CONTESTS
GNI Contests At The Gathering
GNI Contests & Awards
GNI Awards
Over the past 35+ years, GNI has held a number of contests and have given away special awards to men who’ve shown an excellence in promoting gay naturism. You may know most of the contests but there are some that you may never heard of unless you’ve been around for a few decades.
Crawford Award (1991 - 1997)
The Crawford Award
Founded in 1991, when GNI was still a special interest group (SIG) of The Naturist Society (TNS) and known as Gay and Lesbian Naturists (GLN), the Crawford Award was created to recognize outstanding achievement in gay naturist journalism. Articles were submitted to local, regional, or national naturist publications by members and then nominated for consideration. During the winter board meeting, board members reviewed the nominations and voted on the winner.
Below is a listing of winners from the seven (7) years the award was presented. The award was discontinued in 1998, primarily due to the rise of the internet and the resulting decline in print publications.
Both the journalist and the named club received the Crawford Award. Surnames have been redacted for online privacy, though they are retained by GNI in its permanent archives.
| 1991 | Al A | Males au Naturel |
| 1992 | Bruce N | Palm Springs Social Sun Tanners |
| 1993 | Larry L | Northeast Ohio Naturists |
| 1994 | Andy S | Los Angeles Nude Guys |
| 1995 | Doug D | Bare and Gay of Connecticut |
| 1996 | Douglas M | Naked Minnesota |
| 1997 | Lane S | Chicago Area Naturist Sons |
Murray Kaufman Natural Man Award (1992 - Present)
Murray Kaufman Natural Man Award
The Murray Kaufman Natural Man Award was founded in 1992 and is awarded to men “in recognition of his outstanding long-term contribution to the growth, achievement, and good fellowship of the gay naturist movement.” This award may be given to multiple people in a year or not at all, at the discretion of the GNI Board of Directors. Recipients are not required to be GNI members, Gathering attendees, or gay or bisexual. The award is presented during the intermission of the Mr GNI Contest. Surnames have been redacted for online privacy, though they are retained in GNI’s permanent archives.
| 1992 | Jim L |
| Larry W | |
| Don S | |
| 1993 | Murray Kaufman |
| 1994 | Al A |
| 1995 | Les L |
| Joe P | |
| 1996 | Rob P |
| Mike W | |
| 1997 | Leslie R |
| David B | |
| 1998 | John P |
| Ricky Y | |
| 1999 | Seth P |
| 2000 | Don King |
| 2001 | Steve J |
| 2002 | David “Spike” D |
| 2003 | Stephen G |
| 2004 | Alan N |
| Bob Firman | |
| 2005 | Anthony V |
| Mark M | |
| David Conroy | |
| 2006 | Webb W |
| 2007 | Bert Haier |
| Roger G | |
| 2008 | Steven H |
| Peter K | |
| 2009 | Nick R |
| Lee Baxandall (Posthumous) | |
| 2010 | Bill C |
| Steve E | |
| 2011 | Dean T |
| 2012 | Valdamar A |
| 2013 | Joey M |
| 2014 | No Award |
| 2015 | Micheal W |
| 2016 | Colin G |
| 2017 | Ian L |
| 2018 | Ralph B |
| Brian B | |
| John Colby S | |
| David F | |
| 2019 | Bob Morton |
| Howard G | |
| 2020 | No Award (cancelled) |
| 2021 | Ray C |
| 2022 | Tony C |
| 2023 | Eddie G |
| Ralph B | |
| Chitta H | |
| 2024 | Jon P |
| Randall “Bear Man” K | |
| Pocono Eagle | |
| 2025 | Juan C |
Naked Quill Award (1993 - 1996)
Naked Quill Award
The Naked Quill Award was founded in 1993 and ended in 1996. The award was created to recognize the excellence in writing and to encourage and honor writers and poets in gay naturist newsletters. This award differs from the Crawford Award which had a more journalistic style of writing. The Naked Quill Award recognized the submission of personal stories and poems sent to a local nudist club for publishing in their club newsletter. This award was another victim of the internet when newsletter distribution began to be sent through email rather than the postal system on printed media. Surnames have been redacted for online privacy though they are retained by GNI in our permanent archives.
| 1993 | Charles D | |
| Dan B | ||
| Dennis N | ||
| Bruce S | ||
| 1994 | Steve E | |
| Bob L | ||
| George K | ||
| Michael G | ||
| Tom V S | ||
| Jay D | ||
| 1995 | Charles D | |
| Bob G | ||
| Austin M | ||
| Brent H | ||
| Jerry H | ||
| Dick H | ||
| Ron R | ||
| 1996 | Douglas M | |
| Leticia Lang (pseudonym) | ||
| Doug B | ||
| Richard W | ||
| Charles S |
Volunteer of the Year Award (2011 - Present)
Volunteer of the Year Award
The Volunteer of the Year Award is a fairly new award that was created by the Executive Director in 2011 and has been recognizing men who work valiantly behind the scenes of GNI throughout the year. Throughout the week at The GNI Gathering, dozens of men pour their hearts and souls into making the event a fun and successful experience. This award recognizes those who contribute in ways that would never receive the kind of public recognition given to the more public volunteers at our naked retreat. It truly is meant to highlight those who work quietly and without recognition yet contribute substantially to the success of the organization. The Executive Director has the sole discretion to award a volunteer and does not share the name of the recipient(s) with anyone, including the Board of Directors or other staff members. Surnames have been redacted for online privacy though they are retained by GNI in our permanent archives.
