FurIdaho 2013: Furries in Time & Space

FurIdaho 2013 was Idaho's second annual furry convention and once again took place in the Boise Hotel and Conference Center over the weekend of March 8th, 2013. This was my second time attending FurIdaho, as I was lucky enough to be at the inaugural event last year (which you can read all about on this very blog). A convention's second year is always going to be held to a higher level of scrutiny than its first year I think, mostly due to the fact that we as people always want to do better than we did last time. Be it in business, sports, or entertainment, people always strive to top themselves. Did FurIdaho top its first year? Let's dive in and find out.

Friendly furries showing off their suits.

The first thing I need to mention is that I almost didn't make it to FurIdaho at all. When I set out on March 8th I felt good. I had my trusty camera, press pass, and a belly full of coffee. This, I thought, would go flawlessly. I stopped by the local Jack in the Box to ingest some unhealthy but tasty food when suddenly disaster struck. When I attempted to leave the restaurant and start my car, all I heard was a whirring/spinning sound. My car's starter had died. "What perfect timing," I thought. I was determined not to let my minor setback keep me down on this big weekend.  So, after a few phone calls, a tow truck, and a ride to the convention from a friend, I finally arrived at FurIdaho.

Talkin' 'bout furries, dude.

The first thing I do at every convention (or try to do) is check in with the registration staff at the front desk. Being a member of the press, and in my case a blogger, I had to contact the staff beforehand to assure that I would have a press badge waiting. Because it was primarily Fandemonium staff working the convention, they pretty much had everything down to a science. The process went smoothly and within a few minutes I had my badge and was ready to get going and start taking photos and observing the culture of furries. Yes, this year I had an ulterior motive. Not only did I want to cover the convention, but I wanted to spend some time getting to know the people themselves. I wanted to know why some people joined the fandom, what sparked their interest, and why they continue to attend conventions and participate.

Sup.

Before delving into the culture I observed at the convention, it's important to talk about the convention itself; the events, the people, the good, and the bad. Every convention has events, dealers, and fans -- you pretty much have to have these three things to be successful in my estimation. FurIdaho had all of these things in its first year, but there were some changes in its second outing. Firstly, the video game room had been significantly expanded upon. Previously, there had been maybe 4-5 televisions with a few games set up in a small room. This year, it had a much bigger setup and featured several multiplayer games for attendees to have fun with. This room ended up being my "pit stop" area where I would go to hang out and unwind after a few hours of shooting photos and talking to attendees. I'm really glad to see they are taking the video game part of their convention seriously, as it really is nice to have a place to just go and relax while bopping people with fireballs and/or turtle shells.

Super serious fightan' games.

Next up, I'm going to bring up my old nemesis: the dealer's den (kidding of course). I didn't get to spend much time in ye olde den this year because I was pretty busy trying to get photos of all the colorful fursuits. There was a bevy of merchandise on display, including tails, ears, hats, knit caps, buttons, and more. As always, I ask permission to shoot people's work, particularly if it's risqué of highly detailed. I didn't have any troubles this year (to date, I've only had one person complain about me taking a picture of their stuff, and it wasn't at FurIdaho). The layout of the dealer's den seemed to be relatively the same as last year, but I could be mistaken. It was only open until 6pm each day of the convention, and a few attendees I spoke with weren't happy about the early shutdown time. I meant to inquire about the reason for shutting down so early each day but I decided to dedicate more time to interviews and events instead.

A den for dealings.

The guest list this year featured returning guest of honor and famed artist Mokusei Kaze, the always funny Fine Young Deviants comedy troupe, the Fur What It's Worth podcast team, and DJ's CaBot and Househead.

Fur What It's Worth pretend not to notice Wreck it Ralph, lest they anger the mighty gaming villain.

I had been meaning to attend an FYD sketch and I finally did this year (unfortunately, I was not allowed to record or photograph the event, more on that later) and I have to say it was worth my time. The group has comedic timing, good improv skills, and encourages audience participation in some of their bits. It was a lot of fun and if you have a chance to experience the Deviants, I would definitely make time for it.

Yo dawg.

There were a large number of events taking place over the course of FurIdaho weekend, including "Fursuit Etiquette", a cookie social hosted by Fur What It's Worth, "Let's Make a Character!", a live rock performance by Angus and ScarredEyes, dances, art panels, FWIW Live, and more. I was able to make it to a number of panels this year, which is really rare for me as I'm usually too busy snapping photos or talking someone's ear off to make the time. Going to panels and events is definitely worthwhile, I think, as you never quite know what may happen when people have live microphones and an audience. Also, I could be mistaken, but it felt like there were more events this year than last year, which is definitely a good thing when it comes to growing a convention.

Moku doing her thing.

I usually don't have the time to go to a lot of panels, but this year I wanted to make sure and check out the Fur What It's Worth live podcast. The panel mostly consisted of stories from the furries in attendance as well as from the FWIW guys, as well as some Q&A and twitter interaction. They had a pretty cool setup going, with a live stream of their twitter feed being shown via projector next to the stage. There were laughs and tears, heartwarming stories as well as some that made me want to give the storyteller a hug and say "There there, it'll all be ok." In any event, it was definitely something I'm glad I went to this year, as I had meant to go last year but wasn't able to make it. Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to record any of this or even take pictures, as there were strict rules in place about that this year during some panels and events.

One of the cutest tats you'll ever see.

