Bears draw battle lines
The fur will be flying at the Flinders Hotel on Friday night as Sydney’s bears do battle to become the city’s Mr Bear Australasia representative.
Seven contestants are hoping to be named Mr Harbour City Bear and win the right to represent the club at the upcoming Mr Bear Australasia competition, held in Melbourne on June 20 as a part of the Southern HiBEARnation Festival.
Harbour City Bears president Jonny Bastin said competition for the title would be fierce.
We’re really pleased with the level of interest -” we have a good age range of bears and cubs keen to take part, he said. This is the first ever Mr HCB competition so it will be a big night.
Bastin said the competition would serve a dual purpose.
The winner should of course be sexy in a beary sort of way. Not every gay man is, or wants to be, preened or plucked -” this is our way of showing you can be big, beefy or hairy and sexy too, he said.
But we’re looking for someone who has a lot of Bear pride -” to be an ambassador for Harbour City Bears. I think the ideal winner would be woofy, confident and community-minded.
We will also call on him to help the club out with fundraising over the course of the next 12 months.
The winner will also wear the Mr HCB 2009 sash during the Mardi Gras parade next year as part of the Harbour City Bears float.
Sitting on the discerning panel of judges will be Sydney Star Observer publishing editor Scott Abrahams, HCB’s former president Phillip Penwright and TimeOut’s Andrew Georgiou.
info: The search for Mr Harbour City Bears 2009 is at the Flinders from 7pm Friday.
Bears are hot.
Who won?
Editor’s note: Check out page 3 of the paper on Wednesday.
Better to burn out and be happy ,than it is to rust healthily and be stupidly boring.Besides many of the young ,trim and ‘healthy’ are burnt out already or will be as they age .We live how we like , when we like and may die earlier if we choose or fate decrees.Or the great bear god chooses.
To glorify a competition where the contestants are unhealthy and at risk of heart problems is beyond me.
Editor’s Note: Oliver, not all Bears are as you describe. Stereotyping does nobody in our community any favours. I recall you taking offence in the past after someone insulted you because you live in Kirribilli. This is no different.