meet the

Contest Team

Learn about the people behind the contest – who are they, their background and what role they play in bringing the contest to you

executive producer

Eric Kugelman

Eric Kugelman has been a proud  and very active member of the leather community for many years, and often shows his pride by wearing his IML medal. He was Mr. Mephisto Leather in 2001, and competed in International Mr. Leather 23.  Eric was a member of the committee to bring the Gay Games to Chicago, serving as the first vice co-chair of the bidding organization, and was president of Team Chicago. He was also president of MAFIA, and has served on the boards of several LGBT and community organizations. Mr. Kugelman was the co-owner of The Ashland Arms, a Fetish/Leather themed bed and breakfast, that closed after a long  run in 2015.Eric holds a strong passion for giving back to the community and currently supports many organizations, including  the Leather Archives and Museum, Gerber Hart Library, The Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame, CLAW, Vital Bridges, and The Center on Halsted.  Eric also contributes to many contests and fundraising events  that support the leather community throughout the Midwest. This year he is looking forward to biking his second TPAN Ride for Life (formerly Chicago AIDS Ride), following a very successful debut  last year that raised $2500 with the event.   He has been an active member of the Rogers Park Business Alliance, and served on their steering committee for Vision Clark Street.  In 2018, the RPBA honored Leather64TEN with it’s Volunteer Business of the Year award.Eric currently serves on the board of Unity Chicago, a church of light, love, and laughter. He currently co-owns LEATHER64TEN, and loves to share his passion for leather and community with all those who come in! Eric is supported in his endeavors by his husband Michael.

executive producer

Michael Syrjanen

Michael is Co-Owner of LEATHER64TEN with his husband, Eric Kugelman.

Owner/Interior Designer at Michael Syrjanen Design.

He is an active member of the Rogers Park Business Alliance including their steering committee for Vision Clark Street.

He enjoys sharing the fruit of his culinary talents with friends and family including the LEATHER64TEN staff, our annual Christmas & New Year’s Customer Appreciation Parties, Dirty Boys & Danishes brunch & Judges Dinner during our annual MR.LEATHER64TEN Contest weekend, our annual Labor Day Weenie Roast to celebrate the store anniversary, and representing LEATHER64TEN at the Trident Windy City Chili Cook-Off Charity Benefit where he has won us Fan Favorite for 2016 and 2017.

contest producer / coordinator

Todd Davidson

Todd is proud to be part of the LEATHER64TEN team as CO-Producer, Contest Coordinator, and Emcee. Giving his time back to the leather community has always been a rewarding passion for him. After coming out in 2005 and then taking the title of Cellblock Leatherman 2006, he made the top 20 at IML and also was named “Mama’s Raffle Man” during the Folsom Street/Mr. San Francisco Leather weekend in 2006 by Sandy “Mama” Reinhardt. As a long-time Chicago resident, Todd has been a member of the Leather Archive & Museum Road Show Committee, the former Secretary of the Chicago Leather Kennel Club and the Vice President of a local community organization. As a person who loves to network and travel, Todd has been fortunate to have attended over 100 events, in over 20 cities, serving many times as a Judge, Emcee, Den Daddy, Speaker, Seminar Lead, Tally Master, Contestant Trainer, Volunteer and Participant. Some of the Fund Raising he has done includes charities such as IML, CLAW, Chicago Leather Kennel Club, Windy City Boys Troop, Vital Bridges, TPAN, ONYX, Hellfire, Mr. Midwest Leather and many others. With the insane political climate of today, he also feels the need to be knowledgeable of political facts. The rights of not only the LGBTQ community are at stake, but the rights of people with lower income, women and minorities are as well.

contest producer / store operations director

Jorge Vienes

Jorge has been the general manager of LEATHER64TEN since 2014. He has an accounting degree from Robert Morris University. Jorge brought his vast knowledge of retail sales and merchandising from his experiences at Banana Republic and The Container Store to help polish and refine our high end, boutique store-feel we pride ourselves in here at LEATHER64TEN. He has been an active member of the Rogers Park Business Alliance and Vision Clark Street. He is looking forward to biking his third TPAN Ride for Life (formerly Chicago AIDS Ride). Each year, Jorge has become more involved with the MR.LEATHER64TEN Contest, and although he was more recently given this title, he’s been behind the scenes helping all along

contest producer

Michael Pacas

Michael Pacas, MR.LEATHER64TEN 2015, currently lives in Palm Springs with Tim, his husband of 25 years. While in Chicago, he was a volunteer for the Leather Archives & Museum, The Lakeview Food Pantry, The Windy City Empire, and The Night Ministry. An active singer/actor, his performance efforts have helped raise thousands of dollars for Season of Concern. His fetishes are Boots, Breeches, Gloves, Uniforms (Especially Motorcycle Police), and Cosplay. His interests include Cooking (especially Cajun and Creole), Gardening, Jazz Music, Acting, Singing, and Horror Films.

