DES MOINES – Are you ready to find out how Iowa gets dirty? Get ready for the biggest Iowa Leather Weekend yet.
(Editor’s Note: Great Lakes Den is a media sponsor of ILW)
The 26th Annual Iowa Leather Weekend is quickly approaching. We are pleased to officially announce our judging panel and contest staff, and we would like to thank the following people for taking the time to help select the next Mr and Ms Iowa Leather. For full weekend details, please visit: www.theblazingsaddle.com. Weekend packages and host hotel space are still available for discounted rates.
Judges Panel
Drew Riebhoff – Mr IA Leather 2014
A pair of chaps, a harness, and the goal of making his ex boyfriend jealous was the gateway drug to Drew’s entry to the leather community. Whether he’s needed to sell shots in his Hello Kitties, auction off a jock or perform as a bearded lady; Drew has helped raise funds for organizations across Des Moines including; One Iowa, Planned Parenthood, Capital City Pride, Project HIM, and The Imperial Court of Iowa. He’s an orphan boy who enjoys whiskey, gingers, tattoos, and nerds and loves flagging dark pink, teal and magenta.
He’s excited to welcome you ILW and hopes you do your best to avoid being good.
Jenniffer Allen – Ms IA Leather 2014 Jenniffer Allen (yes her name has 2 f’s) takes great pride in being the first Ms. Iowa Leather and represented Iowa at International Ms Leather (IMsL) in April. She was awarded the “Heart & Soul” award by her IMsL sisters and placed 5th overall. Despite the outcome of that contest, it isn’t the end of Jenniffer’s leather journey. There is much she wants to do! The smell, feel and sound of a leather flogger at a play party drew Jenniffer into the leather world 5 years ago. As she learns more about her kinks, she encourages and mentors people exploring their kinks. Some of her favorite kinks include breathe play and flogging. Her passion for education and mentoring in the kink world have lead to CIPEX and the Titans of the Midwest, supporting these organizations’ missions of spreading kink education Jenniffer shares her life with her husband and 5 children in Des Moines. They mean the world to her, and she couldn’t do these things without them. She is humbled to serve as a judge this weekend and wishes all the contestants the best of luck!
Patty – International Ms Leather Patty is a poly kinky butch dyke switch who has been involved in the Leather Community for over 13 years. Born and raised in upstate NY, Patty has been happily transplanted in Toronto for 8 years where she is a dual Canadian-US citizen and lives with her super hot wife. She is honored to hold the titles of International Ms Leather 2014, Ms Leather Toronto 2014 and Ms Northbound Leather 2013. Patty was on the board of the So You Want to Be Kinky educational series, ran the Surge Event Series for leather/kinky women and trans people in Toronto, and created the “Surge: Images of Power & Pleasure” calendar as a fundraiser for the Toronto based charity, Rainbow Railroad. She has presented workshops on mummification and spanking and has co-hosted experiential “novice nights”. As IMsL, she continues to travel and connect with leather, rubber, puppy, pony and kinky folks of all persuasions and promotes the work of the International Ms Leather Foundation and contest. She was the 2012 winner of the Heart of the Flag Federation Volunteer of the Year Award, is a member of the Heart of the Flag Federation and the Vajra Leather Family, and is Mama’s Canadian Uncle Patty.
Ramien Pierre – International Mr Leather Ramien Pierre is International Mr. Leather 2014 and Mr. DC Eagle 2014. He is also a proud member of the Mid-Atlantic chapter of ONYX – a national leather and kink fraternity for men of color. His involvement with the DC leather community in general, and ONYX in particular, has helped Ramien embrace his kinks and become a more interesting, powerful, and high-fidelity version of himself. When asked what he enjoys most about winning IML, Ramien responds, “Respectfully, I didn’t win anything. There’s a reason they call us ‘titleholders’ and not ‘titlewinners’”. Ramien is humbled that a panel of strangers deemed him fit to hold onto a title and return it in as good or better condition than when it was entrusted to him. One of the things Ramien loves most about being a titleholder is how much the experience demands he adapt, grow, and develop new skills. Every challenge of his Mr. DC Eagle and IML title year has been an opportunity for him to make himself stronger and his community better.
“I look forward to meeting and making connections with kinky people and clubs of The Hawkeye State. I’m convinced that as kinksters and humans, we are more alike than we are different. I intend to spend my Iowa Leather weekend proving that theory… and eating every Dutch Letter within 15 miles of the contest venue.”
