What's a Zune?

Get your head out of the gutter!

How come no one's heard of iPod's nemesis? Well - it's not really a challenger. I think Microsoft's Zune has maybe 7% market share compared to Apple's 60-70% for iPod, but this thing works best for my needs; plus whether I like it or not, I'm inexorably tied to Microsoft for my personal computer needs in addition to my paycheck. Talk about being committed to a single stream....

I bought a 120GB player yesterday...I lost my old flash MP3 player a few months ago (damn tiny machines; isn't it inevitable that it would eventually disappear?)

Another early Xmas present to myself...well, the return of the gift from my brother and sister-in-law helped out in the payment for the player too -- we had family Xmas two weeks ago; it's complicated, don't ask.

Anyways, most of you don't know that I'm a music freak as much as a rubber one -- tens of thousands of songs catalogued on CDs and DVDs in addition to the CD and cassette collection (I'm old, okay?). I've been listening to music in MP3 format for at least 10 years now. The collection's grown somewhat over the years.

Finally, a single point to collate my entire collection! Marvellous! Now I need a week to re-load all the catalogued music and sync it onto the player...and it's quite possible a few rubber videos will find their way onto the playlist too, if there's any room left after the music gets loaded.

Fetishism Exposed

9, vol 108 -- July 3, 2001
Taking the whip out of the closet
By Lisa Caines,The Ontarion, University of Guelph

It's considered a taboo topic amongst many, but most of us have one. That guy with the sideburns in your psych lecture has one, and that woman in the red sweater in the corner of the coffee shop also has one. Chances are you have one too.

"Everyone has a fetish," says George Giaoris of Northbound Leather, a Toronto store that sells dominatrix gear and other kinky accessories.

Although common fetishes include leather, vinyl, latex or rubber clothing, high-heeled footwear or boots, fetishes are often as individual as the person, and can include anything from medieval corsets to hair dryers.

"A fetish, in a sexual context, is basically something that arouses like nothing else," says Giaoris. He says it is something that will sexually arouse a person every time he/she is exposed to the stimulus. Fetishes are usually discovered during puberty or early sexual encounters, and a person will gradually learn to associate a certain object with sexual arousal.

Giaoris says fetishes are largely about challenging the status quo. "Anything that is considered taboo seems to have an attraction because whenever you tell somebody 'Don't go there,' they stand up and say 'Why not? Why can't I go there?' You're always drawn to what you're told you can't have."

But fetishes are more than kinky playtime in the bedroom. "It's a way that you deal with and conquer your fears," says Giaoris, who says it's not uncommon for gays or Jewish people to have a Nazi fetish, or for people of colour to enact scenes of slavery. "It's all about exploring aspects of the psyche that generally remain untouched."

If fetishes allow individuals to deal with emotional issues, then the increasing prominence of the fetish 'scene' is allowing more individuals to explore these issues in the distinct fetish environment. Stores that cater to kinks are increasing in number, Web sites devoted to fetishes dominate the net, and fetish bars - like Vancouver's newly-opened leather bar called Pump Jack - are providing a stark contrast to your typical Saturday night top-40 fest.

Velvet Steel works for the ody Perve Social Club, an eight-year-old Vancouver organisation that coordinates monthly fetish parties. He says the increasing visibility of the Vancouver fetish scene has meant that "[there's] more of a visual aid for those who are not sure about what their interests are... people are seeing it as open doors to expand on their sexuality - expand on what their sexuality could be, or is, or means to them."

Velvet Steel deliberately avoids using the term 'mainstream' when describing the new, public fetish culture. However, he recognises that events such as the fetish nights hosted by Body Perve are perhaps just a starting point for some who might want to explore the fetish scene more intimately.

"Within [the fetish nights], we also try to provide as much information as possible on other groups and organisations out there. [We] term ourselves as an umbrella group - for those who want to go a little more extreme, or a little more subcultured or underground in terms of the S&M portion of it. We try to keep it light and fun and frothy at that point in time, but still keep our rules very stringent in terms of the dress code."

The dress code imposed at Body Perve nights includes a ban on jeans, street wear, and day suits, while leather, latex, lingerie, slave attire, maid attire, and military gear will all allow you to get through the doors.

Perhaps in response to the amount of newcomers entering the fetish scene, Toronto's Giaoris suggests that in the last 10 years, catchwords such as 'safe,' 'sane,' and 'consensual' have developed.

