From Pat Race at the World Beard & Moustache Championships:
Saturday, May 23
Aaron looked a little green in the morning, I think he was nervous. We shuffled over to the convention center and set up shop in the press room.
Approximately three hundred hirsute men shuffled up and down the hall trying to find the elusive registration desk. I’m not sure if there actually was a registration desk but eventually someone must have taken down their names and handed out drink tickets.
I wasn’t around for much of the registration madness because I was busy sneaking into the judges’ preparation room. I’m not sure if press was actually allowed but I wanted to get the inside scoop on the process.
What I learned is that judging is largely subjective and each contestant is at the whims of the assorted celebrity judges and local stylists. I’m sure this is a frightening thought for the few who take their facial hair too seriously.
At lunch, the contestants tramped down for an appearance at the Saturday market. They delighted the unsuspecting tourists and circled back around to the convention center for last-minute grooming and costume preparation.
The competition started with moustache and partial-beard categories and ended with the full beards and a selection of an overall champion. David Traver, a member of the South Central Alaska Beard and Moustache Club, took top honors with his stylized snowshoe beard. Overall, eleven Alaskans managed to podium out of a very wide field, I attribute it to the long beard growing seasons.
The highlight of the evening for me was watching Aaron swagger onto the stage with harpoon in hand. He landed second place in his category and made us all very proud.
* Final Results – World Beard and Moustache Championships!
* Our photos from the World Beard and Moustache Championships!
* Aaron strutting on CNN
Congratulations to Aaron and all the winners! I’ll also point you to this fine Daily Mail article with photos of many winners, additional coverage from an LA Times blogger on the scene, and this wonderful slideshow.
And with great thanks to Pat for the photos and updates, this ends our not-quite-live coverage of the WBMC. If you’ve enjoyed his accounts, why not drop by his site and say thanks?
The next WBMC’s in Norway in 2011! See you there?
GIVE THAT GIRL A COMPETITION CATEGORY