Reports are coming in from all over that this was the best International Mr. Leather weekend – ever! What made this one so special, you ask? Well for starters take a look at the winner, Bo Ladashevska. I knew I had seen this guy’s pictures someplace before, and so I found him on one of my favorite sites. Sorry, guys, you’ll have to find the site and profile on your own.

Bo is incredibly hot! Every year there’s the debate whether leather title holders should be hot or intelligent. Some years we sacrifice one for the other but luckily not this year. Bo Ladashevska’s looks are only a part of the man who is the new International Mr. Leather. For starters, he is sponsored by MC Faucon Inc., Bleu Voyage and Parking Night Club. Bo lives in Montreal, which means uncut (we hope, but I couldn’t tell from the photo), and speaks French. He works as an American Sign Language/English interpreter and served on the national board of directors of the Association of Visual Language Interpreters of Canada. He has also worked on promotion and served as a spokesperson for the 2006 World Outgames. In his spare time, Bo coordinated the Ther-a-pet Program for AIDS Committee Care of Montreal, a program providing veterinary care and education for people with AIDS and their pets.

So now I am looking over his profile on “the” Web site, and – just to let you know – he is happily and legally married to his partner of 11 years. What’s up with International Mr. Leathers lately being all happily married and sh*t? There’s got to be something wrong with that! They get to be International Mr. Leather and they get to be happily married! I think a rule change is in order, don’t you? Happiness or a major leather title – but not both!

Now that all the bitterness is out of the old system, let’s wish Bo and his happily and legally married partner an incredible year. Hopefully, we’ll see Bo in San Diego next March for the Mr. San Diego Leather Contest. The invitation has been extended to him, so think dirty, nasty thoughts to get him here. Oh, by the way, mark your calendars for March 14-18 for San Diego Leather Pride Week.

Once again San Diego was well represented. Dutch, Mr. San Diego Leather 2005, held up extremely well during the week, according to reports from Adam Latham. At one point, I spoke to Dutch over the phone and expected him to be a complete and neurotic mess, but he was eerily calm. Not that he’s usually a mess, but IML can do things to a person. Like his predecessors of recent years, Dutch made the top 20, which is no easy feat. If you’re unfamiliar with the IML contest system, the top 20 are chosen from their interview and personality scores earlier in the week. The names are read off at the beginning of Sunday’s contest, and the remaining 30 or so are dismissed from the stage. Those remaining 20 continue with the contest and take part in the speech and physique portions. It’s quite brutal, actually, as there is always some contestant who is in shock he’s not in the top 20 and stands on stage with his mouth open as the curtains close.

According to my sources, who’ve been dragging their tired asses back from a weekend of sex, sin and debauchery, IML should never be missed again. One friend e-mailed that he and his boy had decided to make this their last IML, but had such a fu*king good time that they’re going back next year. Woo-hoo! How nice for you! Guess you didn’t choke on peanuts on the way home as I had hoped.

Just joking… really! So happy you had a great time!

Here at home, the new Mr. San Diego Leather, Buster, is planning another event. Please save the evening of Saturday, June 17, for the Piggy Bank event. Come to an evening of entertainment and the unveiling of a new game, Squeal Or No Squeal. Cost of entry: spare change. Bring in that mason jar of coins or whatever you have and deposit it into the pig’s slot at the door. Buster will exchange your change for Buster Bucks, play money you can use to bid on auction items and services offered at the event. Money collected will benefit the leather community float at this year’s Pride festival. To volunteer, please contact buster@mrsandiegoleather.net.

More happening? Send me your party or event info to inthepit@aol.com and we’ll have ourselves a real good time. See ya’ll at L.A. Pride.