SA BOOTBLACK 2017
AT INTERNATIONAL MS LEATHER / BOOTBLACK CONTEST IN SAN JOSE CALIFORNIA
Words: Fiona Horsley
liked! Later that evening the contestants had a compulsory contestant meeting with the contestant coordinator. It was a chance to unwind and speak about our‘ win’ for the day. I thought it was a great way to get to know each other, and know how we were feeling as well as experiencing.
On December 3, 2016, I won the title of SA Bootblack 2017, the very first Bootblack title in SA Leather South Africa’ s history! When I won this title, I realised the responsibility of leading a community and starting the foundation of having bootblacks within South Africa’ s leather community. I was about to represent South Africa on an international level and understood what that meant for myself as well as the organisation I was going to represent.
I had to start preparing myself for an adventure where I was going to be part of huge contest that has been going for many years. The International Ms Leather contest started in 1987, and the International Ms Bootblack contest started in 1999. I was making history by being the first South African to be taking part in the bootblack portion of the contest and being the ONLY international competitor this year.
I had heard many stories about what International Ms Leather / International Ms Bootblack is about from former chairman of SA Leather South Africa – Jaco Lourens( Mr SA Leather 2009 – the very first Mr SA Leather) but nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to experience. Many had told me that being at IMsL is a life changing experience and that I would come back a different person. That was indeed the case, but first let me tell you what I experienced.
Mag 26
As I walked through the doors at the DoubleTree Hotel in San Jose, California, I saw a group of women in the foyer and recognised their faces. I met Sarha Shaubach( International Ms Leather 2013) Just Angel & Tig Natious; I was greeted with big hugs and they were so happy that I had made it to the contest.
Before the official start of the contest, the contestants organised a dinner so that we had a chance to introduce ourselves and get to know each other a little bit. On the way there, I bumped into Lascivious Jane( International Ms Leather 2016). It was great to meet her, and she is so beautiful!
I knew that I was in for a lot of introductions, photos and hugs as there were so many people that I made connections with on Facebook. It was so exciting to meet all these people for the first time and I really looked forward to meeting up with my international friends that I had met at our local leather contest in December 2014. Patty, Saoirse and Angel, it was great to see you again!
On Day 1 we were moved from one task to the next; contestant breakfast, receiving our contest medallions, a photoshoot, endless rehearsals on stage and as a bootblack, my tech boot part of the competition. That evening we attended the famous Seduction event where various members of the queer / leather / kink community performed and stripped on stage to raise funds for the IMsL travel fund. It was fun to put a dollar bill down the pants or bra of the performers you
In the morning of day 2 there were more rehearsals on stage and a new introduction script for the evening. This time we rehearsed a little opening number with Lascivious Jane where we looked like dancing penguins trying to sway in time. At 10.55am it was the interview part of the contest for me, and there were not 3 judges but 9 of them! The interview was open to anyone that wanted to hear what the contestants had to say. I walked away from my interview feeling positive and I loved the fact that I made everyone laugh. That afternoon in the bootblack lounge, the bootblacks had 2 hours to work on boots and I was lucky to have Mr San Francisco 2017, Geoff Millard, to be the first person to sit for me.
Going on stage was quite an experience because as they introduce you, you walk on the stage, bright lights hit your eyes and the energy from the audience( 800 + people) is very evident as you not only hear it but feel it. After the first night on stage, it was time for the uniform party and it was great fun to see how everyone dressed up. It was a chance to let your hair down but as a contestant you had to be aware that judges were attending. It was a chance to have a quick chat with each one of them!
On day 3, early that afternoon, I was walking to the bootblack lounge when I saw Mama Reinhardt walking toward me. I was so happy to finally meet her and we had our picture taken with a quick chat. The bootblacks worked a 5 hour stretch of doing boots and making sure that the person sitting in your chair not only got their boots shined, but that we made a good impression on them, so that they bootblack token to vote for their favourite bootblack! I had a judge sit in my chair – Tabitha( International Ms Bootblack 2015), and I was like, oh my goodness a judge and former winner in my chair!!!!! Aaaahhhhh!!!!!