to Baltimore, Maryland instead for the 4th annual International Mr. Leatherbear contest weekend. Since I've never been, I decided to join him. This weekend happened October 5-8.
I woke up at 3:45am on Friday though I hardly slept, despite sneaking out of work early to give myself some sleep time. My father drove me to YVR and I arrived before 5am as the traffic was low. There was a long line to security and by the time I was done customs, it was 20 minutes until boarding when I arrived at my gate. The Delta flight to Minneapolis was okay and I sat in a middle seat. I watched Ferris Bueller’s Day Off for the very first time and I liked it. For the rest of the flight, I played Sudoku onscreen. I landed 12:14pm and my gate was pretty much the same one I’ve been to before: near a Dairy Queen. I had a 4-piece chicken strips, fries, and a drink. I then took my flight to Baltimore just before 1pm. I fell asleep on the plane mostly and landed around 4:16pm at BWI.
Daddy Eric arrived mere minutes before me from his transfer in Houston. He waited for me by my gate. After our greetings we got our bags and purchased single fare tickets for the light rail. We took it into town and Daddy Eric pointed out a few spots he remembered - including a building he used to work in at times. We got off at a stop though Daddy Eric found we went one stop past where we should have gotten off. No big deal. We had to walk to the host hotel of the weekend: The Lord Baltimore Hotel. As he was getting the room, I paid my share of $160US to the clerk to offset the charge on Daddy Eric’s credit card. Up on the 17th floor, there was a TV lounge area where the elevators were and was perfect for a function Daddy Eric was planning for Sunday afternoon. Our room was 1709. We set our stuff down and then took a Lyft to have dinner at Patro’s Pizza on North Charles St. He had a pasta dish while I had a medium Hawaiian pizza. We then went to Safeway to pick up a jug of drinking water, distilled water, Uzi rippled potato chips, pretzel rods, etc. I paid to take the Lyft back. Since Daddy was too tired to go with me, I geared up and went to Leon’s Backroom by myself. When I emerged from my ride, I saw pup Mufasa outside and we said hello. He wondered why Daddy Eric didn’t come and I said he was too tired. I eventually went inside and did a tour of the bar. Some nice bears but as expected… I was barely cruised. I sat at the front of the bar by myself and was watching some Captain America: The Winter Soldier on TV while messaging on my phone. The drinks were cheap, and I had a sprite. Eventually, the 3 contestants for next night’s contest were shown and I snapped a few pictures. Mufasa left with me to go back to the hotel around midnight. He was on the same floor as us (I think 1715?). He wanted to see Daddy Eric but when I opened my door and he noticed he was sleeping, he left after we said good night. I then went to bed after 1am.
Didn’t sleep much as I couldn’t get comfortable. Poor Daddy was tolerating my constant shifting throughout the night. Around 10am, we cuddled a bit and got up. We had our separate showers and as we were dressing, he gave me a gift: his late-partner Kevin's old “Daddy’s Boy” cap! It was so sweet of him that I wore it on and off for the rest of the weekend. We left the room near noon to go to Potbelly Sanwich Shop about a block from the hotel. It’s my first time to a Potbelly ever. He got a Turkey Club BLT while I got a Roast Beef. We both liked our choices and he paid this time. We went next door to a Dunkin’ Donuts (oh sorry, just “Dunkin’” cuz you know, trendy shit and stuff!) and while he got a couple of donuts, they were out of a black tea drink he wanted. But from the clerk’s attitude, he sounded like he was too lazy to make it. We returned to the room and then went up to the Skybar on the top floor to meet other leathermen. We got our VIP badges, though both say “Daddy Eric” on them as the website only allowed for one name, even though it was for two packages (Mufasa admitted that this was overlooked on the site's coding). I took some pictures with my DSLR while chatting with a couple of guys, especially with a couple of Trekkies as we discussed the new Star Trek: Discovery show. We went down to the ballroom and looked at things being set up for the contest. Daddy Eric had his new shoes from London worked on by the bootblack. After some time, we were joined by a bear couple to go out to dinner. The first place we went to didn’t start serving food until 5pm so we went back to the same Potbelly as hours earlier. I got the Turkey Club and a Philly Sandwich while Daddy got the other Philly Cheesesteak they offered. I paid for our meal this time. The double chocolate cookie they had was nice! We walked to a Chinese restaurant near the hotel for one of the bears to pick up something. Back at the room, we geared up. I went in my BLUF uniform while Daddy Eric wore his muir cap, vest, and new combat boots. At the ballroom, Daddy had his new boots worked on by the bootblack. I wanted to have my Chippewa boots worked on, but it would never get to happen due to my role for the entire contest: official photographer. Around 50 people were in the room and the contest started about 15 minutes after 7pm.
