MINNEAPOLIS – What do a kitty, two puppies, a jock, and a Sir have in common? They were the five diverse contestants representing their version of leather as high cow season descended on the eagleBOLTbar for the Mr. Minneapolis Eagle 2018 Contest Weekend (#MME2018)!
The weekend kicked off with “Greet the Meat” where judges and contestants were introduced to the audience. The contestants drew their numbers and the weekend was underway.
The judges for #MME2018 were: Eric Stafford – Mr. Minneapolis Eagle 2017, Pawlish – International Mr. Bootblack 2017, Angie – Ms. Midwest Olympus 2017, Andrew Bertke – 2016 Pantheon of Leather Midwest Regional Award winner and an Award Winning Photographer, Boy Woody – Great Lakes Leather Boy 2016, Kevin ‘Grey Owl’ Clanton – Mr. D.C. Eagle 2017, and Peter ‘Pup Orpheus’ Dayton – Mr. Maryland Leather 2017.
Five contestants took the stage (in order of the numbers they drew): Sir Randy Ingram-Lile, Jay, Timber, Pup Spike, and Kitten Glitter.
Private interviews with the judges took place late Saturday morning followed by Titans of the Midwest presenting Kink U @ MME which featured presentations on Rope Bondage,Erotic Boot Blacking, and a panel conversation on inclusion in the leather community.
Saturday night the contest began with a video memorial to Chuck Renslow as the crowd remembered the man responsible for bringing them all together. Derek Harley, MME Weekend Producer welcomed the crowd to eagleBOLTbar and shared in a moment of silence to remember the 27 trans people who have been killed thus far in 2017. Derek went on to thank our veterans for the service and recognize that we are resisting the attempted oppressions across the country. He reminded the crowd that leather, publicly living our authenticity, and voting for progressive candidates are a part of everyday resistance.
The contest featured three categories: The Keg Walk and On-stage Question to show off physique and stage presence, 90 second Speech on a topic of the contestant’s choosing, and Fantasy where contest goers saw several fantasies acted out on stage. The fantasy portion of the MME contest yet again proved to be quite the crowd pleaser. One judge remarked, “The fantasy portion is different from many other contests, and, I think, a positive addition. It made the contest a more creative challenge and forced contestants to be vulnerable in yet a different way onstage.”
Eric Stafford gave an emotional and powerful step aside speech – speaking from the heart about his year, the political climate across the country, and the suicide of a community member.
All five contestants returned to the stage. Timber was named first runner up and Sir Randy Ingram-Lile was sashed as Mr. Minneapolis Eagle 2018!
Other events over the weekend included a Victory Brunch, a public Puppy Mosh by the North Star Kennel club, and the BLUF Meet and Greet.
The Minneapolis eagleBOLTbar and the Mister Minneapolis Eagles would like to take a moment to recognize the loss of part of the Minneapolis Eagle family. The longest serving bartender and a man we all called friend, Greg Glass, passed away suddenly after his shift on Friday night. A memorial fund has been established to help his family in this time of need. Donations can be made at gofundme.com/greg-glass-memorial-fun
via press release
