We meet Ajvan & Jake – Mr Bear Czechia & Vice Mr Bear Czechia 2025
We had the immense honor of sitting down with the new Mr. Bear Czechia and the Vice Mr. Bear Czechia 2025. Take a look at their individual interiews and make sure to follow them on their socials.
BWM: Can you tell us a bit about your background? Including name, where you are from and current city of residency?
Ajvan: Greetings to all bears! To start – my name is Ivan, but most people know me as Ajvan, which is also the name I used during the Mr. Bear competition. I’m originally from central Slovakia, from the town of Zvolen. Currently, I live in the capital city – Bratislava, where I work, live, and spend time on my hobbies.
BWM: What drew you to the bear community?
Ajvan: I’ve always had little life mottos that guided me. One of them goes: “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. And when it gives you extra kilos – become Mr. Bear!” (Of course, that’s a joke.) The bear community has always been a place I was drawn to – somewhere I could feel accepted and be myself. After taking part in Mr. Bear, I can say it truly is that kind of place. The people in this community are very friendly, and I feel great being part of it.
BWM: Tell us about your local/countries bear scene and some of your favorite places or organizations whose events you enjoy.
Ajvan: Compared to other countries, Slovakia is still a bit of a different world. One of my goals after Mr. Bear Czechia was – and still is – to help build a bear community in Slovakia. Together with a few other people, we’ve already started working on it. Our first event was “Bear Beer.” I know that there used to be events like “Bear Wednesdays” in the past (if I’m not mistaken), but after the attack at the Tepláreň bar, those were canceled. As for the Czech bear community – I think it’s working really well. I enjoy attending regional events and meeting people there. I’ve recently been to Brno, I’m planning to go to Ostrava, and I visit Prague quite regularly these days. It’s hard to pick a favorite event – for me, a great event is all about the people, not the venue. If I’m surrounded by awesome people, the fun will always follow.
BWM: How was your experience competing? What was the process like? What was your favorite part?
Ajvan: It was a huge step out of my comfort zone. The whole bear week was something completely new – truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Imagine me – someone with zero experience in the bear community – arriving in Prague among a bunch of international bears. Add 1: I’m shy. Add 2: My English is beginner level. Suddenly, I had to socialize and connect with strangers. I honestly wanted to crawl under a rock and drive back home. That was night one.
On day two, there was the bear sauna. I almost never go to saunas, but I told myself – try something new. I packed the last bits of courage in my pocket and went. And it was amazing – the atmosphere, the openness, the zero shame or judgment – it really drew me in.
(And whether anything happened? I’ll keep that to myself – just joking!) That night, there was also the meet-the-finalists party at Heaven in Prague. Luckily, I had a drink or two, so I wasn’t too shy. I really started to enjoy it – the ice was melting. On day three, it was the Mr. Bear finals. I was extremely nervous from the morning on. Thankfully, we were a fantastic group – both the contestants and the entire organizing team. If I had to pick the hardest part – honestly, it was all of it. The hot seat, the on-stage intro, the personal presentation. But when they announced me as the next Mr. Bear Czechia 2025, all the stress disappeared. I had tears in my eyes.
It was a powerful and indescribable feeling – one I may never experience again. But if anyone’s thinking about applying, I say: go for it! It’s totally worth it. The support I received after the contest was overwhelming. Thank you all once again.
BWM: Tell us about your platform. What was the issue you campaigned on or addressed during the competition?
Ajvan: During the contest, I focused on the topic of body positivity. I’ve struggled for many years with a hereditary form of psoriasis that left visible marks on my skin. Despite that, I’ve been learning to accept myself as I am – to love myself and love my body. It’s essential for mental well-being. I’m not saying I’ve fully mastered it, but I’m working on it every day – both on myself and my mindset.
BWM: What are the responsibilities associated with your title?
Ajvan: I believe I’m doing my best in this role. I won’t claim I’m perfect, but I try to attend as many events as possible within my time, physical energy, and budget. All of my weekends in June are already packed with bear events – and that’s probably going to continue in the coming months as well.
BWM: What are your goals for your title year? Where will you be appearing?
Ajvan: My first goal was to get to know the Czech bear community better. I’ve already visited Brno, I’m planning to go to Ostrava, and I’ve been going to Prague quite often lately. I also attended Vienna Pride – an amazing event – and I’m planning to go to Mr. Bear Europe 2025 in Poznań, Poland, as well as Prides in both Bratislava and Prague. I’m also considering Folsom in Berlin, and I’ll definitely be at Bears Sitges Week.
BWM: What are some important issues you feel that need to be addressed in the bear community?
Ajvan: For me, the most important topic is unity. The world is changing, people are changing, mindsets and opinions are shifting. But if we want to remain a strong community, we must stay united and support each other. Without that, we won’t survive.
If we start breaking into small factions, I’m afraid some bear communities – under social pressure – might not make it. Maybe I’m a bit pessimistic about this, perhaps because I’m from Slovakia and I see how things are here. In any case, I truly hope I’m wrong.
BWM: Where can we find you? Websites? Social Media?
Ajvan: You can definitely find me on Instagram: @ajvan_from_svk.
It’s still a safe space for me, where I can control what I share and how I interact. I’m also on Facebook, but honestly, I find it extremely toxic these days – I keep my account mostly out of necessity rather than enjoyment.
For updates on Slovak bear activities, follow our Instagram: @slovak.bear.
I’m looking forward to meeting many of you – whether in person or online. And if you ever feel like reaching out – go for it! I’m always happy to connect, since I’m usually the shy one who struggles to start the conversation.
Jake – Vice Mr Bear Czechia 2025
BWM: Can you tell us a bit about your background? Including name, where you are from and current city of residency?
Jake: My name is Jake and I’m originally from Dallas, Texas, USA, but have been living in the Czech Republic now for 10 years and currently in Prague. Some of my passions and hobbies include performing, DJing, hard dance music, Geography and rollercoasters.
BWM: What drew you to the bear community?
Jake: The Bear community has been the one place for me in gay world where I have been able to freely be my 100% true self free of any judgement. I have always felt very loved, welcomed, and appreciated and that’s why I’ve stayed around!
BWM: Tell us about your local/countries bear scene and some of your favorite places or organizations whose events you enjoy.
Jake: I would say the Bear community in the Czech Republic is small, relatively speaking, but a great one. It was where I first got involved with the community, and gave me such a positive exposure to the Bear community. Of course my favorite place is our local events in Prague, but I’m really looking forward to going to doing more with the Polish and Austrian Bears, and another organization I love and respect are the Dallas Bears in Dallas, Texas. I was able to meet with them while I was there and join them for Pride. They do amazing work in Dallas raising a lot of money for different charities and the community in the local area, and are a great group of men.
BWM: How was your experience competing? What was the process like? What was your favorite part?
Jake: I LOVE competition so I really enjoyed myself, getting ready for it I spoke with some other title holders on what to expect and tried to prepare myself for interview portions the best I could. My favorite part was being able to blow the dust off an old talent of mine and perform it during the performance portion, that was really awesome.
BWM: Tell us about your platform. What was the issue you campaigned on or addressed during the competition?
Jake: I campaigned for being a representative to bring together all gay men foreign or local into the Bear community that may not feel they belong anywhere else. As someone who isn’t a native Czech, that’s what our local Bear community has done for me, and being a bridge for communities outside of Czechia to us.
BWM: What are the responsibilities associated with your title?
Jake: I would say being a good visible representative for Czechia and our community, and supporting our Mr Bear.
BWM: What are your goals for your title year? Where will you be appearing?
Jake: I would like to bring awareness and break the stigma of using PReP for HIV prevention here in the Czech Republic and do a fund raiser for one of our local centers. I have already attended Dallas Pride and Mr. Dallas Eagle in my native Dallas, Texas USA, and I plan to attend Prague and Bratislava Prides and also Mr Bear elections in Austria and Poland, and hopefully Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg are on my calendar, maybe even Serbia but we’ll see what real life allows.
BWM: What are some important issues you feel that need to be addressed in the bear community?
Jake: I feel it has gotten a lot better, but I still see sometimes the rhetoric of someone not being “Bear” enough or someone is or isn’t a proper Bear due to their physical look or appearance. I believe the Bear community is the perfect place for men who feel they don’t fit the proper standards the rest of the gay community has set in place, as this has gotten a lot better I feel there’s still a little work to be done there.
BWM: Where can we find you? Websites? Social Media?
Jake: You can find me on Instagram at txnincze or on Facebook at Jake New but I’m the most active on Instagram