'Safe' sex practices include using condoms, latex gloves, and water-based lubricants. 'Sane' means that no drugs or alcohol are used - everyone is in full control of his/her facilities. And 'consensual,' means that nothing is entered into without being fully agreed to in advance. "If you have a scene that you're entering into, it might involve verbal abuse and heavy humiliation - it may shock an onlooker to [see someone] getting berated and humiliated, yet that's what that person requires to get off, and it was discussed beforehand."

Giaoris says participants often gauge consent by using 'safe words,' which are usually the colours of a traffic light. Green means your partner likes what you're doing and wants you to do more of it. Yellow means your partner likes what you're doing but wants you to slow down. And red means your partner wants you to stop immediately, and shift into what Giaoris calls "nurture mode."

Although Giaoris believes fetishes should be explored and celebrated, Keith Dobson, director of the clinical psychology department at the University of Calgary, recognises that the psychology community does not always feel the same way.

"There actually is a mental disorder called fetishism," says Dobson. "Fetishes are in a group of disorders that we call 'paraphelias,' meaning a person has an unusual sexual excitement or sexual attraction to various stimuli."

Dobson says there is treatment for people with fetishism, however it is often unsuccessful because there isn't a lot of motivation to be 'cured.'

"In its extreme form, it certainly can be problematic. Certainly from a civil rights perspective, if a fetish involves things like sadism, for example, then that has other implications," Dobson says. "But unless [the fetish] is causing concern, why bother [treating it]?"

A recent fetish fashion celebration at The Docks, a popular Toronto nightclub, shows the growing popularity of a more 'mainstream' fetish culture. Giaoris was one of the main organisers of the show, which was the largest fetish party of its kind to hit the Canadian circuit. It packed approximately 2,800 people from all over the world, including Amsterdam, Sydney and London.

"People have a predisposition to a certain kind of aesthetic of behavior. They go to the larger fetish parties that are open to the public, sometimes looking for a like-minded individual to play with, or to form a relationship with."

One of the most influential factors in prompting the organisation of large-scale fetish parties, and interest in the fetish scene in general, has been the Internet.

"The Internet gives you an obvious contact point," says Jay, a Vancouver fetish party enthusiast. "It gives a lot more people a lot more opportunity. For the people who were interested in getting involved in the S&M scene [15 or 20 years ago], the only contact point they might have had would be to buy a sex magazine and look up the phone number of a pro-dom... or maybe through the personals in a porn magazine. Now there's a million S&M chat groups on the Net, so the crowd in the S&M scene has gotten a lot more diverse."

While the Internet has undoubtedly attracted many curious, yet not necessarily dedicated people to explore various fetish environments, Jay says it has also fostered a certain Internet fetish culture of its own.

"You can always tell the Internet people when you show up at a party because they tend to cloister together," he says. "They become a pretty tight group, because they socialise together a lot on the Net."

Jay also insists that despite some of the club-sponsored fetish parties that have risen in popularity over the last few years, there remains a need for a strong underground fetish scene.

"I guess there's [still] a certain amount of harassment by the powers that be," he says. "So if you want to have an S&M play party, where the players that are coming are fairly experienced and intense in what they're doing - I think that if the police were allowed to know where those parties were happening, and if they were to raid those parties, then people might get charged for what they're doing. Even though what is essentially happening is between consenting adults."

So while it may appear as though fetishism is inching its way into the mainstream, several boundaries remains to be broken before society irons out out all of its kinks with fetishes.

Canadian University Press

Some interesting perspectives on fetish in this article. It's eight years old, but still has some good points.

Spexter update

I faxed my measurements to Spexter last week. They want a pre-payment before starting on creating the suit. €591 for the suit plus S/H!!!! Holy crap! Almost $950CAD. That's a lot of money. Should I do it?

For that price, I could probably get two different off-the-rack suits.

Hmmm.....but...it's...so...HOT!

Rationalization: to get the customized pieces on a similar suit would bring the price up considerably on an off-the-rack suit, so maybe I shouldn't be freaking out so much. One could easily see a $500 suit quickly become a $750 one with a few accessories like attached socks, gloves, CB Sheath AND codpiece in place of a zipper, and those crazy lenses...so really I am only paying an additional 20% German fetish premium, yeah?

One thing is for certain -- I'm now convinced that I'm officially and definitely off the deep end.

Just like the economy, blech!

