The Laird Leatherman Competition has been running in its current format since 2008, when The Laird and Mannhaus (then known as Dungeon Warehouse) collaborated with Beyond and Melbourne Leather Men, to bring back a once much-loved style of competition, aimed at bringing Melbourne’s men of leather and fetish together not just for one night, but all year round.

That first competition in 2008 was massive and saw 10 guys competing over 2 heats and a final, with Mal Guest crowned the inaugural Laird Leatherman. This was the first of many LLM Comps that were hosted by local-leather-legend Laurie Lane.

We’d like to acknowledge all contestants for playing their part:

Andrew, Bert (Runner Up), Craig, Jack, James, Mal (Winner), Ren, Richard, Russell, Sean.

Since then, the competition has gone from strength to strength, with the format of 3 rounds, being ‘Formal Wear’, ‘Jock Strap’ and the always popular ‘Fantasy’ round.

The inaugural Laird Leatherman Competition 2008 1. Laurie Lane and Ren; 2. LLM 2008 finalists Richard, Bert, Mal (winner), Ren, Craig, James; 3 Bert stuns the crowd by riding through the crowd to the stage

In the lead up to the 2012 competition, Laird Leather Man 2011 Luke Moon drew on his experiences at IML in Chicago 2011 and initiated the newest addition to the competition. Luke’s idea was to have all contestants pre-judged at the Contestant Info Session which is held a week before the competition.

The four judges subjected the contestants to a series of questions with all scores contributing to their overall score on comp night. It proved to be a great idea and is now a part of the ongoing competition format.

1. Neil (LLM 2010), Peter (LLM 2009) and Mal (LLM 2008); 2. Leather legends Laurie Lane and Dale Kruse hosting LLM 2010; 3. Ben (LLM 2012 with Paul & Richard from Mannhaus)

Local leather legend Laurie Lane (too many ‘L’s?) was an integral part of the competition from 2008 to 2012 as event co-producer, host and tally master. We’d like to thank Laurie for all he gave to the Laird Leatherman legacy.

Up to 2012, the Laird Leatherman competition had seen five proud leather men represent Mannhaus, The Laird and Melbourne locally, nationally and worldwide raising over $20,000 for their chosen charities.

1. Hamish up close and personal with LLM 2012 judges (Luke LLM 2011, Paul from Mannhaus, Mark from The Laird, Martin); 2. Luke (LLM 2011) with Mark and Brett from The Laird; 3. Happy punters Simon and Matt, LLM Competition 2012

But being a Laird Leatherman doesn’t stop at the end of your reigning year, so in 2013 we decided to get all five winners together for a night of twisted fun and competition, showcasing the legacy that is Laird Leatherman. ‘5x5’ was one hell of a fun night.

1. The infamous 2015 contestant line up: Cal, Darby, Matt, Shawn, JPP and Stephen (winner); 2. Brad (LLM 2016) with Craig and Michael (radio hosts on JOY 94.9)

From 2008 to 2021, Laird Leatherman was a collaboration between Mannhaus and The Laird. In 2024, the event will be solely produced by The Laird, but we encourage you to step into Mannhaus, say Hi, check out their gear and their amazing wall of leather history.

The competition has seen twelve proud leather men represent Mannhaus and The Laird raising over $40,000 for their chosen charities. Several of the men have travelled to Chicago to compete in International Mr Leather, the largest competition of its kind in the world.

If you’re interested in competing and keen to hear first-hand experiences, reach out to any of our previous Laird Leathermen, they’re all a friendly bunch!

Each title holder is expected to be a representative of the Laird Hotel and Mannhaus within local and international leather communities and will do so with pride and professionalism at all times.

Cheers, Brett and Mark, The Laird

 

 

“Winning the Laird Leatherman title was a very humbling experience.

I had to learn and acknowledge that I had the strengths required to represent myself at events, in the press and on air and up on stage.

