Moments of magic at Palm Springs Leather Pride - by Eric Crow

Palm Springs Leather Pride was last weekend. It was my first time going to this event in almost a decade. Here are some of the memorable moments. As always, these are my personal moments--yours may vary.

1) Seeing Pony and actually getting a chance to sit and talk with him, and in more than just passing. Of course, the subject got around to Prince. (I hope to be giving SoCal a taste of him at a future events).

2) Noms at Blaze Pizza. All that fun and frolic made me hungry, but I wasn’t into much of the “boutique food” on Palm Canyon. Except for Blaze Pizza. The price was right (important to a titleholder) and it’s the first time I ever had butternut squash on a flat bread pizza—OM NOM NOM NOM. After the Canyon Club and Starbucks, this was the perfect compliment to the afternoon.

3) Tool Shed Parking Lot Party. I got my boots done by Bootblack for the first time in about a decade. He was the first person to ever touch the boots I most often wear to events. And it was still full service treatment. Each Bootblack who worked my boots has a signature style, which I enjoy discovering, but Bootdog is in a class all by himself. When I felt his tongue inspect every inch of each of my boots, I swear to you it took me someplace. I felt myself blush several times. When I stepped out of his chair, we hugged for what seemed an eternal moment, bringing back visions of former moments with him. Just one word, Bootdog: AWR-RAWR-RAWR!

4) The clearest water I got in all weekend long was at the home of the wonderful soul who hosted me. The rest of the time, the was full of men with clear intentions.

5) I got to the Saturday party a little too late—everyone was there, and I couldn’t acclimate myself well, and got anxious. Gus came to the rescue and helped me get my bearings. This is why I love this man like a brother. He is always there whenever I call out for him. 

6) Duke Ruff in all his glory, at the Pool Party and the Contest—you better WERQ! I can’t wait to go heel shopping with you. When I mentioned this to Cy Pher, I giggled like a schoolboy.

7) The most precious moment of the weekend came from a scene with my good friend, and two-time cancer survivor, Alan. At the Parking Lot Party Friday night, I walked up to him in a crowd to my pleasant surprise, there is was. “Alan!!!” The next day, at Esteban’s party (name), after an intense biting scene with him—where we really got into it—was when I let go for a moment, letting the tears come. Alan knew instinctively what was up and didn’t leave the hug until I was done.Once I could compose myself enough to make sense, my thoughts were simple. “They say you never know what you’ve got til it’s gone...so when you’ve got it..hold on to it.” And I held onto him..tightly. He understood this and stayed with me until we reached a natural stopping point.

8) Relaying this information to Ben Johnson and talking about what a privilege it will be to step on that (IML) stage in May, more tears escaping from my eyes. The 2nd most pristine moment of the weekend. 

9) Seeing Billy Nakasaki (Mr. Sister Leather 2009) and SPO both at the pool party. What is happening, Universe? Why are these people stepping onto the Path again?

10) This face (left). As the status update said, “It spoke more than a thousand words.” I got lucky, but in a spiritual way. 

11) Hearing IMsL Sarge at the contest, as she talked about her suicide prevention pins. It gave me the idea for my own pin. (“I’m Here”), and the connection I made between her talk and Lenny Broberg as he mentioned the AEF in San Francisco. When I lived there last, I had to rely the AEF to keep a roof over my head, and the road that led to this need intersected with mental health, in ways only understood from an emic perspective. 

12) I was there to see Lenny Broberg’s last hurrah as an emcee. History in the making. I first saw him on stage as an auctioneer at IBR 2003, and he's emceed for hundreds of contests, most notably IML (a former IML himself). His wit and presence in the Leather community  We've all been blessed to have him in the community.

13) The reception line after Charlie Harding won Mr. Palm Springs Leather. I belong to a handsome crowd. Also, gabbing with my San Diego fam after it was over. We were all a bunch of hot, loveable messes by then--I was in great company.

14) Kaftans & Kink at the Sunday party. The kaftan I picked chose me, I didn’t chose it. People were quite curious about why this was a thing at a Leather event. I explained that Leather is a lot to get into, and now and then you just need to not. This made perfect sense to everybody I explained it to. 

15) The wet t-shirt contest. Yes, in a room full of already naked people. There were about 15 contestants, and they really put on a show to get the grand prize package of a VIP pass to next year’s Leather Pride. Nobody really cares who wins this event, they are just there to get down to the...bottom...of things.

I left the Canyon Club more satisfied from a Leather event than I had since Bootcamp 2017. Something about the water, the sun, the bodies (furry or not), all basking in the glow, all letting their light shine—it was all so very intoxicating. Like Larry Kramer said, “All this narcotic beauty.” I want to say “I can’t wait to go back again next year,” but this was a moment in time all by itself, never to be duplicated or imitated. Congratulations, Charlie Harding, the new Mr. Palm Springs Leather 2020--I'm happy we're classmates. Thank you, Randy Carmenaty and Palm Springs Leather Order of the Desert for another fantastic weekend! Thank you, Ben Johnson and Ray Tilton, for organizing Kaftans and Kink. Thank you, Chris Recio, for hosting me. Your house is fabulous! 

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Words and images: ©2019 Eric Franklin Crow