Aotearoa’s very own Mr Bear representative has returned from an international pageant in Thailand where he placed in the top 10.
Tia Craig Walters, also known as TiaBear, won Mr Bear Australasia 2024 in June during Pride Month, securing a ticket to compete at Mr Bear International in Bangkok this month.
In gay culture, “bear” is the terminology used to affectionately describe a heavyset queer man with facial/body hair.
Walters, whose iwi is Ngāpuhi, jetted off to Bangkok on April 10 for the pageant and, after a week of 12- and 13-hour days, he’s back home.
Speaking to Stuff, Walters said competing at Mr Bear International was an “amazing experience” albeit “very full-on”.
The grand finale was held on April 13, but the days leading up to it were full of non-stop rehearsals, photo shoots, and creating social media content, Walters said.
Contestants also competed across multiple pageant categories such as swimwear, cultural wear, sportswear and nightwear, he said.
“The swimwear part of the competition was a whole other level. We were on a rooftop foam party and we danced on stage. We also did an aerial photo-shoot, so they had a drone flying around while we were on the helicopter pad, and that was such a fun thing to do.”
Walters said the most challenging category was cultural wear as he had to find materials that could be easily cleared through customs.
He wore a custom-made korowai, a gift from his partner and two stepsons.
“The korowai was designed in the Bear flag colours of black, white, brown, orange, yellow and gold, which was beautiful,” he said.
“I also had my taonga on which is my bone carving and some mako shark earrings. I also made a skirt out of a Hawaiiki Pēpi blanket.”
The Mr Bear International 2025 crown went to Michael Paul Olle, who was representing South Africa.
But Walters was still in high spirits, proud of, “being able to put Māori in New Zealand on a main pageant stage in a different country”.
“The moment that stood out for me was the final day, being able to walk out in my korowai and my skirt. That was the main highlight. It was also meeting all the other contestants, creating bonds with them, and lifetime friendships,” Walters said.
“What I did during this pageant, wasn’t just for myself. It was for everybody back at home. It was for Māori and for the Pacific and people of colour communities to go out and be confident and love yourself and be true to who you are.”
The Mr Bear International competition was founded by Vajira Somlim in the heart of Bangkok. It is “a redefined celebration of masculinity” allowing contestants to showcase their “unique talents, intellect, and social awareness”.
- Stuff
