Drag mingled with brawn in Hamilton on Saturday night, with the Miss Fountain City and Mr Gay Waikato crowns both up for grabs. Around 400 people packed the Next Door Bar, and were treated to non-stop entertainment as four drag queens and four gay men competed for top honours. Chris Down, 22, apprentice builder took out the Mr Gay Waikato title, competing in daywear, swimwear and bed wear sections. Bed wear is not necessarily sleepwear it seems, with one contestant going for the ‘hot cop look' and one wearing leather, says Mark Richardson, resident DJ of Next Door Bar. The eventual winner took a different approach however, “coming out in a dressing gown over his tiny whities, and clutching a teddy bear,” said Richardson. Down was “over the moon” when he was announced the winner. “I just couldn't believe it. I was stoked. I had the biggest smile ever – I was happy as,” he told GayNZ.com. Miss Fountain City was taken out by none other than Hamilton's own Miss Gloriousole, who took to the stage with the other contestants in a “drag off” – each had to perform a song they had never heard before. Miss Gloriousole said she felt like “the cat that got the cream,” upon her triumph. “I was ecstatic on the inside, but calm, cool and collected on the outside,” she said. The events are a highlight of Hamilton's gay calendar, says Robinson. “The response of the crowd was overwhelmingly positive. Everyone had a really great time.” Both events are in their 15th year and have been held at the Next Door Bar every year since the bar first opened. Ref: GayNZ.com (d)