Glimpses from the Pilots:
First from 2018, when we had no snow in Tromsø.
You'll find snowier pics from 2019 below, as well as the 2021 and 2022 albums.
For the 4th time, a bunch of brave Pilots gathered in Tromsø, this time even more international than before. No less than 45 leather men from 14 different nations participated, and the spectacle of flags in the parade was unprecedented!
The City of Tromsø opened the city council assembly room to us and gave a presentation
of the LGBTQIA+ politics in Tromsø, which the Pilots was invited to comment on and discuss. Many good ideas got exchanged. If you haven't seen a parliament of leather men before,
then here it is!
A visit to the husky farm at Tromsø Wilderness Centre is a staple of the Arctic Pilot.
No snow this year so we couldn't go sledding, but the huskies offered infinite possibilities
for cuddling and belly rubs!
A somewhat chilly day in the husky dog yard was succeded by a hot meal by the fire in the Sami style wooden hut at Tromsø Wilderness centre. As always, their chocholate cake is a favourite with international leathermen!
(photo: Gustav Andersson)
For the first time, the Rainbow Mass saw a bishop present this year. Bishop Olav Øygaard addressed the congregation and administered the communion together with to leather-clad assistants and trans woman vicar Eir, who also gave a very touching the preach.
A proper SLM fetish party is needed for a successful festival. This time we were lucky to get to use the student house Driv as a venue. 75 men from 16 nations participated, and we danced the night away to the beats of the best fetish DJ in Europe; K-PAXian!
This very international pack of Pilots is both black and very colourful at the same time! Spanning the alphabet from Bulgaria to Wales, this castle of banners made a jolly impact
on Tromsø on a rainy November day. Mr. Leather Norway 2022, Georg,
is enthusiastically presenting it all!
(photo: Holger Langer)
The pride parade in Tromsø was longer than ever this year - it's estimated that 10,000 people marched, that's 1/7th of the number of inhabitants in Tromsø! The Arctic Pilots made a
Castle of Banners as usual - more flags than ever before! The Swiss flag,
the California flag and several club flags were seen for the first time.
(photo: Enchanted Dreams Photography)
Listening to Pride speeches in the market square after the parade. Per Helge provides simultaneous translation for Mr. Leather South California 2019, Aric.
(photo: Gustav Andersson)
This year, the Arctic Pride had the honor of hosting three interviews in the "Fireside Chats" series, done by Mr. Fireside himself, Doug O'Keeffe who'd come all the way from Chicago!
His last interview subject was Per Helge Nylund, in the exhibition at the Polar Museum .
Arctic Pilot 2021: "Third time lucky" became a lucky event indeed! 32 leather men from 15 different nations found their way to the northernmost leather event in the world, and spent four days under the Aurora, showing leather pride and lots of joy!
Tromsø is a very vivid and cultural city, welcoming new impulses and supporting many lifestyles. When we Arctic Pilots are marching in, we're met with cheers and applause. Here we are on our way to the Arctic Pride parade on Saturday, November 20th.
The Arctic Pilot is a very international event! Look at all the flags we fly in honour of leather and fetish pride worldwide. Besides national and regional flags, some club flags
and of course pride flags are present.
Leather culture dispersing into the corridors of power!
We're lining up before a visit to the Tromsø City Hall (Tromsø Rådhus).
One of the highlights of the Arctic Pride week in Tromsø is the Rainbow mass in the Lutheran Cathedral. Like every year, also the Pilots of 2021 added the colour black to the rainbow.
The Pride Night at the Arctic University Museum of Norway included a lecture about Tom of Finland. Art historian Jostein Eidskrem gave an enlightened view on Tom's works.
Tom of Finland's classic drawings have a message to all kinds of people, but resonates particularly well with leathermen. Per Helge Nylund's lecture on the impact of his art brought images too rarely seen in a museum to the lecture theatre screen.
A dance night in a museum exhibition? Oh yes, that happens in Tromsø! DJ K-PAXian happens to be a leatherman too (aka Mr. Leather Norway 2021) and his special Northern Lights mix created magic both indoors and outside the museum.
You can never be sure whether the Northern Lights will appear or not, but once again the Arctic Pilots were lucky - the Aurora appeared several nighs for us. Here is Mr. Leather Bretagne & Pays de la Loire 2019-2021, Pat Menard, admiring the celestial show.
Brave Pilots marching in the Arctic Pride parade. No less than 15 different nations were represented, and most of them with flags, too. Mr. Leather Norway 2021, Ambjörn Söderberg and his sash dad Mr. Leather Norway 2019-2020, Per Helge Nylund, spearheaded this Leather Castle of Banners.
A special surprise during the Rainbow Mass 2021 was the blessing of Holger and Georg's marriage. When they married in Germany 10 years ago they could not do it in church, but in Tromsø they recieved the Church's blessing from the Lutheran dean. And made it to the newspapers too!
The iTromsø newspaper printed a double page from the Arctic Pilots' visit to the City Hall. Local politician Jarle Heitmann says the city's plan for sexual diversity and anti-discrimination is one of his proudest achievements in his entire career.
Sebastian, the Polish Mr. Leather 2019 is quoted above the large picture: "People here are full of love. Here, the society is open. But in Poland it is important that people get to learn about LGBT, so that they don't have to fear us. In Poland, LGBT is regarded an ideology - we are not seen as independent human beings. That is not good enough."
After four days of celebrating pride and fetish culture, organiser Per Helge was a very,
very happy leather man. - It sure is heartwarming to see that even deep inside
the Arctic Circle, a leather man can still be a part
of the worldwide leather family, he says.
Arctic Pilot 2019: "The Second Coming" saw 20 leather men from 8 different nations gather in Tromsø. The Pilot lasted for 4.5 days, starting with a Queer Night at Tromsø University Museum, then on to more adventures. Have a look!
With a Mr. Leather Norway who is a museum worker, a museum visit was unavoidable for the 2019 Pilots. The Queer Night included the opening of an exhibition called 'Queering Sapmi'. Here are two of the Sami who took part in the opening, both displaying the Sami Pride flag.
(Photo by John O'Brien)
Already on this first night of the Pilot 2019, we had leather men from 6 nations present. Daniel Fohr of the Tromsø Arctic Pride (wearing a white sweater) was happy to meet us all!
(Photo by John O'Brien)
Thursday Night we went hunting for the Aurora - not with too much luck, but we had a chance to play around in the snow and pose for photos on a frozen lake.
(Photo by William Copeland)
Have you even been on a shore in Balsfjord by midnight in November?
(Photo by William Copeland)
Friday morning the Pilots paid a visit to Tromsø City Hall to learn about the LBTQI+ politics in Tromsø.
(Photo by John O'Brian)
Friday also means HUSKIES for all the Arctic pilots!
(Photo by John O'Brian)
A pint for the Pilots at Tromsø's oldest pub, the Ølhallen.
(Photo by John O'Brian)
Getting ready for the Arctic Pride Parade on Saturday. Who said leather men are dull and colourless?
Leather men keeping in line!
Our section of the parade got a little visitor!
Happy Arctic Pilots proud of their showoff in the parade!
(Photo by John O'Brian)
The Northern Lights came to greet us in the end!
(Photo by William Copeland)