contest producer / show logistics

Nick Holmberg

Nick has been active in the Leather and Fetish Community for over 15 years with IML, MIR, Mr. Chicago Leather, American Brotherhood Weekend, and other events in the LGBT Community. Nick serves as Technical director for both ABW, and in 2016 Nick received the Jeff Baxter Service Award.When asked about his work in the community, he responded: “Serving these wonderful organizations has been an honor and a blessing. Staying active in the community reminds me that there is more to this than the kinky sex – these people are my family, my tribe – and I will hold them close to my heart for a lifetime.” “Those who look at the glass as half full or half empty have missed the point. The glass is refillable.”

den daddy

Master Wayne

As Master of several crafts including a teacher, Massage Therapist, Life Coach and a Professional Dom for the last 9 years, Master Wayne has been in the BDSM Leather Kink world here in Chicago now for 25 plus years after moving from Detroit. His first leather experience was at The Detroit Eagle at 25 and he has never looked back. Once in Chicago, he ventured to International Mr. Leather on Memorial Day Weekend in 1995 and has attended every event since. He competed in his first contest in 1997 at The Cell Block in Chicago and used that as a learning experience to win the Title the following year in 1998 to go on to IML’ s 20th Anniversary contest. Since then, he has worked as a contestant handler and stage crew for the last 20 years and much prefers what goes on behind the scenes then on the stage itself.

With his ever expanding interest in BDSM and his Kink/Shadow side, Master Wayne has taken his learning experiences in the community to create his Pro Dom business. He has owned and operated his own Dungeon/B&B in the western suburbs for 4 years. He now works with Chicago Dungeon Rentals in the city and has created a successful business with a world wide clientele. He has also traveled across the country and set up his portable Dungeon to meet clients needs in their home cities. “Have Dungeon will Travel”  He enjoys the challenge of bringing his  ‘MacGyver’ skills to a session when it comes to creating toys and equipment needed for any situation and request! His memoirs will make for an interesting read!

The Movie “50 Shades of Gray” brought the BDSM world to the forefront and helped bring out a part of human nature that society and cultures like to repress as a part of human sexuality. The Shadow side. However, they did not provide a well versed rule book on how to play in those worlds for the general public. That created another TV series called “Sex Sent me to the ER”.

With a background in the field of massage and his interest in the BDSM world, he has been lead to a blending of the two. Now he is teaching individuals and couples the art of seduction and touch while combining it with a twist of Bondage and SAFE ways to not send you or your partner to the ER.  Other teachings include how to play the roles of Dominant and or Submissive, Massagee or Massager. It takes two to Tango and knowing how to lead or follow in the playroom makes for a well rounded experience for all involved.

Master Wayne is looking forward to working with Leather64TEN again after helping create the business 20 years ago out of owners Micheal and Eric’s living room, bringing his skills and knowledge to address the ever growing needs of the business. Look how we have grown!

den daddy

Dave Charles

Dave, Dave Charles, Papa, Daddy Dave; all names I will respond to without repercussions.  I am a Big Teddy Bear at heart. Whether you know me as straight ally, gay bear, leather daddy, Bi, father, or spouse, I believe my place in the Leather / Kink community is to be an open ear as many were to me when I first walked into the Chicago Eagle. I have over the years, been involved with charities serving the under-represented and our big kinky community; Road Otters, IML, Mr. Friendly, Habitat for Humanity, Titans of the Midwest, Gay for Good, Ride for Aids. My current passion is as a board member of the Road Otters, a new charity to aid those in need. Deeply devoted to my wife Molly of 30 plus years, 3 daughters and Family; both given and chosen, they are my bedrock.  I am looking forward to returning this year as Den Daddy for the MR.LEATHER64TEN Contest and meeting our next generation of leaders.

Say Hi. Live. Life. Loud.

contest emcee

De’Andre Peterson

De’Andre is a new Kinkster to the Leather and Fetish Community, for about a year now. Working next door at Leather64TEN as a Night Sale Team Member/Outside Sale Trainee has taught him much and left a desire to learn more. It goes without saying, discovering and interacting with the community has been a fun adventure. But has also brought realization that there is more to all of this than kinky sex.

Thank you to all of my Leather family that have helped me grow.

