by E. Ross

The Bears of Alaska began the year with a great big Woof! For the first time, a local Bear won the title of Mr. International Bear at the IBR competition in San Francisco. Scott Turner of Anchorage competed in IBR Patrol – Bears in Uniform and is now Mr. International Bear 2008. 

“We were all standing back there holding hands, trying to figure out which one of them was going to get it,” Turner said at a post-competition party, “and then they called my name and I was in complete shock.”

The other new title holders are Mr. International Daddy Ringo Nannings of Amsterdam, International Cub Bud Grundy of Southern California, And Mr. International Grizzly Dean Bruno of Boston.

“Great bunch of guys this year. I had a lot of fun drinking with all of them,” said Turner, “and the most fun was watching the other guys get their awards.”

Each year, The Last Frontier Men’s Club (TLFMC) sponsors Mr. Bear Alaska at the International Bear Rendezvous in San Francisco and Mr. Alaska Leather at the International Mr. Leather contest in Chicago. They also award titles for Alaska Bear Cub, Mr. Alaska Levi, Alaska Leather Boy & Ms. Alaska Leather. Title holders are chosen during Arctic Heat Weekend.

The International Bear Rendezvous is an annual gathering of bears and bear-lovers held in San Francisco. IBR is hosted by the Bears of San Francisco, who conceived of Rendezvous as a weekend of fun and fundraising.

Established in 1993, The Last Frontier Men’s Club is a non-profit social club. TLFMC provides bears, leathermen, cowboys, their respective admirers and other masculine Alaskan gay and bisexual men with the opportunity to meet and socialize. Although The Last Frontier Men’s Club is a members-only club, people from all aspects of the community are encouraged and welcome to attend any function that the club presents.

TLFMC posts photos and videos of local Bears. Here is the video announcing the new Mr. International Bear: