Gogo Bear Spotlight: Skip O’Brien

30th October 2023 John Hernandez

We continue our gogo bear spotlight series with the sexy and rugged Skip O’Brien from Santa Monica, California. Bears in the greater Los Angeles area can catch him doing his thing at a variety of the biggest and best known clubs throughout the region. With dark good looks and his signature charm, Skip oozes masculinity and often plays that up with sports and fetish attire at his gigs. Get to know more about him below.

BWM: When did you start gogo dancing? Why?

Skip O’Brien (SO): I drove to San Diego from LA for my first gig at Rich’s, for LL Bear. Dangillo hired me, coached me, and told me what to buy. He and his other dancers made me feel like I was a part of a team and I loved it. I will always love those guys.

I gushed to Nelson Castillo and George Unda about how much fun I had dancing, how I had never thought I could do something like this. They started smiling, and took me under their gogo wings, they hooked me up the following week to dance at Micky’s, the Faultline and the Eagle LA. They are my gogo parents.

When I realized I could look up promoters in other cities, send shots, and mention I danced in LA for Meat Rack at Eagle LA I got booked wherever I asked. Dancers are better fresh from out of town, we do crazier stuff out of town because we don’t know you guys. My first out of town bookings were for Pride in SF, then Provincetown Bear Week, and NYC. My second summer I danced at Hunters in Fort Lauderdale, Hunters in Palm Springs, New Orleans for Decadence.

BWM: What is your dancing style? Do you have a signature move? Favorite music?

SO: I like fun sexy music, nothing better than when the DJ drops a Prince song on a dead night. Everyone looks up smiling, feels the groove, looks at the dancers to see what we’ve got. The crowd gets sexy, the tips start coming in, and we all start having fun. Dancing on bars is the best, we get to talk to people, have fun, tease and talk dirty. Dancing at the Bourbon Pub taught me how to shimmy and slide on a bar, work the lights and a crowd.

BWM: Do you have a gogo persona? If so what is it? What look do you go for?

SO: Dancing next to Johnny Tattoo for Meat Rack was inspirational. He is a true Master of the craft. Straight, and young, from Orange County, cute and tatted up. He’d wear a pair of thin gym shorts and dance with his dick covered but thwacking loose. He’d have 20 people watching him dickmatized.

Sadly, I was on the other end of that stage with no one in front of me, so I focused, improved and maybe took a couple Cialis!

BWM: Can you tell us a memorable event from one of your gigs?

SO: I made the most money on stage at the Lone Star during Folsom, a few years ago, I had the best time, and I didn’t want it to end. This was bear heaven, packed and crazy sexy. I was on stage, and it was my show. Big beardy dudes, leather guys, furry shouldered body builders, cute blonde furry students, big older Italian dudes, and big young sexy chubs.

I gave them my Johnny Tattoo, I didn’t need a Cialis to put on that show, I was fresh from Dancing Decadence on Bourbon Street. I had to keep it in my shorts. I made a ton, and for me it was so hot in that room, I could have shot my load.

BWM: Do you identify with the bear community? When/ how did you find it?

SO: Growing up I craved my older brother’s beefy, beardy, hockey teammates. Going to theme parks in high school I would come home thinking of beardy blonde guys I had checked out in lines. Trying not to stare, while showering with the other water polo players, especially the beefy older Italian college players. The hairier the better.

I was pretty much born into the bear community sexually but didn’t allow myself the freedom to explore it until I was 30.

BWM: Why do you dance specifically at bear events and parties?

SO: When a cute dark-haired guy with big hairy shoulders tucks a five or a twenty into my underwear, looks up to me shyly, I obviously get turned on. When a smooth skinny twink tips me, but asks if he can rub my chest hair, I also get turned on, cause I am being squeezed, and played with, like a true bear.

Bear events are the most fun when there is a wide variety of people on the dance floor, and people are comfortable enough to be making out.

BWM: Any upcoming gigs you want to plug or anything you want to mention that we haven’t covered?

SO: I’m on stage for Chris Vance’s San Diego Bear Night, at the Merrow 11-04 and 12-02.

On 11-25 and 12-23 I am booked for Meat Rack at Eagle LA.

Bearracuda has me at Precinct in Downtown LA on 11-11

I am dancing for Paul Coles, at Twisted Bear, 11-18 at the Falcon North in Long Beach.

Matt Consola has booked for Daddy Issues, 12-16 at the Barracks in Palm Springs and Chill Bar in Palm Springs often has me wearing football gear for Friday’s Varsity

BWM: Booked and blessed I see! Thanks for joining us Skip!!