Rubberstud of the Week #30

More origins

This pic has nothing to do with rubber or fetish, however it is one of the very first gay pictures I ever saw back in the 90s and I would say that in its own small way it was influential on how my coming out of the closet process went. I still think it is a beautiful picture to this day! Two club bois, completely passionate and in love playing tongue hockey! Marvelous!

Spandex Shooter

Nice!

Grey Cup

Football
Originally uploaded by irdfirecop

Today is the Grey Cup Final...the Canadian equivalent of Superbowl in the U.S. (albeit ten times smaller) for the Canadian Football League.

The hometown Calgary Stampeders are playing the Montreal Alouettes in Montreal. Hopefully there will be lots to look at, and the great trend of indoor games is continuing with the Final being played in Montreal Olympic Stadium.

I'm heading out to a Grey Cup party shortly for the game start at 4pm local time. Hopefully things won't get too out of hand, but you know I'm always one for a good party, especially considering the Stamps are favored to win.

Go Stamps Go!

Exposed to the Elements

Talk about a fetishist with cajones...this guy doesn't have any issues with wearing his favorite zentai doing what he loves!

Rebreathing Contest

Interesting...

Tallatex

I saw a series of these vids on another video site several years ago, I'm surprised to find them on YouTube, and more surprised that this one hasn't been removed yet! The guy's definitely tall and lanky, and that corset makes him downright underfed-looking. But the latex is tight and the scene is hot since he is having so much fun!

Catsuit Stroll

Here is the owner of Kinky King Latex out on a promo stroll, presumably in the streets of Chicago.

Spexter order

I'm getting estimates done on sizing and price for a new Spexter full body suit as I write this. Despite the Spexter site being written mostly in German, the guys that own the business speak and write English fluently and are not difficult to deal with at all. I had had hesitation in ordering a suit on-line that will cost so much and that perfect sizing will be mandatory for (I would much prefer going into the store in person to get fitted), but no longer. They only have modifications based on S-M-L-XL sizing but fortunately I am one of those people that can fit into off-the-rack sizes very well. I will use the sizing measurements I originally did for my Libidex suit with a few modifications in the hope that I can get a perfectly-fitting full body rubber suit.

This thing has all the bells and whistles:
Full-body rubber suit with many extras
Mask with mirrored eyes, attached gloves and socks/booties, attached penis sheath and snap-on codpiece.

Material strength: 0.6 mm rubber

Suit available in sizes: S-M-L-XL
-with attached gloves S-M-L-XL
-with attached socks/booties in S-M-L-XL
-with mirrored eyes,
-with attached penis sheath (one size)
-with removable codpiece

Made only after order according to your specifications.
Price varies based on options - please inquire.
Package contents: 1 piece

I think the cock and ball sheath with the codpiece addition is the bomb. Not only will you be able to play transformation games at home as the ultimate rubberman, but you will also be able to go out more modestly (only marginally) by covering up the fun bits with the codpiece. The fact the lenses are good quality and hopefully will not fog up means that you will be able to wear this suit for extended sessions without having to take anything off! I also like that the latex is 0.6mm rather than something thinner for durability. I need to ask about zipper protectors in the back - it makes a big difference on whether everything inside leaks to the feet or simply comes out the zippers at the butt and back and will make a big difference in how long you'd be able to keep the suit on, if you get my drift...

Wish me luck!

Rubberstud of the Week #29

Mr. Rubber Calgary 2009

Things are starting to roll...I've started up another blog to keep tabs on all new information pertaining to the event. Whether it'll get used a lot or not, time will tell...

Mr. Rubber Calgary 2009 Blog

Xtra! Coverage

Rubbing up against Toronto's burgeoning rubber scene
FETISH
Nancy Irwin / Toronto / Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Xtra! Magazine

Call it the next fetish frontier. Rubber, once thought queer by many in the leather scene, is quickly attracting converts as rubber fetishists don gear that surpasses cowhide in terms of the kinds of play it lends itself to.

The focus for the rubber scene in this city is the Toronto Ontario Rubbermen Network (TORN), which launched in June. The group began hosting monthly events at Alibi that same month with the hope of bringing together guys who are into rubber and rubber-related activities which include piss play, breath control and suspension.

"It's a different feeling [than leather]," says TORN cofounder David Sproul. "You're encased. You can't wear rubber and not expect to be touched."

"If you're wearing rubber people are always touching you," agrees fellow cofounder Colin Gerrard. "They want to slide over your crotch and ass. It's a lot like patting a dog without asking. It might bite back.

