Barry Walters is Mr Connecticut Leather 2009. He resides in West Hartford, CT with his partner of 13 years and their 3 year old son. He has been very involved in his son’s school volunteering as a member of the Board of Directors and heading up the Fundraising Committee.

This past March, he planned and hosted the Bear/Cub Auction as part of the Northeast Ursamen’s 2009 "Out of Hibernation" in Provincetown, MA. raising over $1100 for the Soup Kitchen In Provincetown. Barry was one of the judges at the inaugural Boston LeatherSir/Leatherboy contest at The Ramrod. During Memorial Day Weekend, Barry competed at International Mr Leather 31 in Chicago, IL. Currently, he hosts a monthly leather social (S4) which has successfully raised money for AIDS Project New and other charities. This coming October, he will be judging the First Mates Contest at Mates Leather Weekend in Provincetown, MA. Barry is a member of Northeast Ursamen, Leather Archives and Museum and HRC.

Marco has been active in the leather community of Northeast Pennsylvania for over ten years, and now after moving to Boston to be with his boy Jim, is proud to be involved in the leather clubs and community in the Boston area.

Marco spent thirty years in California as a singer and performer before returning home to Pennsylvania to take care of his mother. Since that time Marco has worked on producing his music, novels and paintings.

Marco has held the title of Mr. Lehigh Valley Leather 1999 and Mr. Oneida 2006. In April of 2009 Marco complete in the first Boston Leather Sir contest and won, and in June of 2009 he went on the compete in the Northeast Leather Sir contest and won that title as well. Sir Marco will be heading to San Francisco in October of this year to complete in the International Leather Sir/boy competition.

Tim Starkey, Mr. Boston Leather 2009 has a lengthy involvement with the leather and BDSM community.  He is a member of GMSMA in NY, Delta International, Mama’s Family, and The Leather Archives & Museum.  On a part time basis, Tim is the resident bootblack at the Boston Ramrod.  Tim has worked as an educator for over 25 years in the health, human services, and the personal service industries.  He has been an active member of the leather community for several years and has a broad range of kinky passions as a versatile leather man.  Some of Tim’s activities during his year as Mr. Boston Leather 2009 have included education, leather history, social networking, community representation, youth empowerment, HIV Prevention, and charity fundraising.  Tim is single and open to some lewd offers.  On September 19, 2009, Tim and the Boston Ramrod will host Mr Boston Leather 2010 contest as Tim step's aside for the next person to step up to this fun role.  

John has been involved in the Leather community for five years. He is very active in community activities in New Jersey and New York City.  He was a member of the Leather Team Eagle in 2008 in the Braking the Cycle Ride and is co-captain of the Leather Team Jersey Edge for the 2009 Jersey Ride Against AIDS.  He was a member of the Gay soccer teams New York Ramblers and Washington D.C. Triangles from 1994 to 2008.  

Also, this last May John represented New Jersey in the International Mr. Leather Competition - IML 31.

While in college John was President of the Michigan State University Lesbian and Gay Organization. He was also a member of the Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity and gained notoriety for fighting the fraternity when they expelled him for being homosexual.  

He currently resides in West New York, New Jersey with his partner of 24 years, Scott.  He is an associate member of Jersey Boys of Leather and New York Boys of Leather.

John's top fetishes are nipple play, spanking and biting.

Dave, a.k.a. Skeeter, is the current president of the Northeast Ursamen, New England's largest and most active Bear Club.  Dave has been involved in the bear and leather community for fifteen years.  Dave has served a variety of positions on the Northeast Ursamen board of directors over the years, including Member at Large, Webmaster, and Newsletter Editor.  As President, Dave has worked closely with Barry Walters, Mr. CT Leather 2009, to co-sponsor events in 2009 to help bring the bear and leather communities closer together.  Dave is honored to be a judge this year.  Dave resides in Ashford, CT, with his husband of 10 years, Matt Kenney, and their faithful old dog, Buddy.

Kip is an operations manager for UPS – “What can Big Brown do for you?” Additionally, he owns an event marketing, promotional modeling, and talent management company – Blue Crab Productions. Kip’s education and background includes business administration and hotel/restaurant management, focusing on banquets, catering, and event planning. He also served 16 months contracted to the Department of Defense with the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command conducting special airlift missions and troop movement, which afforded him the opportunity to travel the world, visiting 15 foreign countries and nearly every State in the Union. Most of that time was spent in Germany and Kuwait, where he was often mistaken as a local citizen. Kip aspires to design and own a hotel/spa/convention center, and is also considering reenlisting in the Maryland Air National Guard.

