Words by Isla Harvey
Pictures by Barcroft Media
There was a hairy moment or two at the weekend as the biennial World Beard and Moustache Competition got underway.
After a few bristly rounds, David Traver from Anchorage, Alaska, was crowned the victor for his stunning woven mat-style beard and downturned tash in honey brown.
Full video, story and picture gallery:
World Beard and Moustache Championship Parade in Anchorage, Alaska from Dennis Zaki on Vimeo.
It was a year for the American hosts with second place going to Benjamin Juergens from Los Angeles, for his Imperial Partial Beard, comprised of regal-looking tash and goatie.
While third place went to Jack Passion from San Francisco in the Natural Full Beard Category for his epic ginger cloud.
Facial hair in all forms, from the immense wooly mane of Albert Schmid from Team Switzerland, to the vast lip antlers of Memili Rüstüoglu from Istanbul, Turkey, was on show at the event in Anchorage, Alaska.
Phil Olsen, founder and captain of Beard Team USA said: “It was a great year for beards. The competition was stiff.”
Almost 300 of the beard and mustache elite gathered from over 11 countries for the 9th WBMC competition, which featured a variety of categories from the delicate Dali moustache to side-burned mutton chops to the outrageous full beard freestyle.
Keith Haubrich, aka Gandhi Jones, won first place in the ‘freestyle moustache’ round for an asymmetrical creation of spikes and loops. Loopier still was Willi Chevalier of Sigmaringen, Germany, who took the ‘partial beard freestyle’ category for the 8th time with his ‘facial hair pretzel.’
Teams included the Beard Team USA, the newly formed Australian Bushrangers, and London’s famous Handlebar Club.
The last competition was held in Brighton in 2007 and was won by the bewhiskered Elmar Weisser from Brigachtal, Germany, for his astounding rendition of Tower Bridge. Elmar, from the ever dominant German Swabian Beard Club also stole the show in Berlin 2005 for his furry Brandenburg Gate.
The 18 whiskered winners will return home with trophies but all proceeds go to charity because, in the world of competitive facial hair, honour is the only reward.
Judging is not based entirely on technical merit, as dapper clothing and a gentlemanly attitude are also revered. While one beard might be technically superior, but it’s the ones that move the judges spirit that triumphs.
Related posts:
- The Deadliest Six-Year-Old In The World Drawing his Colt 1911 handgun in one swift motion, this...
- The World Dog Surfing Championships These hilarious pictures show how radical pooches came together...
- Sky Diving Daredevils Break World Record A team of daring skydivers have set an amazing...
- Nepalese Boy Set To Be Named Smallest Man In The World At just two feet tall, Khagendra Thapa Magar is...
- Bodyshock – The Smallest Girl In The World Tiny Jyoti Amge is already a ‘mini’ celebrity in...
- Cape Town Surfers Set New World Record Over one hundred surfers lined up on the same...
- 9-Year-Old World Record Breaking Limbo Skater Nine year old student Rohan Ajit Kokane from Belgaum...
- The World’s Favourite Record Breakers These incredible people are all in the running to...