"I like being fondled in rubber," adds Gerrard. "It's quite a turn on. I find it really sexual, more than leather. It's tactile. I feel more intimate in rubber."

Sproul discovered rubber two years ago when a boyfriend brought him home a rubber shirt by kinky clothing manufacturer Recoil after a trip to London.

"I wore it out to one of the leather functions at the Opera House," he says. "Colin was up on stage in full rubber and I recognized him from TNT [Totally Naked Toronto Men Enjoying Nudity]. I just reached up on stage and grabbed his crotch. That's how it all began."

Gerrard, a transplant from New Zealand, lived in London, UK for seven years before moving to Toronto in 2006.

"In London there's Gummi," says Gerrard. Gummi means rubber in German and the London party is known far and wide to be a dirty good time. "Everybody in Europe knows what Gummi means."

Gerrard has done his fair share of travelling to take in rubber events in various parts of the world. "I've tried the rubber scene everywhere," he says. "Berlin's the best."

But he was disappointed when he arrived in Hogtown to find that it didn't live up to its nickname when it came to the local rubber scene.

Although there have been rubber parties in Toronto in the past — in the late 1990s Duncan MacLachlan, a former Mr Leatherman Toronto, used to organize rubber events under the name Canadian Rubber Corps — there haven't been any regular event for locals since. TORN's monthly parties, which take place the third Saturday of the month from 4pm to 8pm, are filling that void.

"There're rubber DVDs, rubber-themed European sex pig music, tunes by Butt Boys and dishes of Gummi Bears in keeping with the rubber theme," says Gerrard. "There's a third-level patio for socializing and smoking.

"We supply black latex gloves and lube people up when they walk through the door... Have you ever been up against anyone in rubber when the two of you are in rubber? That lube is inside and out. I can slip around in my rubber gear all night."

Although the dress code allows for entrance with as little as a rubber jockstrap, Gerrard says, "We've seen jock straps, waders, butcher aprons, gas masks, puppy-tail butt plugs."

What sorts of behaviour can rubber wear inspire?

"At the last MLT [Mr Leatherman Toronto] event at the Opera House I was wearing a rubber apron and my black elbow-length gloves," says Sproul. "It wasn't too long before I was up on the balcony with my fist up a man's ass who was leaning over the railing. Then I went downstairs to the bathroom to clean my gloves off and ended up doing someone in the bathroom."

But the appeal of rubber isn't just in the outfits and accessories and the fun it can lead to.

"We hope to get a vac rack once we're established," says Gerrard. "We want a vac cube."

A vac rack is a flat frame covered with rubber. A person gets inside and a vacuum is used to suck all the air from inside, leaving the person in the most incredible bondage. A vac cube is similar but with the cube the person can be suspended by the rubber.

The TORN parties — which are men-only, although the group is considering an annual mixed event — include demonstrations or themes.

"The last event we had a Saran Wrap scene," says Sproul. "It was bondage suspension. A man was totally naked but for a rubber blindfold [and Saran Wrap], leaving only his nostrils and his cock and balls exposed.... At the first event Dart did puppy play and we had three puppies."

The upcoming event, to be held on Sat, Aug 16, will be a "slime pool party" — a pool a few feet deep will be filled with lube for attendees to slip and slide in.

But the main event that night will be the first Mr Rubber Toronto competition, which will begin at 8pm.

"Once Dave and I formed TORN we decided it was time that Toronto too had a competition for Mr Rubber Toronto. Since there was already a Mr Rubber Montreal event, why not Toronto?"

But they discovered that Montreal-based men's sex shop Priape was already one step ahead of them — the company already had plans in the works for local rubber competitions in Toronto, Calgary, Ottawa, Vancouver and Winnipeg, so although it will be a TORN event the Mr Rubber Toronto competition will be produced by Priape.

Like similar competitions would-be titleholders will be invited to model their best rubber looks and talk about why they'd best represent the scene. The winner will be expected to participate in future fundraisers for TORN's chosen charity, the Toronto People with AIDS Foundation, and attend the Mr International Rubber competition in Chicago in November.

