MINNEAPOLIS – The weekend of Nov 14-16 was a mix of snow and cold outside, but inside the eagleBOLTbar it was incredibly hot as leathermen and leatherwomen gathered for the Mr. Minneapolis Eagle 2015 Contest Weekend (#MME2015)!
Friday night was contest goers opportunity to “Greet the Meat” where judges and contestants were introduced to the audience. Special guest Andy CosmicRoo – Mr. International Rubber 2014 read a welcome letter from Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges.
The judges for #MME2015 included Jason Little – Mr. Minneapolis Eagle 2014, Ramien Pierre – International Mr. Leather 2014, Tim Holden – Vice President, Atons of Minneapolis, Joseph “Rocky” McCombs – Mr. Ohio Leather 2013, Bootblack Kai – Great Lakes Bootblack 2013, Valkyrie – Member of Knights of Leather, and Drew Riebhoff – Mr. Iowa Leather 2014.
Three men entered the competition: Bernd Wellkamp, Ren Rushold, and Russell Wiasanen.
While the contestants were being interviewed by the judges Saturday afternoon, Titans of the Midwest presented Kink U @ MME featuring classes on toys and insertables, sensory deprivation, and massage.
Saturday night the contest kicked off with a video introduction with clips of the some of the previous winners at the moment they were sashed, a blessing by the Ladies of the Lakes (a local chapter of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence) and a video greeting by Chuck Renslow. The contestants took the stage at the eagleBOLTbar in front of a large audience and were broadcast throughout the venue on every screen and every speaker.
The contest featured three categories: The Keg Walk to show off physique, Question and Answer in which members of the audience were able to vote for the on stage questions via the #MME2015 Yapp app, and Fantasy where contest goers met a kinky tourist guide, a vandal getting caught by a policeman until the tables turned, and two cowboys discovering a connection and some hard riding!
Jason Little – Mr. Minneapolis Eagle 2014 gave a moving step aside speech reiterating themes from his title year: the importance value of mental health, HIV education and prevention during which he took his daily dose of Truvada on stage, a heartfelt remembrance of Jon Nizzi, and a long list of thank yous including a shared onstage kiss with his fiancé, Mark.
All three contestants took the stage a final time and the winner was revealed: Ren Rushold! The newly sashed winner shared a celebratory kiss with his partner, Cliff, in front of a plethora of cameras.
Other events over the weekend included a Victory Brunch and GearTunes beer bust.