Eric Paul Leue – Mr LA Leather 2014 Eric was born and raised in the countryside of East Berlin. He has been an active member of the Leather community since he was 18, first in Berlin, then London and now in his hometown Los Angeles. He was first awarded Eagle LA Mr. Leather 2014 before becoming Mr. Los Angeles Leather 2014 in March. As a self-identifying switch with a tendency to take on the dominant role, he explores new kinks first in a sub-space before taking on the ‘active role’. His hanky code is orange “anything, anywhere, anytime” on a mutual basis of course. His hanky reflects in his daily life, adding motorcycles, horseback riding, rugby and scuba diving, to the nights in the playroom, the open woods and of course teaching kink play. In addition to his Leather Family volunteer work for organizations like the Tom of Finland Foundation, Mr. Friendly, Los Angeles Band of Brothers, Los Angeles Leather Coalition, Thrive Tribe, Mutt Pack LA and the International Eagle Titleholder, he is focused on HIV/STI education, outreach and care on a broader LGBT scope. Eric is an active member of the LA County HIV commission, works with the LA PrEP workgroup, teaches classes in schools, universities and community organizations and is currently working on renewing the sex and LGBT history education curriculum for middle schools and high schools. Eric is overjoyed and honored to have been chosen as a judge for the 2014 Mr. & Ms. Iowa Leather contest.
Matt Hengle – Mr Midwest Leather 2012 – Titans of the Midwest Executive Board Matt Hengle, is Mr. Midwest Leather 2012 and competed at IML XXX5 finishing in the top 10. Matt is very active in his community of Greater Cincinnati and focuses on Kink education and awareness, Mentoring new people interested in the Leather community, he is also the organizer and producer of KINK U Cincinnati and the chairman and promoter for Team Friendly Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, working to remove the Stigma of HIV. Matt takes pleasure in running around butt-naked at his queer camp and riding motorcycles with the love of his life John, He loves spending time with his bio-family (2 beautiful daughters and an awesome 5 year old grandson) and is passionate about his chosen-leather-family, Marriage/Family rights and equality. Matt has a twisted side and gets off using his power tools to design and build dungeon furniture for himself and others. Matt indulges in many hobbies including playing guitar (heavy metal music), SCUBA diving, mountain biking and other activities involving expensive hardware. He sings in the Cincinnati Men’s Chorus is a member of Scorpius Cincinnati, The Titans of the Midwest where he serves and Board member at Large East, PEER Cincinnati, DAMEN (Dayton Area Men Enjoying Nudity), the Leather Archives and Museum and the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom.
Bella – International Ms Bootblack 2013 Bella is a slave, regional presenter, bootblack, correspondent, and occasional fetish model who has been active within her community since 2008. Bella has presented demonstrations on varying levels of bootblacking as well as boot worship for a variety of events. She also serves as a mentor for new bootblacks in her area upon request, leading classes or working individually to encourage curious kinksters to develop their skills and discover new passions. Bella is the devoted munchkin of her Mister with whom she has spent the past 5 years. Bella is honored to hold the titles of International Ms Bootblack 2013, Great Lakes Bootblack 2012, and Kentucky Bootblack 2009
Daddy Joey McDonald – IML Exec Board Member – IML Den Daddy Joey McDonald has been an active member of the BDSM/Leather community for 37 years. In 1977, as a sailor in the US Navy, Joey was introduced to the scene when his ship made a visit to Bremerhaven, Germany. Two years later while visiting family in Chicago, he volunteered at the first International Mr. Leather competition. He has been a part of the IML family since then, and he currently serves on the IML Executive Board as Den Daddy. Joey enjoys serving on speaker panels among the LGBT, Leather/BDSM, 12-Step Recovery, HIV/AIDS and African-American communities where he can share his knowledge, experiences and thoughts on Mentoring, Kink in Recovery, ‘Safer’ Play, Racism & Sexism, and Magnetic (serodiscordant) Relationships; he also judges contests in and out of leather. In 2009, he was honored with the Pantheon of Leather Lifetime Achievement Award and was also inducted into Chicago’s Gay & Lesbian Hall of Fame. From 2005 to 2013, Joey worked on the passage of Illinois’ Civil Union bill, safer schools legislation, and helped begin the Marriage Equality push. Currently, he splits his days being a community health worker and raising funds & getting school supplies for underprivileged youth. In his spare time, he indulges his fondness for travel, gingers, pups, electricity and honey…. go ahead and ask! Joey is honored to be a member of the judging panel for Iowa Leather Weekend!
GMAN – Mr International Rubber 2011 G-Man is happy to be sporting his rubber in Des Moines! By his estimation, G-Man’s rubber fetishes started early and can likely be traced to his fascination with the latex rubber appliances and costumes of so many monster movies. (The transformation scene in An American Werewolf in London is still fresh in his mind.) Or maybe it was Jacques Cousteau and his crew in wetsuits he watched on television when he was a young boy. Either way, if it’s skin-tight, G-Man is interested! But be sure anesthesia isn’t involved. To illustrate the point, ask him about the rubber glove he swiped after oral surgery. Shortly after winning the Mr Southeast Rubber title in 2010, he headed to Chicago and left as Mr International Rubber 2011. During his title year he traveled to events across the US and Canada as both judge and participant, working to raise the visibility of rubbermen. At IML 2011, he presented the Rubber Pride Flag at the opening ceremonies, the first time a non-leather fetish had been officially recognized at IML. Back home he was able to lend his title to fundraising events in Atlanta for CHRIS Kids. (Among its many missions, CHRIS Kids runs special outreach programs for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or questioning youth.) Last year he took on a new role as producer of the 2013 Southeast Black and Blue contest weekend. Now well into his “wuzzie” years, G-Man remains active in the Atlanta rubber scene as a member of the Hotlanta Rubber and Gear Group of which he is a founding member. He also conducts a ministry of sorts, an outreach to those uninitiated to the pleasures of rubber. He counts many among the converted, including some leathermen. A little known fact about G-Man is that he is a licensed private pilot with a commercial and instrument rating.