"By having this competition and our monthly events it will open the doors for any man who has a kink for rubber to feel part of the local rubber community," says Gerrard. "It means instead of chatting with rubber fetish guys online our TORN Saturdays event will bring everything back to basics and give rubbermen a choice and also a chance to enjoy a social evening with fellow rubbermen — live."
The next TORN party takes place Sat, Aug 16 at Alibi from 4pm to 8pm followed by the first Mr Rubber Toronto competition at 9pm. Although the party itself is men only, everyone is welcome to the competition. Mr Montreal Rubber 2000 Stephane Donaldson will emcee. For more information check out Tornrubbermen.com.
http://www.Tornrubbermen.com

THAT'S THE RUB
Nancy Irwin / Toronto / Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Rubber is derived from the sap of rubber trees native to South America. Europeans began cultivating rubber for industrial and household use in the 1800s and by the early 1900s rubber was in common use in England. Rubber was used to make diapers, rain coats, boots and gloves. By the 1950s rubber had a devoted fetish following, particularly among straight men, many of whom trace the fetish back to their exposure to rubber as children.

But the rubber fetish subculture didn't really take off until the 1990s, by which point it was attracting all genders and orientations. Instigator magazine has popularized rubber gear, particularly the fetish for rubber gas masks and hoods. Those excited by rubber often cite the particular smell and feel of rubber gear and rubber toys.

Latex clothing is made the sap of rubber trees, not to be confused with the more durable synthetic rubber. Rubber gear should be stored in the dark so it doesn't deteriorate. Unlike durable leather, rubber is strangely delicate, sensitive to both sun and halogen light. Rubber will melt when in contact with mineral oils (such as engine oil, sun block, body lotion or lipstick) and can easily be punctured by sharp objects.

Rubberists suffer through a delicate handwashing and ritual polishing with silicone in order to maintain a high-gloss shine on their rubber gear.

Most enthusiasts wear their rubber skin-tight so as to experience it like a second skin. Baby powder or corn starch is used to keep it from sticking to itself and to help ease it on.

At the end of a scene skin-tight rubber can be removed in the shower. Although not everyone into rubber is also into watersports rubber is attractive for messier fetishes because it's easy to wash clean, unlike leather.

Rubber and latex wear is not available at department stores, but can be found in Toronto at shops including Priape and NorthBound Leather, or through various online retailers. Recoil, based in London, is considered to be one of the best manufacturers of rubber fetish wear.

Hit Record

Woah! 300 hits today! I think that's the most I've seen in 24 hours. Thanks for the link, Ruff!

Oops....

From Mr. International Rubber central:

All of us at Mr. International Rubber regret(s) to announce that upon a review of the scoring worksheets from this year's contest - which occurred on the evening of Monday, November 10, 2008 - we discovered that an error was made when tallying the scores.

We deeply regret this error and have contacted the four primarily effected contestants prior to sending this email.

Once the score tabulation was corrected, the results for Mister International Rubber 2009 were found to be as follows:

Stephane Donaldson, Montreal
Rubberbuck, Phoenix
Rocco, Chicago
Yann, Paris

In light of this unfortunate tallying error, placement will be re-awarded to recognize these four contestants as follows:

Mister International Rubber 2009, Stephane Donaldson
1st Runner-up, Rubberbuck
2nd Runners up, to both Rocco & Yann

The test of leadership, it is said, comes in the difficult times. Rocco, Yann, Rubberbuck, and Stephane were each exceedingly gracious upon learning of the tabulation error and exhibited both concern for their fellow contestants & leadership qualities that no medallion, sash or title can covey.

Truly, these four individuals have each demonstrated they are worthy of representing their communities locally and globally. Please join us in thanking and supporting these men as they each continue to represent the rubber community in the months and years ahead.

We thank you for your understanding.

With deepest apologies,
Frank Blondale
MIR Contest Owner

William "Rubberwilli" Schendel
Weekend Coordinator
Mr. International Rubber

That's very unfortunate that everyone left Chicago with the incorrect information, but it's good that everything was corrected and everything ended up on a gracious and equitable note. Good on the contestants to accept the correct outcome! It further shows how great the rubbermen involved actually are to admit mistakes and attempt to make things right!

Gaspy Redux

A Norwegian guy posted this vid and I've talked to Diverbound about it directly so I know who in fact is in the video so someone's posting material that isn't their own again, surprise surprise. However this one seems to be a bit longer than the version I've seen so I'm embedding it here. It'll be good to get your rocks off on until someone pulls it off of Guyzingear -- until it shows up on Male to Male Breathcontrol again, and vice versa. It's that hot!

