International Mr. Leather 2006 Named in Chicago

Chicago, IL - Bo Ladashevska, Mr. Leather Montreal 2006, has been named International Mr. Leather 2006, winning over a field of 51 contestants from 18 states and five countries, including Belgium, Canada, Germany, Switzerland and the U.S. He is sponsored by MC Faucon Inc., Bleu Voyage and Parking Night Club. Residing in Montreal, Quebec Canada, Bo works as an American Sign Language/English interpreter. Among his community service involvement: he has served as a guest lecturer on diversity at Concordia University; worked on promotion and served as a spokesperson for the 2006 World Out Games; served on the national Board of Directors of the Association of Visual Language Interpreters of Canada; and coordinated the Ther-a-pet Program for AIDS Committee Care of Montreal, a program providing veterinary care and education for PWAs and their pets.

The 28th annual International Mr. Leather Contest was held Sunday, May 28 at its newest venue: The Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St. This year’s entertainment was provided by comedian Bruce Vilanch. Brad Balof returned for his second consecutive year as emcee.

As the International Mr. Leather 2006 titleholder, Bo Ladashevska will represent IML and the leather community over the next year. He also receives a prize package that includes $5,000 in travel funds plus donations from businesses and organizations supporting the leather community.

Larry Golubski, Mr. Long Beach Leather 2005, was named first runner up. He is sponsored by Long Beach Leather. Philippe Lepine, Mr. Fetish Switzerland 2006-2007, was named second runner up. He is sponsored by Rage Leather Bar, Loge 70 Leather Club and MSC Belgium.

Contestants are judged on a variety criteria, including community involvement, speech, presentation and overall presence. The IML 2006 Judges included: Michael Egdes (Ft. Lauderdale, FL), Larry Barat (Washington, D.C.), Michael Congdon (Seattle, WA), Mark Frazier (Dallas, TX), Mike “Stallion” Fry (Dallas, TX), Kendra McClain (Indianapolis, IN) Bob Miller (Chicago, IL), Matthias Peuser (Arnhem, The Netherlands) and Jayne Schmid (Ontario, Canada). The 2006 IML Tally Masters include: Matt Denney (Dallas, TX) and Brent McGuinness (Chicago, IL).

The winner of the 14th annual International Mr. Bootblack Competition is Benjamin Palmer, winning over a pool of five contestants. He is sponsored by PumpJack Pub and Priape Vancouver.

More than 1,700 leatherfolk attended the 28th annual International Mr. Leather Contest. The weekend kicked-off on Thursday, May 25 with Opening Ceremonies at the Palmer House Hilton, where all 51 contestants were introduced. On Saturday, contestants returned to the stage at the Palmer House for the Physique Competition (Pecs and Personality). Sunday’s Contest was followed by Salute! - IML Closing Ceremonies at the Palmer House and the annual IML Victory Celebration Party at Chicago’s House of Blues. The high-energy Black and Blue Ball capped-off the IML weekend on Monday at Excalibur Nightclub. This year’s Leather Market at the Palmer House featured more than 100 leather and fetish vendors, clubs and organizations.

The 29th annual International Mr. Leather Weekend will be held May 24 - 28, 2007 (Memorial Day Weekend). The Palmer House Hilton, 17 E. Monroe St., will be the official host hotel of IML 2007. Hotel reservations can be made after June 15, 2006 on the official IML website at imrl.com or by calling (877) 865-5321. Weekend packages can be purchased online at boxofficetickets.com or by calling (800) 494-TIX. Updates on International Mr. Leather 2007 will be posted frequently on the official IML website.

Photo: From left to right: Larry Golubski (1st runner up), Bo Ladashevska (International Mr. Leather 2006) and Philippe Lepine (2nd runner up). Photo credit: BULLmanX