DeAndre

official contest dj / production assistant

Derek “Delta” James

Owner at Derek James Media and bartender at The Jackhammer Complex

performer

Mia Moore Westbrooke

Mia Moore Westbrooke is originally from Cleveland, Ohio and has lived in Chicago for three years now. Mia began her female impersonation career in 2017 right here at Jackhammer! She aspires to achieve status of Miss MBU, Comedy Queen, Continental, and one day have her own band. Mia is a queen for the people and loves to celebrate what makes us all different and beautiful.

national anthem performer

Shannon O’Feral

Leatherman Shannon O’Feral comes to us from Rockford, Illinois. He is a professional musician and director of Rockford Operetta Party. O’Feral also works part time as a gay porn performer, and was nominated for a Ravens Eden award in 2015 for “Best Cam Performer”, and in 2019 for “Best Newcummer”. O’Feral identifies as a leather punk – you might recognize his flaming red mohawk or fire sleeve tattoo. O’Feral’s kinks include fisting (top), watersports (vers), flogging, gunge, and rubber play. He has taught a number of Kink U classes at fetish events, and is open to exploring less common kinks and interests. O’Feral competed in the Leather 64Ten contest of 2017 and took 3rd place, and was also the first recipient of the Brotherhood Award from the Leather 64Ten contest. Among his service credits are the TPAN Ride for AIDS (2017), Rockford Stroll on State, Rockford Mission Mart, selling wristbands for IML and other work for the LA&M since 2016. O’Feral is the widow of the late lamented Mark Bedker of Deforest, Wisconsin. When not living the kink lifestyle, O’Feral enjoys bodybuilding and yoga, cooking, travel, collecting old books and magazines, and making music for his church.

marketing / set designer

Mark Selner

Mark is the Operations Manager for LEATHER64TEN and enjoys aiding the store in window displays, purchasing, & merchandising. He has been working on updating our site by designing and building our backdrop and copper pipe sculptures based on the Idle Hands 3 Tryptic – ArtbyAxel, as seen on the walls of The Jackhammer Complex and LEATHER64TEN, and used for our store window displays, MR.LEATHER64TEN 2017-18 Contest stages, offsite vending, Neverland Party, and photo shoots to update our website look and advertising. He’s working hard on this year’s MR.LEATHER64TEN contest stage design. He has redesigned the contest website over on the store’s main web page and is looking forward to helping out during the contest weekend. He belly danced at our 2017 contest and was a Costume Designer for well-known area belly dancers, burlesque performers, and drag queens for many years around the country. He has also been a Tribal Fusion Belly Dancer, known as Marquis “The Belly dancing Bear” performing at Renaissance Faires, restaurants, events, variety & burlesque shows. Last year he resigned his residency at Alhambra Palace Restaurant in downtown Chicago where he performed every weekend of the last 9 years, in order to make time for new adventures in life and career.

website & Social media manager / contest coordinator

Kate Kugelman

Kate is the daughter of Eric Kugelman and Michael Syrjanen, and while she has been helping in the store for big events since 2007, she recently joined the Leather64TEN team full time this past year as the website and social media manager for Leather64TEN. Please reach out to her at kate@leather64ten.com with any questions or concerns about website or social media content.

official contest bootblack

Kevin “Sparkie” Perdue

Sparkie grew up in Vermont in a large family that valued diversity, understanding and community service and continues to hold those values dear and make them a part of his everyday life. From an early age, he was familiar with, and an advocate for the LGBT community and continues to advocate for his community. As an adult, Sparkie is also an advocate for the Leather Community and gives back at every chance he gets.

After leaving Vermont, Sparkie lived in several places from California to New York. He has finally put down roots in Wisconsin with his wife and babygirl, Girl Becky. Each city where he lived gave him a new opportunity to become immersed in the Leather and Bootblack communities and to experience what makes each local community unique.

Sparkie produces the Bootblack Round-Up, a bootblack-centric event focused on skill-building and networking for bootblacks. This Year is the 5th Year Anniversary and will be held in Chicago, IL at The Leather Archives and Museum and Jackhammer Bar.

Sparkie is a member of the Wisconsin Band of Brothers and Mama’s Family. He is an ambassador for the Leather community, having been a Titleholder since 2009 when he was the inaugural Central Plains Leatherboy. In 2015 he became the Illinois Community Bootblack and he is now the Inaugural Wisconsin Leather Pride Person of Leather 2020. In 2008, he was First Runner-Up to International Mr. Bootblack. In 2019, he ran for International Mr. Bootblack again since the contest had been through some major changes and was Second Runner-Up.

official contest bootblack

Girl Becky

Girl Becky has been involved in the BDSM lifestyle for nearly 20 years. Along her journey, she has identified as a bottom, a slave, a switch, a submissive and a babygirl. She has finally settled down with her Daddy, Sparkie, and is proud to be his devoted wife and babygirl. She is a Bootblack who loves to love on leather and is proud to serve as Wisconsin Leather Pride Bootblack 2020.

Becky is an avid reader who always prefers the book over the movie. Her background in stress management gives her a unique perspective on both leather care and BDSM play and firmly believes that both offer a mental health advantage over vanilla life.

Along with Sparkie, Girl Becky produces the Bootblack Round-Up, an annual Bootblack-centric event.