BONDCON 2002
http://www.smnews.com/articles/articl12.htm website Updated: 2001 |
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- This article was printed in "THE S & M NEWS"
- BondCon
- a visit to a BDSM convention.
- Bondage Hollywood Invades NYC at BondCon NYC 2002
- By Cassandra LeSerre
- Exclusive to the S&M NEWS
- Copyright CSP 2002 All rights reserved.
Bond Con NYC 2002 kicked off on Friday, June 21 in NYC. Models, producers, webmasters, and fans swarmed the Crown Royale Hotel in Queens for a weekend of meeting, mingling, bondage, and ball gags. Newcomers and lifestylers, the famous and the infamous mingled together creating a buzz, randomly pierced by groans and the occasional scream.
On Friday night everyone mixed over cocktails at a Meet and Greet. Models such as Darla Crane, Tyler Scott and Dita Von Teese shared the spotlight with new Internet models, webmasters, and producers. However, the weekend really kicked off on Saturday morning when Mistress of Ceremonies, Stacy Burke officially opened the event.
The rest of the weekend was filled with hundreds of people moving through the convention hall. Everywhere, photos were being snapped, autographs signed, and business cards exchanged.
Businesses of all types occupied that tables in the convention hall. Some businesses were brand new; several were even less than 48 hours old. Others, like Bondage-Arts.com, had been conceived at Bond Con NYC 2001 and were back a year later to demonstrate their progress. Still, others had been around for a while and were demonstrating their upgrades, or simply showing their staying power.
Vendors displayed their wares. Toys were displayed, on and off models, floggers, and crops tested, from the popular Rainbow Rope and DeTails, to the lesser-known My Lady's Toys and Bound Designs. Corset designers, Heretic and Delicious Corsets displayed their corsets and photographs of their work, draped fabrics, took measurements for custom work. Videos were previewed at the tables of Diavolina Films, David Knight, and Kiana Bound. Various webmasters set up computers viewing their websites such as TortureDrome, DKA Images, and several of the various models.
Ah, the Models ... that's where the real attention was, there were models everywhere. There were over 80 models in attendance, from the very well known Mistress of Ceremonies, Stacy Burke, and Guests of Honor - Darla Crane, Sadie Belle, Tyler Scott, and Dita Von Teese, to the lesser-known, Ivy Manor, Rachel Payne, Jewel Evens, Genesis Lynn, etc., to the very new girls like Cordelia Sabine and Isabella Rose. However, where would the models be without their just as well-known, and lesser-known bondage gurus and photographers? Viking, Rick Savage, Dan Hawke, Fetish Diva Midori, and Lew Dennison, among others, shared in the weekend.
As you can imagine, when you mix toy vendors, bondage models, bondage gurus, and bondage fans in one place, there are "bound" to be people getting tied up and there were. Models tied to chairs, lying on tables, or strapped to beams were a common sight. It became common to see a model make her way over to Rainbow Rope and asked to buy a few more feet of the rope that she was wearing. At the TortureDrome.com table, a metal frame had been set up. Nearly all weekend girls in various positions occupied it. At first, it was just models from the site, but then various models were asking to get tied to it. At Bound Designs, the saleswoman was wearing one of her collars. Sadie Belle put herself in a crotch rope and then started applying them to other models. Elkie Cooper had been tied up so much that she had taken to wearing a ball gag around her neck, all ready to go. Even one of the vendors, who had never been tied up before, was convinced to be bound so she could see how it felt.
The other major highlights of the weekend were the demonstrations and forums being held in the hotel amphitheater. Fetish Diva Midori set the bar high on Saturday morning when she gave the first demonstration of the weekend.
Colored ropes in hues of maroon, forest green, and royal purple wound around the white sheet in intricate patterns. Midori expertly began stringing Vesta up onto a wooden frame. By the time she was finished, Vesta was horizontally suspended. However, Midori wasn't finished. To the audience's delight, Midori began teasing and tickling helpless Vesta. Midori proceeded to tantalize the audience by slowly cutting away the sheet. Eventually, Vesta's nearly naked form was exposed, followed by her ball-gagged face. The audience emitted gasps when Midori illustrated Vesta's helplessness by sitting upon her bound form and using it like a child's playground swing. The only thing poor Vesta could do was moan behind her red ball gag.
