Pictured above after his International Olympus Leather Win

*Gone too soon.

2011 Great Lakes Mr. Olympus Leather — Sir Greg Slaven

Gregory “Sir Greg” Slaven was an Indianapolis Leatherman whose community involvement included regional and international titles, contest judging, and organizational service. Closely associated with the 501 Eagle, he became Mr. Great Lakes Olympus Leather at the December 10, 2011 competition in Indianapolis, where Silent Whisper won the women’s title. His subsequent contest biography identifies him as Mr. Great Lakes Olympus Leather 2011.

On May 20, 2012, Sir Greg represented Great Lakes at International Olympus Leather during DomCon Los Angeles. Competing at Sanctuary Studios LAX, he won International Mr. Olympus Leather alongside International Ms. Olympus Leather Nova, who represented the Rocky Mountain region. Five men and four women competed that year. His fantasy presentation, “One Last Goodbye,” was performed to “Forever Young” as a tribute to people who had died. Dave Rhodes singled out the performance in The Leather Journal’s contest coverage, anticipating that other communities would invite Greg to present it.

Sir Greg’s community work extended beyond competition. His published biography listed him as Indiana chair for the National Leather Association–International Domestic Violence Project and Junior Director of MAsT: Indianapolis, the local chapter of Masters And slaves Together. He was also an ACLU member, a supporting member of the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, and an associate member of Scorpius of Cincinnati. His biography described him as approachable and encouraging toward people seeking their place within the Leather community, and noted that he attended events across the country during his international title year.

He subsequently helped select other titleholders. His judging appearances included the Great Plains Olympus Leather competition during Twisted in Tulsa in September 2012 and International Olympus Leather during DomCon Los Angeles in May 2013. In 2014, he joined the judging panel for the Great Lakes Olympus Leather and Great Lakes Power Exchange competitions awarding the 2015 titles. These appearances connected his international title year with continuing participation in the regional contest network.

On January 11, 2014, Sir Greg won Mr. 501 Eagle in Indianapolis, competing against three other contestants. He went on to compete at International Mr. Leather in Chicago that year. His biography in the 2015 Mr. Tri-State Leather/Rubber judges and staff guide recorded both his International Mr. Olympus Leather title and his participation at International Mr. Leather.

Sir Greg died in May 2015 after returning home from International Mr. Leather weekend in Chicago. The Leather Journal reported his death as a suicide and described the shock among attendees who had seen him only hours earlier. His documented place in Great Lakes Olympus Leather history includes his regional title, his 2012 international victory, his organizational work, and his return to judging panels in support of subsequent competitions.