Find more videos like this on guyzingear

Chicago Rubber Blowout

Mr. International Rubber 2009
Report by Speedoguru 2008-11-10 in flight from Chicago to Calgary

Ugh...why does anyone think it's a good idea to have late-night bars that server liquor until 4a.m.? It just destroys the irresponsible of us even more. Yeesh.

I'm still a hurting unit today...the party went late into the morning and with it being the second sleep-deprived day, I felt near death this morning when getting ready to fly back to Calgary. I left a disaster in my wake -- J-lube globules on bath towels (never mind gobs of come), talc powder all over the rug in my room, and a pile of juice bottles by the door. I hope my name doesn't have a big red flag beside it in the Villa Toscana reservation system!!!

Well, where do I begin? I think I just had the best weekend I've had in a very, very long time. I will sum up my weekend in one word - community. The Chicago Rubbermen were the most accommodating, friendly, inclusive group of fetish guys I've met, and they are all extremely hot and kinky to boot! Everyone I met who is not from Chicago, thanks for the great time and the great conversation and play! We definitely were in good hands with our fantastic hosts.

I got into Chicago on Thursday night on a tiny cramped CRJ700 from Calgary. It was after 10pm when I got to the Bed and Breakfast since I took the train into the city from O'Hare, which takes well over an hour once you transfer lines to get up to Boystown where the parties and accommodation were. It was late enough and I was tired enough that all I had energy for was to grab a bite to eat and head to bed. Especially after lugging 45 lbs. of gear around with me all day. Friday was going to be the start of an endurance-fest so I didn't mind taking it easy on Thursday night.

Friday morning was cool, crisp and sunny. I got up, went for a run from Addison to Loyola University campus and back. In the early afternoon, cold winds and clouds came over the city and that was the end of the nice weather for the remainder of the weekend.

I went to Cellblock in the afternoon to pick up my weekend ticket package for all the rubber events and also to check out all the goods that were on sale from the vendor market, which included TRS Rubber from Texas, Latexworks from Ontario, and the Recon Store, which was a host of the event weekend as well. There was lots to buy but I kept my money in my wallet (for Friday only!) and then went back to the B&B to rest until things started at 7pm back at the Cellblock.

There was a Greet the Meat party in the Cellblock backroom that went until 10pm or so. I dressed up in my Polymorphe sailor pants and Syren shirt and hat - with a latex thong on underneath in the hope that I would be able to participate in some of the demos going on later in the evening - which I didn't get a chance to do; there were a lot more horny rubberguys in line more eager than I was to get immobilized, apparently! I had the opportunity to re-connect with some old friends and meet many, many new ones. There were many guys there that I have had a long-time chat relationship with - or at least recognized their online profiles - that I was able to FINALLY meet in person.

Everyone moved up to the front of the bar again shortly after 10pm for the MIR Contestant introductions which was then followed by KinkRubber and Ruff's rubber bondage demos, which went until 1am or so. I was pretty juiced up by 1:30 and decided to head back to the B&B to get some shut-eye and before I made an idiot of myself!














Saturday morning I wasn't feeling very great but I did manage to sleep in a bit. I got up, went for food, then dressed up in my Invincible hot shorts, blue polo shirt and boots and headed to the KitKat Dinner Club for the Rubber Buddies brunch. After some good food and conversation, we all went back to Cellblock to take gear to the Chicago Rubbermen Gear Swap which was running from noon until 5pm.

It was very cold that day and everyone thought I was nuts to be wearing shorts, but I managed to not freeze running back and forth from the B&B or outside for a quick smoke break. I spent the afternoon hanging around the Cellblock and visiting with guys as they came and went from the gear swap and the vendor market. I had to wait until the end of the gear swap in order to collect monies on items sold. I did buy a few small things at the market on Saturday including a rubber cockring and Instigator magazines as well as a 2009 Invincible calendar from the Chicago Rubbermen. Out of the seven items I brought for sale, three sold and I donated the remaining stuff to the Chicago Rubbermen in the hope that they would eventually be able to sell the gear or give it so some needy newbie rubberboi that might need some help starting out his collection. I left Cellblock around 4:30pm with $50 more than what I brought in (although unfortunately I had pretty much drank the difference away even before I left the bar that afternoon). Time to sign up for the AA meetings...

Enough time to grab some food and get a couple hours of disco nap in. I had to start getting ready for the evening before 8pm since I had so much rubber to don!