Throughout the night, I took lots pictures of the contest. There was a random question from the judges, a speech from each contestant, and three different leather wear: casual, fantasy, and formal. Daddy Eric and pup Mufasa did an auction before the end of the contest. We had a few performances throughout the night too. At the end, Ali Lopez was the winner (if you watched some BearFilms and Cyberbears porn, he played in some of them). Before the whole thing ended, I took a “Mama’s Family” group photo.
Right after the contest, the dance started though some had already left. Daddy and I went up to the Skybar and stayed there for over an hour. A black bear couple got us drinks and let me have part of a cigar. They were very kind and the drink they could be freely poured actually wasn't that bad though I didn't get drunk at all. I took a few pictures until things died down and we went back down to the ballroom. We didn’t spend that much time as it was wrapping up. 4 of us (including the Mr. World Bear titleholder) went downstairs and chatted. I took the last pictures of the night, including a picture of Daddy and I sitting side-by-side in an almost divine sense (I told them that it was almost a kind of religious set-up: the Son sits on the right hand of the Father... only we didn't have a third in the middle to make a kind of "leather trinity", but it was not to be blasphemous). Before Daddy Eric and I retired to our room, we went back up to the ballroom as the dance ended. We helped with a few things as pup Mufasa was directing the packing up. We returned to our room and I helped Daddy out of his boots while he pulled mine off. Shortly after, we went to bed. I fell asleep faster this time.
Before we got up, I blew Daddy that morning and got my first breakfast protein. Pup Mufasa messaged him to let us know that brunch was ending at 10am! So, we quickly went down to the lobby level to the hotel restaurant. We only had one plate of food, but we made sure there was enough on it. Daddy commented to Mufasa, the hostess, and later (next day at check-out) to the hotel front desk that he wasn’t impressed with the early closing time of brunch. I had toast, hash browns (which were seasoned with chili pepper, I think, and gave them a better taste), fruit, and bacon. Besides Mufasa, the same bear couple who was with us for dinner yesterday was with us for brunch. I had orange and then apple juice to drink. After brunch, I spent time in the room while Daddy Eric went out to a nearby market to pick up some food and pop for the Doctor Who season premiere, in which he invited as many as possible. The premiere was at 1pm on BBC America and there were about 9 of us on the 17th floor TV lounge. Daddy Eric and pup Mufasa got us fried chicken, potato wedges, chicken strips, and used the snacks we picked up on Friday night plus coke zero to drink for the get-together. The lounge had plastic plates, utensils, cups, etc. provided so it was very convenient. After the “new female Doctor” season premiere played, it re-played immediately, and we watched it again - though we did more conversations amongst each other over it. I helped with some of the clearing up and said goodbye to our guests. Back in the room, I was debating going to the play party since my plan to go visit Daddy Maurice in DC - whom I met last year- wasn’t going to pan out (I would have to take the Greyhound or MARC train). Daddy Eric would be staying and having dinner with pup Mufasa while I decided to go to the play party - originally thinking it was a beer bust. One handsome Leatherdaddy from Iowa that I cruised on Recon and was part of the weekend, messaged me wondering if I was coming to the play party. I was taken aback - he didn’t return a cruise on Recon and showed NO interest me the entire weekend as far as I could tell! But I said I would be down eventually. So, I geared up in mostly what I wore on Friday night and took a Lyft to Club 1722 on North Charles Street. You enter off West Lafayette Ave in the back, likely to not make it obvious to outsiders. Immediately when I walked in -with no barrier or anything covering up- I saw naked men lounging about! It was $25 for entrance but it included free coat/bag check and drinks/snacks. The front guy didn’t know anything about the VIP badge, so I paid the entrance fee anyways (later, Daddy Eric checked with pup Mufasa and found there was no deal made with the club... which was probably overlooked). I went to the back of the club on the upper floor to bag my jacket and gauntlets. Up on the balcony, I could look down and see some guys getting fucked in slings. Most guys were wearing leather harnesses though there was one hot leather cop around. I felt overdressed compared to most guys. After some time watching the action downstairs and not getting cruised, I went to the front lounge to get a coke and sit down. The Leatherdaddy on Recon was there, and we chatted a bit and he sucked on my leather gloves as he was a glove fetishist. He was with another boy and left for awhile with him while I stayed and pondered. I chatted with another guy, who I guess was interested but I wasn’t much into him, so he left. The Leatherdaddy came back but we barely talked as he was concentrating more on the boy he was with. I got tired of the rejection and being the only celibate guy among at least 50 so I ended up leaving about a couple hours there. I took a Lyft back to the hotel and shortly after I got back in the room, Daddy Eric returned as he had finished dinner with Mufasa at an Indian restaurant. He asked how my night went, and I said I wasted $25 on a play party in which I was probably the only celibate one there (that was when he called Mufasa asking about if the VIP badge could be used for a discount or free entrance into the club). He gave me a hug to cheer me up. I didn’t take off my gear just yet, but I got a message from the Leatherdaddy I saw back at the club asking if I wanted to visit him in his room for a quickie. I said sure and proceeded to get to him. My card wouldn’t allow me to get to the 12th floor so I took the stairs down and found I could enter the hallway. He was in 1204 and he was gloved and naked with a cockring on him plus boots. He had a very nice thick cut cock on him! Sure enough, he loved the feel of my gloves on his mouth, body, and cock. He eventually came, and I sucked and licked the cum off his gloved hands, WOOF! Since he had his flight in the morning, we said goodbye and hoped we would cross paths in the near future. When I got back to my room, Daddy Eric was already in bed asleep. I was hungry but there wasn’t anything close by that I knew was open at the time, so I munched on some potato chips and pretzel sticks while I spent a couple hours on my laptop, typing and watching videos. Before heading to bed around 1am, I did my flight online check-in.
