MIR contest

{{Short description|International rubber subculture event}}

{{Infobox recurring event

| name = MIR

| image = Rubber Fetish Pride Flag.svg

| caption = Rubber Pride Flag

| status = Active

| genre = Rubber, Fetish, Kink

| frequency = Annually

| location = Chicagoland

| country = United States

| first = {{Start date|1997}}

| last = October 17-20, 2024

| organised = MIR Contest, NPO

| URL = {{URL|https://mirubber.com/}}

}}

MIR, formerly Mr. International Rubber, is a multi-day convention and contest celebrating the rubber, fetish, and kink communities.{{Cite web |title=Tips for Newbies |url=https://mirubber.com/attend/tips-for-newbies/ |access-date=2024-07-05 |website=mirubber.com}} Established in 1997, MIR occurs annually in Chicagoland during the autumn, drawing participants and attendees from all over the world.{{Cite web |last=Lieberman |first=Hallie |date=2023-05-25 |title='Fuck the Rules:' Rubberists are Starting Their Own Revolution |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/rubberists-are-starting-their-own-revolution/ |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=Vice |language=en}} Events include workshops, socials, dances, market, and the contest.

History

MIR started in 1997 hosted at the Boystown bar, Cell Block, and has been run every year since.{{Cite web |date=2005-02-04 |title=Rubber lovers |url=https://www.timeout.com/chicago/gay-lesbian/rubber-lovers |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=Time Out Chicago |language=en-US}} In 2009 MIR contest moved to the Center on Halsted to account for larger crowds.{{Cite web |date=2009-10-27 |title=Mr. International Rubber 2010 |url=https://www.timeout.com/chicago/gay-lesbian/o-rubber-where-art-thou |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=Time Out Chicago |language=en-US}} In 2020 MIR 24 was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2020-10-27 |title=MR INTERNATIONAL RUBBER PRESENTS: MIR24 - RUBBER LAB |url=https://www.demasquemagazine.com/post/mr-international-rubber-presents-mir24-rubber-lab |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=Demasque Magazine |language=en}} MIR 27 in 2023 moved to a new location in Skokie, Illinois.

At MIR 27 in 2023, organizers announced that the event would allow contestants of all genders to compete;{{Cite web |date=2023-10-27 |title=MIR's Intergalactic Rubber celebration soars to a suburb not too far way |url=https://www.windycitytimes.com/lgbt/MIRs-Intergalactic-Rubber-celebration-soars-to-a-suburb-not-too-far-way/75682.html |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=Windy City Times}} the contest winner may chose whichever honorific best represents them as MIR titleholder: Mr. International Rubber, Ms. International Rubber, Mx. International Rubber, or MIR International Rubber Ambassador.{{Cite web |title=An Inclusive Contest - MIR Contest |url=https://mirubber.com/compete/an-inclusive-contest/ |access-date=2024-07-05 |website=mirubber.com}} To promote inclusion, organizers also changed the official name of the contest from "Mr. International Rubber" to gender-neutral "MIR."

The Leather Archives & Museum holds many of MIR's records.{{Cite web |title=Mr. International Rubber (MIR) Collection |url=https://leatherarchives.org/ca/index.php/Detail/collections/78 |access-date=2024-07-05 |website=Leather Archives & Museum |series=ORG-0015}}

Winners

Below is a table of MIR contest winners.{{Cite web |title=Titleholders - MIR Contest |url=https://mirubber.com/compete/titleholders/ |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=mirubber.com}} Winner's Country as used in the table refers to the winner's country of residence at the time they won the competition.

class="wikitable sortable"

!Year

!Class

!Winner

!Preliminary Title / Sponsor

!Winner's Country

!Ref.