The Wet Rubber part of the MIR competition took place at 9pm back at the Cellblock. I wore my black STR catsuit, hood and tinted lens Russian gasmask, gloves and boots and double sheath pants underneath. I also wore this outfit to the play party but didn't keep the mask on long as it was nearly impossible to see anything in the dimly lit corridors. The eight contestants strutted themselves under the shower and put on some pretty erotic displays for the crowd while Eddie (Sister Erotica Psychotica's alter ego) read out their fantasy. I have the video and will eventually get it posted, although I fear the bar was so dark that it didn't turn out very well....

...all digital cameras safely stored at the B&B, it was on to the play party.

The play party started at 11pm at the Steamworks Spa. Some of the guys were going to the Hole at the Jackhammer as they hadn't bought weekend packages and didn't want to pay $45 for entry into the Strict Rubber Dress Code party going on at Steamworks. Despite that, there were quite a few guys there and some very kinky scenes going on, but some of the guys were saying that it wasn't as good as it could be, presumably because many that should have been there weren't. As always Rubberwilli was acting as 'hall monitor', making sure everyone was having a good time!

Time flew by. I got to see and participate in some pretty hot scenes. Being the naive Prairie boy that I am, it was definitely an experience to see all the bondage, electro and fisting scenes that were going on up close!

3a.m. rolled around far too quickly and I headed back to the B&B for a shower, made some phones calls, sent some texts and got to sleep around 4:30.






Sunday I woke up around 11am, quickly ate and started getting ready for the MIR Competition which started at Circuit Nightclub at 2pm. I wore my pearlsheen blue STR sleeveless catsuit to the event and kept it on for the rest of the evening (well, almost for the entire remainder of the evening! ;-D)

Sister Erotica Psychotica of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Los Angeles Sistory was a fantastic MC for the event and kept everything running smoothly. Everything on stage was eventually covered in all the goop from the Mystery Bag Round but she managed to keep her heels down and charm the crowd. It was great to see the Sisters again, and I formally got to meet Sisters Summer Clearance, Porna Forna-Kayshun and SAL-E over the course of the day. They were fantastic...they even let me huddle into their fur coats when we were slipping out for smokes during the freezy afternoon. Oh yeah, and they like to drink too.

If Phil the contestant wrangler and Will hadn't kept the contestants in check, the weekend would not have gone as smoothly as it did.

The presentation round had each of the contestants come on stage and have them introduced by Sister Erotica Psychotica to the audience. The second round was the Question round. The guys were all asked who their biggest inspiration was and what they would do to promote rubber fetishism as titleholder. The third round was the Mystery Bag round. Latxboy was the guinea pig who had to endure everything from clothespins and rubber duckies to strawberry jam spread and cheese spray! Let's just say he'll be smelling like strawberries for some time to come...

...and the hilarious "Blame Canada" moment initiated by Sister Erotica Psychotica was pretty memorable for me too.

After the Mystery Bag round, the audience was able to put in their ballot for Audience Choice, and then the final three were announced. The competition went on until almost 6pm.

In the end Rocco from Chicago Rubbermen won the 2009 title, Stephane from Montreal second, and Eric from Paris third!
Note: please check this entry for update on final results.

Everyone went back to Cellblock afterwards for buffet and celebration, a few more drinks, then most people went their own way with many also leaving for home on Sunday night, or simply being responsible!?!?!

A large group headed over to Sidetrack Club for their Sunday Night Showtune musical revue. The bar was packed; apparently this is a very popular venue to go to on Sundays since the classics start sometime in the mid-afternoon. This ended up being a fantastically fun impromptu (yet apparently traditional) event and by the late evening the rubber contingent had taken over the center of the main room and were putting on quite a show for the patrons who weren't expecting a perverted contingent of rubberists to take over an entire section of the bar. I think the funniest part of the evening was seeing Tim, who had bought my elbow length rubber gloves Saturday at the gear swap, using them for something 'unconventional'...using them as 'opera gloves' for flourishing during a 'Dreamgirls' video! Hilarious!