Both Daddy and I emerged from bed around 9am so we could shower separately and pack up our things. We checked out of the hotel before 11am and walked to a light rail stop nearby to return to the airport. On the way, we discussed future travel plans. While I invited him to join me for Palm Springs later this month, he plans to go to Smokeout next year. I may think about joining him for that but cannot guarantee it. At the airport, there was something strange about my flight from Detroit to Toronto that I was told would be rectified in Detroit at my gate, but they gave me my passes anyways. Daddy Eric and I were originally going to part ways as we thought we’d be in separate terminals but after I was done security screening, he was well done his and waiting for me at the end. My flight departs at 1:11pm and his sometime after 5pm so we walked near my gate and had lunch at Quizno’s. He got a bowl of chili and a drink while I got a footlong Black Angus steak sandwich on multigrain bread (as they didn’t have rosemary parmesan), drink, and cookie. I paid for us. After I was done eating, we said our final goodbyes and I had to board my plane to Detroit. I volunteered to give up my carry-on to pick up in YVR. After over an hour flight, I landed in DTW and did a long walk to my terminal and gate. On the way, there was this colourful LED tunnel connecting between terminals that was fun to walk through and it played snippets of past, popular music (I guess from those who originated from Detroit?). At my gate, I had to wait before I could rectify the seat assignment for my flight to Toronto because a flight to Green Bay was upcoming. As I sat, there was this woofy, goateed, blue collar bear across from me that was great eye candy! There was a small delay in our flights because of fog in certain parts of the east coast which affected some of our itineraries, but it has since seceded. I charged my phone while waiting and when the Green Bay flight was boarding, the cute bear left. Once that flight had taxied off, we were called up to get our seat assignments and new boarding passes. My final pass from YYZ to YVR was given while original passes were replaced. The Delta clerks were nice to give us free snacks and water as we were waiting. Our flight departed around 5:30pm and landed in Toronto about 6:30pm. I did customs and picked up my bags, only to give them to WestJet and exit out. I had to go through security, which I expected. I didn’t have much time as the delay at DTW cut into my original layover in YYZ of almost 3 hours. So, I quickly did the long walk to gate B3 and it wasn’t long until boarding when I arrived. I saw a poster for the new Doctor Who season and snapped a picture to Daddy Eric, who liked it. He wasn’t home yet but would be home by the time I would land back in Vancouver. I wanted to get something to eat from Tim Hortons, but the lineup was significant, so I opted to get a drink from Booster Juice instead. I got a large blue raspberry drink, which was tasty. We boarded around 7:30pm and I had seat 4A, the window seat (it wasn't Premium seating or anything, those were the first three rows in front of us). We departed at 8pm. There were no in-flight screens, so we had to use the WestJet app to watch movies. They had seat power thankfully, so I plugged my phone in the outlet. I watched The Disaster Artist, which I thought was good and funny at times. I bought a chicken wrap to eat while I finished off my juice before we landed. I was uncomfortable during the flight, putting some strain of my spine. After the movie, I played Final Fantasy Tactics on my PSP for the rest of the flight and we landed in Vancouver just after 10pm PST. My father was already at the cell area and after 20 minutes waiting at the carousal, my bags finally arrived. He picked me up outside WestJet’s departure, ending the many hours slog to get home compared to my arriving on the east coast on Friday.
While I yearned to return to Houston for GLUE this long weekend, I didn’t mind the change to Baltimore for a much smaller event. I enjoyed my time with Daddy Eric and meeting some great leathermen. The city itself, while kind of run down, wasn’t as bad as I thought, and the people were nice. I don’t know what will happen next year for Thanksgiving/Columbus Day weekend, but we’ll see which direction I’ll swing to.