FurIdaho 2012

Art by Kadath

"It was a triumph." These are the words being used to describe the first ever FurIdaho convention, which took place this past weekend at the Boise Hotel & Conference Center. And after taking into account that this was the second largest opening of a first year convention in Idaho's history, I think the word "triumph" is well deserved in this case.

What it's all about.

Chairman Robert Wright of Arson Labs, an event planning and event services group according to their official Facebook page, put on a great convention. The idea of hosting a furry convention in Boise, let alone hosting the first ever furry convention in Boise, no doubt must have seemed a daunting task. Despite any adversity that might have been encountered, the convention happened, and went off without the proverbial hitch.

The first day of the convention had to be a bit shorter for me than I would have liked, as I had to work at my "real job" until 6pm. After clocking out of there and filling up my 1998 hunk of junk, I was on my way.

As the first picture I took at the convention, this really set the tone.

Upon my arrival I was greeted with a large gathering of people in the main lobby of the conference center. I was pleased to see so many people turned out for the premier furry convention, and began to take pictures immediately. Before I could get too carried away I needed to get a badge, and after throwing down $35, I was officially a FurIdaho attendee.

This one's a keeper.

There you go David, there you go!

Upon becoming official, I immediately sprung into action and began taking pictures of just about everything and everyone I could. By day's end I believe I totaled around 100 pictures even, which is more than I even got at my first day of Fandemonium the previous year (which was 88 I believe). As I do with every convention, I found the video game room, which was a fun place to kick back and play some Mario Kart, Mario Party, Smash Bros. Brawl, Tatsunoko vs Capcom, and Beautiful Katamari. I honestly didn't know if there would even be a video game room at the convention, but I'm glad that there was, as it provided a nice "pit stop" for me during my down time in between taking pictures and pestering people for their opinions on the convention.

Stop it you guys! You have no business being that cute!

Other than taking pictures and conversing with other guests, I made it a point to do some people watching. No, not the creepy, through binoculars kind, but rather some good old fashioned "wallflowering". It was nice to see people having a good time, taking pictures, and meeting up with old friends. Frankly every convention should have this kind of atmosphere. Keeping a happy, upbeat atmosphere is key, and without the feeling of something going on at a convention at all times, the atmosphere can be dull and boring. Thankfully, that wasn't the case here. Everybody seemed to be excited for what was going on or what was going happen later, and so was I. Fandemonium and Anime Oasis have that feeling too, which is probably why they're successful conventions, and why I believe this one is and will be too.

This is con.

At the end of the first day, I crashed with some friendly furries at the hotel, although I didn't get much sleep; I was too excited to get back out there and start taking more pictures. In any case, day two saw me taking even more pictures and spending more time getting to know various furries in the community. I learned about the different fur meet ups that happen in the Treasure Valley, which I think is fantastic and I hope continues to grow. I met a lot of great people, with ages ranging from 13 to 60+. The furry community has a great deal of diversity, and it was fully on display later on that night during the dance party. If I remember correctly, I danced with a donkey and a wolf at one point. Not everybody can say that they've done that, damn it!

Well, hello there.

Over the course of all three days of the convention, I made several trips to and around The Artist's Den, where vendors were selling there wares. Products range from pins, to bumper stickers, to comic books, to plushies, hats, and dozens of others. I didn't have the extra cash to throw down for anything this year, but next year I plan on getting some of those sweet Cthulhu plushies (as pictured above); they're just too freakin' cute! Here's some highlights from the "marketplace" of the convention:

Whaddya buyin', stranger?

I want one!

Sup.

A poor furry being accosted by several pieces of fabric.

Hard workin' vendor dudes.

I took a ton of pictures of all the fantastic fursuits I saw at the convention. Here's a small sampling of the craftsmanship that was on display. I'm curious as to how expensive the cost must be for some of the more extravagant suits. Check 'em out:

Buddies.

Just prancing about.

Well, hello there.

Mine! MINE!

Yep, just being the coolest dudes in the room.

Fight! Fight! Fight!

SHARK! SHARK! SHARK! SHARK!

As mentioned before, a good convention needs atmosphere, and FurIdaho had it. In fact, it had radioactive sharks flying in its atmosphere. Don't believe me? Take a look:

I only intended to take one picture of the sharks but they wouldn't go away.

One of the sharks consented to taking a picture with me. I think I was blushing.

   I also want to mention the great security team at FurIdaho, led by Bryan Currid. Bryan and his team did a good job of securing the event and making sure everybody had a fun and safe time. They've also provided security for other events in the Treasure Valley as well such as Fandemonium. They do a good job of making the convention feel secure, while at the same time not taking away from any of the fun being had. I appreciate the time and hours these guys dedicate to making sure everyone's convention experience is the best possible. 

Ben, a member of Bryan's team, holds down the fort.

Onlookers, looking on.

The beating heart of any convention, in my opinion, isn't something you'll find on purpose most of the time. No, the life force of a convention to me has always been the random conversations and happenings that are going on at all times around the venue. I struck up conversations with as many people as possible, and met people from Alaska to Montana to Ohio. While seeing familiar faces is always nice, diversity at a convention is always a welcome sight, as it keeps conventions alive and running.

There was no shortage of things to do and see at FurIdaho.

 There were several panels and events happening all throughout the convention. Although I wasn't able to make it to most of them due to my pestering of various other attendees and staff for interviews and pictures, when prodded for information I was told that the panels were well done and a lot of fun. Next year I'm going to make it a point to sit in on at least one or two panels.

Possibly my favorite picture of the entire convention.

The final day of the convention's highlight was closing ceremonies, which saw singing, prizes being thrown out, and even an epic shark battle (flying sharks, mind you). When all was said and done, the staff of FurIdaho took their bows and/or curtsies, and the convention drew to a close late Sunday evening. As with all conventions, they sadly have to come to an end, but it wasn't an end that left a sour taste in my mouth or a feeling that I hadn't done or seen enough, because I had a fantastic time and enjoyed every moment of it. Thankfully, FurIdaho 2013 officially has the green light, and I'm definitely looking forward to it.

Our proud chairman, gracefully accepting his award.

The best part of the convention to me wasn't necessarily anything I could find in my program, although there were some awesome events going on like the "Guest of Honor Headliner Dance" which I enjoyed immensely. Rather, I think the people and the community involved in this convention were the highlight for me. The staff of a convention can do their best to put on a great show and make everybody happy, but in the end it takes a community to show up and get things going. A great movie is only as good as its final box office draw in the minds of some people, and a great convention is only as good as the people who attend. With that in mind, I'm happy to say I felt extremely welcome at FurIdaho.

Awww

A little make-shift advertising never hurt anyone.

Whenever I had a question about something to do with the furry fandom, somebody was always willing to explain it to me in a friendly, non-intimidating way. I will admit, I've had misconceptions about furries in the past, what with
the media's portrayals not always being the kindest or most accurate (damn you CSI), but after having been fully immersed in that world over the past weekend, I can honestly say that they're no different or stranger than any other group there is. Every group or organization will have its weirdos, popular folks, jerks, etc. but from what I saw at the convention, the only thing that mattered was that everybody wanted to have fun and enjoy a sense of community, and that is something to be celebrated.

In closing, FurIdaho gets my "thumbs up", and I greatly look forward to attending again next year. I give my thanks to everybody who made it all possible!

It was a triumph!

Until then my friends, until then.

© The Jeff Bulger Show 2012

http://www.facebook.com/jeffreyblger

(Yes the, "u" is omitted on purpose.)