After many many drinks and conversations, rubber massages and a urine cleanup by the staff in the middle of the floor (damn those Frenchmen!), a group of about 20 or so headed to Berlin, an after-hours bar that serves until 4am for an 80s retro overload. I met a few cute non-rubber local guys that came to the bar with us (Hi Andy and Chris!), and we made a quick pitstop at Chris' house en route to Berlin. We regrouped with the other rubberguys at Berlin a half-hour or so later. We made another big scene there in more than one way. Andy was really into me and wanted to stay and party with us but I told him he'd better behave himself and go home with Chris. I didn't want to be causing any grief or drama for anyone on a night that was going so swimmingly up to that point. They left near 4am and I shut the place down with a few other endurance pigs. It must've been 6am or later when I finally got to sleep; I don't really remember. Nor do I remember when the tear appeared in my STR suit during the evening, but luckily it is a small rip near the back zip that will be relatively easy to fix. You knew a night couldn't have gone that well without some collateral damage.

Anyways, this 14-hour single-day drinking binge accumulated on top of three days of alcohol in a row made getting up and getting off this morning very difficult, but I am on my flight home now, anticipating some sleep and hard fucking with my boyfriend. Thank god I have tomorrow off to catch up on sleep, clean an entire pile of latex clothing, and work a fundraising casino for my bike team in the evening.

Thanks everyone for such a great weekend. I feel that I made so many new friends that I hope will blossom into great friendships. All the guys and gals I finally met from Chicago (Rubberwilli, Versrubber, Ruff, Kinkrubber, Rubberperv69, ChicagoGear, Timmay628, Brnlahaze, Aktivkerl, CougarBoy, Rubbercuffs, Tony; how many am I missing??? Lots....help me out), Houston (Aqualaboy), L.A. (Rubberbuck, TallTex), San Diego (EagerLeatherPuppy, 1LeatherLatexGuy), Atlanta (HotlantaRubberGuys), San Francisco, Seattle (Hobbit), Portland (YJ), Vancouver (Mitch - see you in April!), Toronto, Lawrence (N2everything), Lafayette (Boyn2rubber), Detroit (Rose and the boys), Marquette (Northernrubberboy), Columbus (Todd), Washington (JocknSpeedo, NCapsul8), New York (Gummibike, Lucien), Montreal (Tatuboi, Latxboy, Mr. Rubber Montreal), North Carolina (Bodisama and his partner) the sexy dirty boys from Paris (Fotoxy, Deceiver), London (Rubbaboy), Manchester (Shavepup), Florida (Rubberkai) and EVERYONE ELSE -- I'll never forget you or the fun that went on this weekend, and I can only anticipate that next year's rubber weekend will be even crazier!

Until next year!
























Addendum 2008-11-11:

The pics are photoshopped and ready to load. Most of the Sunday night ones are messy but oh SO FUNNY! I decided I didn't want to incriminate people more that what's already happened (except for Rocco), so if you want any pics in their original size and resolution, let me know.

...And sorry Rocco - those pics of you on Sunday night were too funny NOT to post! You're lucky I won't post the really messy ones of everyone...

A bunch of the guys were really encouraging me to make the trip to Washington for Mid-Atlantic Leather/Rubber Weekend in January. As much as that sounds like an incredible time, I don't think the schedule or the budget are going to allow for it. I typically go down to Texas for a week in January to hang out with my Snowbird parents, we're considering MAYBE going to the Winter Warmup in Palm Springs in February, definitely Rubbout in Vancouver in April, maybe IML this year?, then who knows after that. I have a bunch of family stuff going on this year, like my parents' 40th wedding anniversary and my 20th anniversary high school reunion that I had hoped to attend. I really wanted to go to Copenhagen for Outgames in July but the cost and time required is going to be prohibitive. But for sure, I will be back in Chicago in November. I also plan to get to Toronto for a TORN party and Montreal for Pride or a rubber party next year as well. So you can see, there's a lot more going on that I have time or money for!

Reflecting on the weekend, I can certainly say I learned a lot - about me, about the rubber scene. I have a clearer idea of how I want my fetishism to evolve talking to the people and seeing the things I saw this weekend.

Ultimately, I think my passion as an event organizer got a big boost this weekend. I had been disenchanted about organizing Mr. Rubber Calgary 2009 and getting any rubbermen to finally get out in Calgary and enjoy their kinks in the open. After seeing what Rubberwilli and the other organizers are capable of and having a good conversation about this topic with Rubberwilli, Ruff and others, I've realized that all it takes is some persistence and genuine work. Eventually I would like nothing better than to see a visible rubber community form and grow in Calgary. I think if we could join forces with organizers in Edmonton, Vancouver and Seattle we could see the start of a vibrant fetish community in these cities. Maybe even a critical mass - a rubber blowout, if you will?