2024

|MIR 28

|Rush

|

|{{Flag|United States}}

|{{Cite web |last=Stevens |first=Joseph |date=2024-10-20 |title=International Mr. Rubber goes to Skokie |url=https://windycitytimes.com/2024/10/20/international-mr-rubber-goes-to-skokie/ |access-date=2024-10-21 |website=Windy City Times |language=en-US}}

2023

|MIR 27

|AJ Huff

|M. San Francisco Rubber

|{{Flag|United States}}

|{{Cite web |title=Titleholders - MIR Contest |url=https://mirubber.com/compete/titleholders/ |access-date=2024-07-05 |website=mirubber.com}}

2022

|MIR 26

|Pusckatt Pumera ONYX

|Mr. Florida Rubber

|{{Flag|United States}}

|{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2022-11-07 |title=Mister International Rubber takes the stage at Center on Halsted, Riviera Theatre |url=http://windycitytimes.com/2022/11/07/mister-international-rubber-takes-the-stage-at-center-on-halsted-riviera-theatre/ |access-date=2024-07-05 |website=Windy City Times |language=en-US}}

2021

|MIR 25

|ChicagoRubber

|

|{{Flag|United States}}

|

2020

|MIR 24

| colspan="3" |Contest was virtual and no MIR titleholder was selected.

|

2019

|MIR 23

|Adalberto Rubadam

|Mr. Rubber Netherlands

|{{Flag|Netherlands}}

|

2018

|MIR 22

|Guillaume Dupuis

|

|{{Flag|Canada}}

|

2017

|MIR 21

|Michal Neighbour

|

|{{Flag|Poland}}

|

2016

|MIR 20

|Preston "Wexx" So

|Mr. New England Rubber

|{{Flag|United States}}

|

2015

|MIR 19

|Jeffrey "Gummibärchen" Basile

|Mr. Midwest Rubber

|{{Flag|United States}}

|

2014

|MIR 18

|Max Samauth

|Mr. Rubber Netherlands

|{{Flag|Netherlands}}

|

2013

|MIR 17

|Andy "CosmicRoo" Coatham

|Mr. Rubber Toronto

|{{Flag|Canada}}

|

2012

|MIR 16

|Rubber Jason

|

|{{Flag|United States}}

|{{Cite web |title=Jason "RubberJason" Lynch - In Memoriam |url=https://mirubber.com/compete/titleholders/jasonmemorial/ |access-date=2024-07-05 |website=mirubber.com}}

2011

|MIR 15

|Sly Hands

|Mr. Rubber UK

|{{Flag|United Kingdom}}

|

2010

|MIR 14

|G-Man

|Mr. Southeast Rubber

|{{Flag|United States}}

|

2009

|MIR 13

|Fenn

|Mr. Rubber Toronto

|{{Flag|Canada}}

|

2008

|MIR 12

|Stephane Donaldson

|Mr. Rubber Montreal

|{{Flag|Canada}}

|

2007

|MIR 11

|BJ Turgeon

|Mr. Rubber Montreal

|{{Flag|Canada}}

|

2006

|MIR 10

|Maurizo Iacone

|Mr. Rubber Italy

|{{Flag|Italy}}

|

2005

|MIR 9

|Michael Schneider

|

|{{Flag|Germany}}

|

2004

|MIR 8

|Frank Bug

|Mr. Rubclub 2004

|{{Flag|Germany}}

|

2003

|MIR 7

|Chris Vincent

|

|{{Flag|United States}}

|

2002

|MIR 6

|William "Rubberwilli" Schendel

|

|{{Flag|United States}}

|

2001

|MIR 5

|Yannick Kerjose

|

|{{Flag|France}}

|

2000

|MIR 4

|Chad McLaughlin

|

|{{Flag|United States}}

|

1999

|MIR 3

|Tom Kelley

|

|{{Flag|United States}}

|

1998

|MIR 2

|Thomas Smith

|

|{{Flag|United States}}

|

1997

|MIR 1

|Christoph Lehner

|

|{{Flag|United States}}

|

References

{{Reflist}}

See also