Those of you who know me will realise just what a beneficial learning curve this has been.”

MAL GUEST, LLM 2008

 

“I would like to encourage all men with an interest in leather to come along and learn a little more.

You will find behind the big bad leather man façade a group of individuals that are the nicest and most supportive bunch of guys you will ever come across.

And if you see me around at any events don’t hesitate - come up and say hi - I really don’t bite.”

PETER FITZGERALD, LLM 2009

 

“Being a Leatherman is a purely personal journey, one that each of us takes at different times in our lives and to achieve different goals.

Everything from hot raunchy sex through to community engagement and so many other things in-between.
I characterise it as a somewhat like a rollercoaster ride, and boy has mine been a rollercoaster!”

LUKE MOON, LLM 2011

 

 

“If you ever see a competition like Laird Leatherman (or Australasia Bear or Midsumma Mooning) and you think you wouldn't stand a chance - do it any way!

There's really nothing to lose and I guarantee you'll have a great time along the way.”

BEN RIETHMULLER, LLM 2012

 

 

“The camaraderie in the competition was one of the most special aspects for me.  Six fine men put themselves forward to represent our community. With such a close field I would have been happy for any of us to be titled.

An event of this calibre doesn't occur without strong commitment by a team of people. The major sponsors, the Laird and Mannhaus and a host of others have produced a series of events of exceptional quality.”

STEPHEN MORGAN A.K.A DADDY STEVE, LLM 2015

 

 

“The Laird Leathermen have an incredible legacy of creating community events, raising money for organisations that intersect with the members of our leather community, and representing The Laird at events both nationally and beyond. 

Competing in the Laird Leatherman Competition was my way of putting my hand up to say, 'I want to help make a difference'. Entering into it, I constantly compared myself to previous winners and was worried others would make that comparison. But after I won the competition in 2017, I quickly found that by bringing my own passions and my own identity as a Leathermen to the title I was able to make it my own.”

JAMES ADDINSALL, LLM 2017

 

“Contests don’t just happen, certainly not contests which have now spanned 11 years and created the amazing legacy that Laird Leatherman has. Paul and Richard at Mannhaus, Brett and Mark (and their staff) from The Laird; along with other sponsors such as Dean Arcuri, make this happen - in a way that generally appears seamless!

Having now been on both sides of the contest and having had the honour of assisting with some of the organisation I can assure you that we should ever take the work they put in to run this contest for us for granted.”

KEVAN WALSH, LLM 2018

 

“As a person with social anxiety problems, the Laird has been a place where I’ve been comfortable enough to come out of my shell, meet new people and have a good time with like-minded people from the leather, rubber, pup and bear crowds.

Through the Laird I’ve made some amazing friends, as well as met my pack mate Dylan Lewis (Mr Australian BootBlack 2017) and entered into a poly relationship with my Sir/Partner NJ and my metamour Colt.

At first, I was a little apprehensive about running for Laird Leatherman, but in the end with the support of my partner and friends, I decided to step out of my comfort zone, don my leathers and put on the most entertaining show I could.

I’m proud to carry on the tradition and legacy of the Laird Leathermen before me.”

JAY FOX, LLM 2019

 

“I was first intrigued by the Laird Leatherman competition back in 2011 when I watched Luke Moon compete and win the title. Since then, I have helped a few of my friends compete by being a part of their support crew and have thoroughly enjoyed being involved. Getting an insight to the competition gave me a greater appreciation for the cultural and historical significance that Laird Leatherman has for the leather community of Melbourne.

I thoroughly enjoyed participating in the competition and getting the opportunity to present my leather and myself on stage. I will also cherish the time I got to get to know my fellow competitors better. The shared experiences that we got to have is what really made the whole competition a wonderful experience that I will never forget.

I highly recommend competing for anyone who wants to get involved and be a part of the historical institution that is Laird Leatherman.”

CRAIG BURNETT, LLM 2021