Swedish furs gather for first FurryCon

Wolfer and Tobi compete in Guitar Hero (credit: Writerfox)

Last month saw a long-anticipated event - FurryCon, the first^[1] furry convention in Sweden since Eurofurence 2 - drawing 110 people to the city of Karlstad on the north shore of Lake Vänern.^[2]

The event ran from late Friday (18 September) to Sunday afternoon. It was organized by Spots and Stripes, and run by a team of 30 volunteers led by kirrow. Alcohol was banned, as was the display (but not private sale) of adult material.^[3]

The two fursuiters were very popular, especially at the fursuit bowling outing. Also popular was the ear and tail workshop, roleplaying games, and party games such as Mafia. A large collection of video games were available; those wishing to loan them were required to leave an item of value behind.

The event was a financial success, running a surplus of 4000 SEK (~US$570). 10% was donated to the event's charity, Djurskyddet Karlstad (Karlstad Animal Welfare); their total was 1181 SEK after a charity raffle and dealer contributions.^[2] Some found the furry theme lacking, but event organizers - most veterans of anime cons - pledged to address this in future years.

FurryCon's future location is still uncertain, though one proposal is to move to different cities each year, starting in Stockholm. However, a competition for next year's homepage mascot has begun. The theme? "Friendship and love . . . anthro style."

Quotes

SveaFurs, anime geeks, gaming geeks, furs and furry fans met under one roof, and each realized they could hang out with one another. By combining them, I hope furries will become more accepted in the world of anime/manga conventions, and likewise that anime/manga becomes more accepted in the furry world. — kirrow [translated][4]

My biggest complaint about this convention is that it seems to be mostly an anime/manga convention with a thin slice of furry. — Writerfox [translated][5]

Gallery

quoting mungo displays her wares (Writerfox)

Organizers plan to increase FurryCon's signage budget next year (Writerfox)

Sources

1. ↑ CabinCon (pictures ran in Töcksfors, Sweden until 2004, but it never held itself out as more than a furmeet.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Post to FurryCon i Karlstad - kirrow (September 21, 2009)
3. ↑ Rules - FurryCon
4. ↑ Post to FurryCon i Karlstad - kirrow (September 23, 2009)
5. ↑ Post to FurryCon i Karlstad - Writerfox (September 22, 2009)

External links

• FurryCon
• Photos, videos, reports: FurryCon resources