| 2011 | Dave S |
| 2012 | Doug M |
| 2013 | Chet K |
| 2014 | Seth P |
| 2015 | Brian B |
| 2016 | Peter K |
| 2017 | Brian B |
| 2018 | Joey M |
| 2019 | Mark B |
| 2020 | Kevin K |
| 2021 | Joe L |
| 2022 | Rory S |
| Colin G | |
| 2023 | Mark B |
| 2024 | |
GNI Contests
Over the past 35+ years, GNI has held a number of contests and have given away special awards to men who’ve shown an excellence in promoting gay naturism. You may know most of the contests but there are some that you may never heard of unless you’ve been around for a few decades.
Best Buns Contest
Best Buns Contest
The Best Buns Contest began in the 1990’s although we don’t have verifiable dates when the contest began or when it was actually held. The contest was inspired by Murray Kaufman who had a deep appreciation for male buns. Throughout the years, the contest was held in the Auditorium on evenings when no official entertainment was scheduled; thus, it was considered more “filler” entertainment, giving something men to watch on an evening when no other entertainment was scheduled. The contest has never been serious although we’ve seen some seriously beautiful buns over the years. It’s always been a lighthearted, fun contest offering nothing other than bragging rights to the winner. Because the contest was never considered an “official” contest and held infrequently, GNI no longer holds the activity in any official capacity anymore. The contest has been unofficially revived by the “Pickles Playground” I5 cabin during the week of naked camp. GNI does not document who those winners are because the contest is now considered an activity of a private cabin party. Surnames have been redacted for online privacy though they are retained by GNI in our permanent archives.
| 2000 | Stephan F |
| 2001 | Steve S |
| 2002 | Tom M |
| 2008 | Francis O |
| 2009 | Miguel M |
| 2012 | Richard H |
| 2013 | Bertaud N |
Bare Bear Contest
Bare Bear Contest
The Bare Bear Contest is an official contest that started in 1994 when it was first held. This contest celebrates the diversity of body types and attributes that fully encompass the physical attributes of men at the GNI Gathering. For years, the contest was held on an evening of entertainment in the Auditorium, but when both participation in the contest and audience support began to wane, it was decided to move the contest to the Bare Bear Pool Party held on Friday afternoon. This contest is the most “fun” of all the contests because contestants engage in silly, fun games with each other and don’t have to stand on stage, answer questions, and parade down a cat walk. Moving the contest to the pool party has since revived the contest giving the title holders proper recognition representing their communities. Surnames have been redacted for online privacy though they are retained by GNI in our permanent archives.
| 1994 | Bill C |
| 1995 | John G |
| 1996 | D Sean W |
| 1997 | Unknown |
| 1998 | Gary D |
| 1999 | David M |
| 2000 | Tim C |
| 2001 | Jon W |
| 2002 | Kevin S |
| 2003 | Seabrook J |
| 2004 | David S |
| 2005 | Jim P |
| 2006 | Ken M |
| 2007 | Patrick J |
| 2008 | Harvey S |
| 2009 | Campbell B |
| 2010 | Christopher L |
| 2011 | Rich K |
| 2012 | Van M |
| 2013 | Gregg T |
| 2014 | None |
| 2015 | Grayson P |
| 2016 | John F |
| 2017 | Ron B |
| 2018 | Christopher G |
| 2019 | Chauncey D |
| 2020 | No Contest Held |
| 2021 | Shawn C |
| 2022 | Jeremiah J |
| 2023 | Duke R |
| 2024 | Mark W |
| 2025 | Warren L |
Miss Lace Contest
Miss Lace Pageant
Founded in 1996, the Miss Lace Pageant has been a staple of entertainment during the week of the GNI Gathering. What began as a contest of men who competed for the coveted drag title, Miss Lace has now become a full production of evening entertainment that rivals even the best professionally paid, outside entertainment, thanks to our in-house hostesses over the years. No longer is is just a contest, it’s a full-blown pageant! Surnames have been redacted for online privacy though they are retained by GNI in our permanent archives.
