Bearded wonders gather for the hairiest contest in the world
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 beard and down-turned moustache.
The
prize beard measures over 20 inches long and was cultivated over a
period of two-and-a-half years, before being plaited into the shape of
a snowshoe.
Hair-raising: Beard-growers from across the
globe gathered to show off their facial furniture at the biennial World
Beard and Moustache Competition
It won Traver a commemorative gold pan and a salmon fishing trip.
It was a winning year all round for
the American hosts with second place going to Benjamin Juergens from
Los Angeles, for his Imperial Partial Beard, made up of a regal-looking
moustache and goatie.
While third place went to Jack Passion from San Francisco in the Natural Full Beard Category for his epic ginger cloud.
Winning by a whisker: David Traver of Anchorage won first place in the contest
Furry faces: Competition winners take centre stage in Anchorage, Alaska
Facial
hair in all forms, from the immense woolly mane of Albert Schmid from
Team Switzerland, to the vast lip antlers of Memili Ristioglu 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 moustache elite gathered from over 11 countries
for the ninth WBMC competition, which featured a variety of categories
from the delicate Dali moustache to side-burned mutton chops to the
outrageous full beard freestyle.
Pruned to perfection: Many of the beards were groomed into amusing styles - and these looked like they might take an eye out
Stately: British contender Ted Sedman (centre) twirls his moustache
Follically blessed: These bushy beards are some of the best
Keith Haubrich 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 eighth time with his 'facial
hair pretzel.'
Other teams included 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 hairy
portrayal of Tower Bridge.
Team Germany: Lutz Giasa, left, and Karl-Heinz Hiller, both of Berlin, flew themselves and their facial hair to Anchorage
Father Christmas style: Tim Slade, left, seems
proud of his Santa-like beard while, right, Bob Gengler would give
Harry Potter character Rebeus Hagrid a run for his money with his brown
bushy look
Snack break: Dick Lacey, left, and Jake Craig, right, both of London grab a sandwich ahead of the beardy parade
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, it's the ones that move the judges' spirit that triumph.
Lustrous line-up: Almost 300 contestants strutted their fuzz during the event