Eventually, Midori let Vesta down, but within several minutes, Vesta found herself suspended upside down as Midori used a single rope to swing her helpless form in circles. Again, Vesta found herself at the torment of Midori's teasing and child-like playfulness. The hour concluded with Vesta being let down and Midori slowly removing the ropes as she explained to the audience the sensual effects of rope sliding over-sensitized skin.
Throughout the entire hour, Vesta hadn't been out of bondage, and Midori hadn't stopped talking. The demonstration treated the audience to Midori's background, expertise and wit.
Model, Julie Simone demonstrated skills in self-bondage when she proceeded to tie both Talia Monet and herself. Julie first tied Talia into a pose: she was standing on one foot with her hands over her head and behind her back. The other foot she tied up so it looked like Talia was frozen in the motion of stomping. Once Talia was in the pose and ball gagged, Julie began to tie herself. Eventually, she ended up on her knees with her head bowed. The girls acted like a bondage puzzle. The end result was Julie being bound on her knees with her head bowed and Talia's uplifted foot resting on Julie's back. At one point Julie was actually tying herself with one hand already secured behind her back.
Demonstrations were also given by Dominic Wolfe, Jim Weathers, Lew Rubens and Volcane.
The demonstrations, and the weekend, concluded with a suspension by Viking with model Paige Richards. It was the first time that they had ever worked together before, and it was amazing to watch. Viking slowly wound his brown hemp ropes around Paige's black lingerie form. Intricate Japanese patterns began to emerge. Eventually, Paige found herself in a very low face-down horizontal suspension. From the audience, it seemed as if Paige was taking a swan dive, and was stopped in mid-motion. Both Viking and Paige seemed content with what was going on. Viking constantly checked with Paige to make sure that everything was all right. Even going to the length of lying down on the floor so that he could be face to face with her. After a little while, Viking unwrapped Paige and sat with her as she dressed. Paige's reaction to her first time in Viking's ropes ... "It was better than sex, really, I'm not kidding."
Paige wasn't the only one to learn something new over the weekend. In between the demonstrations, several forums were held for people in various occupations within the industry. For both video producers and webmasters, the biggest concern over the future seems to be legal matters. Both the Internet and interstate commerce are in the midst of significant changes in what is legal and what is not and how it needs to be delivered to the public. The line between erotica, porn, and just plain smut is starting to get even foggier than before. For example, many producers and websites are becoming focused on either girl-girl or girls with toys rather than girls with guys. This is because there are much stricter rules on how men can be used in sex scenes. Other concerns are over state laws. Some states have much harsher laws than others. Also, depending on the state or even county, the legal age may differ or the portrayal of bondage or certain toys could even be illegal. The general feeling of the weekend seemed to be that the Internet seems to be the future of the adult industry. However, the blooming of the Internet causes its own concerns. In addition to the general concerns, webmasters have to keep in mind that because websites are open to everyone, everywhere. Therefore, both the laws of the place where they are produced and general world standards govern websites.
There was so much information being shared among the professionals, amateurs, and fans. Within the conference, nearly any question could be answered and were. There were experts on everything; bondage techniques like Japanese bondage and suspension, materials such as hemp rope and leather, artistic endeavors like videography, photography and web management . . . you name it and it was there. If the person you asked couldn't answer your question, they could usually point you in the direction of someone who could. Everyone was very helpful. There seemed to be a comradery among the attendees.
The staff seemed to be just as enthused as the guests. Every year, Bond Con NYC seems to be getting bigger and bigger. This year, the attendance was even larger than last year. That leaves promoters like Vesta and Genesis Lynn with a question of how to deal with it. As a method of coping, next year they have added an extra day to the schedule so that they can incorporate even more demonstrations and vendors.
Are you interested in learning some new things, meeting some of the models, or experiencing the fun and playfulness? Maybe you have a business involved with the bondage community and would like to be a vendor? Bond Con NYC 2003 is coming up in March! See their website at www.bondconnyc.com for more details about getting involved.
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