Not being allowed access to certain events was something that I had concerns about going into the convention early on. Last year I had pretty much free reign to go wherever I wanted, minus the "headless lounge" where fursuiters and their handlers went to relax and take a breather. I respected that rule last year, and did so this year as well. In any event, I brought my concerns to convention management and asked what the deal was with being unable to record certain events. I was told that due to my coverage last year not breaking any rules, and the fact that I'm not there to try and be "controversial" or show furries as monsters, I wasn't being lumped in with certain other journalists and that I was able to proceed basically as normal.

Girl, look at that body

I inquired about the other journalists and what they had done and was told that some photographers from a local paper had snuck in and gone to places they shouldn't, including taking pictures in the headless lounge. After having this explained to me, I understood the reason for the increased security measures this year. Furries are often misunderstood and demonized by outsiders, particularly in the media. Part of the reason for my coverage of conventions (furry or otherwise) is to explore the sub-culture(s) that make up a particular fandom, and I think FurIdaho is an excellent place for people to get a glimpse into the world of furries.

Smashing!

When delving into a particular sub-culture, it's often best to do so by immersing yourself completely; learn the language, observe the people, embrace the rituals, etc. When it comes to the furry fandom, it's a bit more complicated than simply observing fursuiters or speaking to one or two people. At FurIdaho 2012 I discovered what it was like to cover a convention, and at FurIdaho 2013 I discovered what it was like to learn more about the people in a fandom/sub-culture. One thing that we all bring with us when discovering new things is our prejudices and misunderstandings. Many people believe (and I did too) that all furries dress up in fursuits, but I've discovered that it isn't always the case.

Just a badass bunny.

True, many furries at the convention were in fact dressed in elaborate costumes/fursuits that probably took quite a bit of time and money to make, but not the majority. When I asked different people about why this was, the majority of the time I got similar answers: cost, time, comfort, etc. Some people would love to dress in a fursuit and gallivant about the convention, but unfortunately most suits cost quite a bit of money, even into the thousands of dollars for materials and equipment. Others still mentioned that they simply aren't comfortable putting on a suit because it makes them claustrophobic, or they can't use certain materials because they are allergic. I had never really considered these reasons before, but it makes a lot of sense; not everyone is going to have the same tolerance for fursuiting as another.

Strutting their stuff.

Of course, when it comes to furries, the inevitable sexual questions begin to pop up. This was something I definitely wanted to tackle, and I was able to get some pretty interesting responses from people I talked with. From what I was able to gather at the convention, the majority of furries do not see their interests as sexual, although some do. Due to misrepresentation in the media (lookin' at you, CSI), it has become more difficult for people to be honest about their furry interests. True, there are those who enjoy sexual intimacy from behind the comfort of a first, and that is certainly fine if that's what they're into, but I didn't get the sense that the majority or even a large number of furries were into the fandom for sexual reasons. Most I talked to simply felt an affinity for animals, or enjoyed the artwork (be it risqué or not), or simply thought it was fun to dress up as an animal because "why not?” Not all fursuiters wore full suits, and some opted to wear the cheaper and more accessible partial suits, or "partials", to conventions.

H-hello...

Sexuality within the furry community is probably about as varied as it is in any other sub-culture or fandom. When asked, one source told me that he believes it's about an even split between heterosexuals and LGBT individuals in the furry fandom. When I brought up the large amount of openly gay members of the fandom, he and others believed that due to the furry fandom's accepting nature it was probably easier for LGBT people to feel accepted for who they are in the furry community, even if others may ostracize them outside of it. I found it pretty remarkable that people of all different backgrounds could come together and cast aside differences in the name of this unique sub-culture.

Tails, pups, ears, and more.

I think the most touching moment for me at FurIdaho wasn't any one "event", but rather the combined stories and testimonials of people who poured their hearts out to friends and strangers alike. One story in particular touched me. A young man said that he had come out as gay to his very religious parents, and that they did not want to accept him, but his furry friends did. It was at that moment that I realized that one of the biggest and most powerful ways this community impacted people was in its acceptance of differences within its members. Whether they be fursuiters, artists, crafters, or simply fans of the furry fandom, all seemed welcome under one accepting umbrella.

"What're you lookin' at, bub?"

The last day of the con I felt pretty miserable due to a lack of sleep (seems to be a theme with me at the Boise Hotel) so I decided to take off early. I feel that I accomplished everything I wanted to accomplish at FurIdaho this year. I had fun and learned more about the unique individuals that make up the fandom. The majority of the attendees I spoke with seemed to be enjoying themselves as well. I did, however, speak to a few attendees who were somewhat intimidated by the pseudo-military garb of the security staff. One told me they didn't understand the need for "guys dressed up like soldiers" to be running security. One answer I received was that the vests they wore allowed security members to carry radios in addition to other gear. I can understand the attendees' concerns. Security team members patrolling the convention like armed guards don't exactly exude an air of "friendliness" just by looks alone. I suppose the reasoning behind the fashion choice would be that if people see lots of security that look like they mean business, they'll be less likely to do something stupid. This is all guesswork on my part, however.

So long!

FurIdaho 2013 was a good experience, and I feel that I came away with a better understanding of the furry fandom than what I walked in with. I do wish that the convention could have been held on Spring Break as (I believe) it was last year, but apparently there was miscommunication between the hotel staff and the convention runners. Be that as it may, I feel that the attendance numbers were strong and, although I didn't get an exact number, I feel it was comparable to last year's event if not slightly less. I give FurIdaho 2013 a favorable review, and I do hope that the convention will be returning next year, although preferably during Spring Break if at all possible.

That's it for FurIdaho, I'll be seeing you guys again in a few months at Anime Oasis 2013!
For more FurIdaho 2013 pictures, click here!

-Jeff