Talley Master
David Pfau – Mr Maryland Leather 2014 David Pfau, Mr. Maryland Leather 2014, Mama’s Bawlmer Boh hails from in Baltimore, Maryland with his Fiancée Kristopher and their husky pup. He has worked for Baltimore County Crisis Center for 7yrs but currently works for the state library as a project manager. David is currently a board Member of S.P.E.A.K (Suicide Prevention Awareness Education for Kids) and has Established Team Friendly Baltimore and working on partnerships with multiple local outreach organization in the state of Maryland. This year he was offered an opportunity to be a guest lecturer for Johns Hopkins University Doctorate CFAR Interns to cover “From Hanky Code to Scruff: Encryption of gay hookup culture” concentrating on teaching outreach interns on how to meet the LGBTQ community on their level by using terms they are familiar with. He was voted best lecture of 2014 school year. David is a self-identified tickle top cuddle bottom, Bear hunter; Holster Sniffer; into Breath Control; White Velvet Left and currently identifies as an exploratory sub. David also is a huge Golden Girls Fan and local bar aficionado.
Den Staff
Justin Terry-Smith – Den Daddy Justin, AKA Mister J, has been a human rights activist in the Washington DC/Baltimore area since 1999. He is an avid and outspoken leather switch with the right balance of sadomasochism for all. He is originally from Silver Spring, Maryland, but now resides in Laurel, Maryland with his husband Dr. Philip Terry-Smith (married on Aug 7th, 2009) and son. A United States Air Force veteran, he was honorably discharged with awards and decorations in 2003. Justin is one of the founders and a associate member of the ONYX Mid-Atlantic. He is also an associate of the DC boys of leather and the Mid-Atlantic Kennel Korps. In 2008, Justin created ‘Justin’s HIV Journal’ to advocate for HIV/AIDS education, prevention and awareness. In his journal he tells people about the trials and tribulations when it comes to living with HIV/AIDS. After being named Mr. Maryland Leather 2010, he authored the HIV themed children’s book called, “I Have A Secret”, a story about a young boy living with HIV. In 2012 Justin was awarded the Pantheon of Leather Mid-Atlantic Regional Award. He also writes an advice column called, ‘Just*in Time’ for A&U, America’s AIDS Magazine and created his HIV campaign called, ‘Write A Letter to HIV Campaign.’ He also is in Graduate School for his Master’s in Public Health. Justin also writes a column called, ‘Mister J’s Living In Leather’ for the Leather Journal and has a blog named ‘Mister J’s Living In Leather.’
John Jack Trujillo – Den Daddy A long time resident of Des Moines, John has always been interested in leather and the community that it helps to build. He has attended Iowa Leather Weekend for several years now and has been to many IML contests. John started volunteering with ILW over 10 years ago as Judges’ slave, and has now been a Den Daddy since 2009. Good luck to all of the contestants of Mr. and Ms. Iowa Leather!
Jim Baldridge Garst – Den Daddy Jim Baldridge Garst has been a part of the queer community for over 25 years. As a female impersonator, emcee, and activist, Jim can be seen in many roles and he is happy to be a part of leather weekend!
Scout – International Mr Bootblack – ILW Contestant Bootblack Scout, International Mr. Bootblack 2014, is a man with a passion for all things boots and leather-related. Raised by the leather community of the Northwest he is currently living in Oakland CA. He is the proud Daddy/Sir to his boy Blaise and their kid and is a self-identified sadist. Scout is also one of the founders of the PDX bootblacks. He’s been bootblacking for over a decade, traveling all over the U.S. to spread boot gospel. Leather, boots, bondage, ball-busting, fisting, and roughhousing are only the various sexy tips of the iceberg with Scout. He is known to combine bodywork with his bootblacking, a fusion of two excellent forms of service into one specialty. In his free time he can be found hiking, camping, going on road-trips, doing bodywork and bootblacking!
Pup Tyr – Judges’ Pup Liam, or pup Tyr, has always had a sense of Pup. He discovered the kink and leather communities a few years ago, and was immediately drawn to the puppy play community. This will be the third Iowa Leather Weekend he has helped with – and certainly won’t be his last. Other than puppy play, Liam also enjoys rope bondage, spanking, sports gear, D/s relationships, and exploring new kinks and turn-ons. Now, who wants to play fetch?
Weekend packages and hotel space are filling up quickly. Tickets can be purchased via our webpage at www.theblazingsaddle.com and this year’s host hotel is the Hotel Fort Des Moines. Make sure to ask for the “Iowa Leather Weekend” rate of $99 for standard rooms and $119 for suites. Join us for a weekend of sexy leatherfolk and fetish people in Des Moines October 10-12th!
Via press release
