Last year's winner Arthur "Arfa Bear" Milne Cantabrians will be proving theirs are no ordinary bears when they decide who will be the next Mister Canterbury Bear next week. The title will be handed over by the inaugural winner Arthur Milne, who also went on to win Mr Urge Bear. He has this month gone from bear to bare for Movember, shaving off his huge trademark beard to raise money for prostate cancer, and so far raised more than $1,000. Ralph Jaeger from Bears Christchurch says there are six candidates already for the 2 December competition at Cafe 363 @ The Colombo, a step up from last year's four competitors. "I think we're actually doing pretty good for a small area," he says. There is a good variety of candidates, Jaeger explains, from younger 'otter-types' to older bears and leatherman, "so it's not just your bog standard bear." He says the bear community has taken off well in Christchurch, but has expanded beyond the traditional 'bear' persona. "There are a more of people other than just your average bear coming along," he explains. "It tends to be a lot of the guys who are a little bit older and there is no other social outlet for them, or they don't have much of a social outlet down here for them." Jaeger says the community has a good ally in the owner of the aptly-named Honey Pot Cafe Rob Gould, who closes the venue down on Thursday nights for the bears to have to themselves. "He's basically creating a space for us to have our own space, in his own business, so, yeah, we're really enjoying it." He says while all bears and bear-minded people are welcome to the Thursday night gatherings, as well as the Mister Canterbury Bear contest, there is also an open invitation to anyone in the wider community who wants to see the men compete. "We want lesbians to come along, we want anyone who isn't a bear to come along. Just come along and party down with us. There's going to be dance party afterwards and we're really looking forward to it, it's a fun night, we had a ball last time." Mister Canterbury Bear starts at 10PM and entry is $10 on the door.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Saturday, 26th November 2011 - 2:21pm