| 1996 | Jesus P R | Tatina |
| 1997 | Jonathan F | Vanna Black |
| 1998 | Craig W | Lucy |
| 1999 | Robert B | Dolly Cowtown |
| 2000 | Samuel S | Rose Petal |
| 2001 | Doug M | Stormy Weather |
| 2002 | Tony L | Jolene |
| 2003 | John S | Stella D’Oro |
| 2004 | Michael L | Cruella |
| 2005 | Jed W | Little Fiona |
| 2006 | Stephen L | Elphaba |
| 2007 | Bryan B | Fort Worth’s Own Mary Lee |
| 2008 | Eddie G | Trixie M |
| 2009 | Bert H | Lady Lavender |
| 2010 | Michael W | Pickles |
| 2011 | Lee B | Country Cousin Betty Jean |
| 2012 | David C | Hazel |
| 2013 | Roy M | Grandma Sylvia |
| 2014 | No Contest Held | |
| 2015 | Eddie W | Irresista Bubbles |
| 2016 | Tim G | Lucy Morals |
| 2017 | Rodd S | Iona Mink |
| 2018 | Derek C | Diva Corvette |
| 2019 | Josh LF | Jocelyn La Foreskin |
| 2020 | No Contest Held | |
| 2021 | Fred S | Francis Darling |
| 2022 | Kevin K | Mitzi Morris |
| 2023 | Brian B | Justine Trouble |
| 2024 | Kevin A | Ima Stretcha |
| 2025 | Gerald K | Celebrity Fauntaine |
Mr GNI Leather Contest
Mr GNI Leather Contest
The Mr GNI Leather Contest was founded in 1994 and has been a staple of evening entertainment at the GNI Gathering to the present day. Serving the leather / fetish / kink community, the Mr GNI Leather title holder not only wins a number of prizes, he then goes on to compete in the International Mr Leather Contest held in Chicago. Contestants participate in a number of interactive challenges throughout the week with other members to earn votes that comprise only a portion of the total vote count. He then competes on stage for final votes from the esteemed judges during an evening show of entertainment in the Auditorium. Leather – it’s not only an attitude, it’s a way of life. Surnames have been redacted for online privacy though they are retained by GNI in our permanent archives.
| 1994 | Candidate #16 |
| 1995 | Unknown |
| 1996 | Keyth F |
| 1997 | Alan K |
| 1998 | Ken M |
| 1999 | Timothy H |
| 2000 | Michael L |
| 2001 | Dean P |
| 2002 | Alan N |
| 2003 | Ricky J Y |
| 2004 | Mark B |
| 2005 | Michael M |
| 2006 | Scott M |
| 2007 | Paul L |
| 2008 | David Z |
| 2009 | Ron T |
| 2010 | Dan M |
| 2011 | Greg T |
| 2012 | Kim H |
| 2013 | Gary O |
| 2014 | John S |
| 2015 | Dave B |
| 2016 | Ralph B |
| 2017 | Brian B |
| 2018 | Jonathan K |
| 2019 | Jordan T* / Mark B |
| 2020 | No Contest Held |
| 2021 | No Contest Held |
| 2022 | Christopher G |
| 2023 | David S |
| 2024 | David R |
| 2025 | Matt S |
| *Jordan stepped down |
Mr GNI Contest
Mr GNI Contest
The Mr GNI Contest is the oldest and longest running contest of GNI. Starting in 1985, the Mr GNI Contest was created to encourage men to compete for the title who would be represent that values of male naturism and are evaluated on four (4) criteria: Appearance, Personality, GNI Representation, and Audience Appeal. This contest is neither a beauty or popularity contest; candidates are assessed by five (5) esteemed judges who support the GNI Mission and have the best interests of GNI at heart. Surnames have been redacted for online privacy though they are retained by GNI in our permanent archives.
| 1985 | Mark |
| 1986 | Don S |
| 1987 | Ron Z |
| 1988 | Webb W |
| 1989 | Billy B |
| 1990 | Phil N |
| 1991 | Kevin M |
| 1992 | Eric D |
| 1993 | Peter R |
| 1994 | Peter L |
| 1995 | Seth P |
| 1996 | Bruce V |
| 1997 | Jim H |
| 1998 | Bryan K |
| 1999 | David H |
| 2000 | Bob G |
| 2001 | Peter P |
| 2002 | Tim G |
| 2003 | Doug M |
| 2004 | Brian M |
| 2005 | Michael L |
| 2006 | Stephan F |
| 2007 | Michael S |
| 2008 | Francis O |
| 2009 | Colin G |
| 2010 | Hector A |
| 2011 | Peter K |
| 2012 | Victor P |
| 2013 | Nick R |
| 2014 | No Contest Held |
| 2015 | Alan K |
| 2016 | Brian B |
| 2017 | Matthew S |
| 2018 | Rick B |
| 2019 | Gerald K |
| 2020 | No Contest Held |
| 2021 | Frederic H |
| 2022 | Peter K |
| 2023 | Rich H |
| 2024 | Cameron P |
| 2025 | Arthur “Joey” M |