Relative to 2009’s 40th Anniversary of Stonewall, Kip is an avid supporter and member of the Academy of Washington, Inc. – the nation’s capital’s drag organization. He is proud to have been able to mesh the drag and leather communities (or “leather and lace,” as he calls it), creating a larger bond of brother/sisterhood among the often-outcast subcultures of the gay community. Kip was appointed Conjoint Fellow of Club Ziegfeld’s/Secrets, serving as Honorary Escort for all their functions. Other organizations that Kip is passionate about include SLDN – Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, NCSF – National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, the CLAW Nation Tour, and LA&M – Leather Archives and Museum.

In closing, Kip would like to share with you two of his favorite quotes.
"History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats." ~ Bertie C. Forbes
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Rik Newton-Treadway has been a community activist,for over 30 years; he lives in Overlea, Maryland with hiswonderful unionized hus-boy Paulie, Sir Andy and their collection of animals, kids and Momma Connie too. Rik is a partner in Baltimore’s Pub Phoenix recipient of Brother Help Thyself ’s Dotson Award for business.

He proudly serves as your Mr. Maryland Leather 2009.

He is the proud patriarch/matriarch of the Maryland Drummer/LeatherSir boy family 1999-2007. He is president of The Pantheon of Leather Community Service Award winning Hooker and Boys, which produces,The Mid-Atlantic LeatherSIR and Mid-Atlantic Leatherboy,
Mid-Atlantic Community Bootblack and the first everMid-Atlantic Leather Women contests,
Saturday May 2, 2009 at the Hippo in Baltimore. The Pantheon of Leather Community service Award winning 11th Annual 12 Days of Christmas “ HEE HAW HEAVEN”. Saturday December 12th at the Hippo in Baltimore, Maryland.

Rik’s Club affiliations include membership in Sons Of The American Legion, Mama’s Family, The Praetorian Guard, Hooker and Boys, The ShipMates of Baltimore, C.O.M.M.A.N.D.,M.C,
The Women of Disciplines Men’s Auxiliary, BlaDeaf, The D.C. Boys of Leather, The Jersey Boys of Leather, Pittsburgh Leather Central, The Keystone Boys of Leather and F.I.S.T. of Washington & Baltimore. He served as President of Gay Youth of Central Maryland 1979. State Commander of The Sons of The American Legion,Detachment of Maryland 1994, 1995.

He has held several titles since 1983 including Maryland Mr. Drummer 1999, Leon’s High Heel Race Winner 1997,1998,1999,2001,2002. (Talk about “RUNNING” for a title) He served on the International Drummer/LeatherSIR and Leatherboy, International Community Bootblack Board of Directors 1999-2006. He served as the executive producer for ILS/B and I.C.C.B 2007 in Dallas Texas.

He received the Brotherhood Award for Mid-Atlantic Drummer Contest 1999. In 2003 he received the Pantheon of Leather Community Service Award. For the, Mid-Atlantic Region.
In 2003 he also received THE UN-SUNG HERO Award at M.A.L.
In 2006 he received the G.L.C.C.B. cornerstone award and in October 2007 was honored by the G.L.C.C.B. at Outrageous for 30 years of service to the G.L.B.T.L. community in Maryland.

Rik has been privileged to judge such events as Baltimore’s Gay Pride Parade, Mr. and Ms. Baltimore Eagle, Miss Stagecoach, Mr. and Ms. Baltimore Deaf Leather, Miss Gay Baltimore America, Miss HIPPO, Mr. and Miss Leon’s, Miss Gay Mid-Atlantic America, Baltimore’s King and Queen of Pride, Miss Gay Albany, Miss Capital Region, Miss Gay Maryland America,
Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather, Miss Gay Northeast America, Maryland Mr. Leather, International Ms Leather.

He is honored to be participating in these festivities.
“Just call him HOOKER”

Jim has been active in the leather and bear community in the Boston area since the early ‘90s. Having met his Sir, Marco, at MAL in 2008, boy Jim has become even more involved in the leather community.

Jim was veryinvolved with the New England Bears back in the ‘90s and was instrumental in the collection of 3,000 teddy bears for the annual teddy bear drive, for children with Aids. Boy Jim is a member of FLAG, Bay State Marauders, and the Boston Bears.

Jim is the current Northeast Leather boy and Boston Leather boy.