The Slanch Report

The crowds have been streaming in to Anchorage, Alaska for this weekend’s main event, the World Beard and Mustache Championships. This year over 100 entrants are expected from all corners of the globe; some of the biggest names involved this year include, “Elmar Weisser of Germany, two-time full beard freestyle world champion…Up-and-comer Gunnar Rosenquist of Sweden, whose super-gnome whiskers have propelled him through the ranks in the full beard natural category…[and] Austria’s Franz “Schani” Mitterhauser has won awards in the Beard Olympics, Superbeard, International German and European Championships.”

Phil Olsen, self-appointed captain of Beard Team USA though thinks that this is America’s year.  “The Germans have always dominated,” he admitted. “They invented the game, made the rules, defined the categories and hosted most of the championships. They’ve brought the art up to a much higher level than we’ve been able to. But my mission, for the past 10 years, has been to make the U.S. competitive, a powerhouse. We’ve got ’em now on our home turf. Beard Team USA is fired up. We’re expecting to do really well.”

The competition’s judges will evaluate beards and mustaches in 18 categories, “everything from Kaiser Wilhelm moustaches to goatees, sideburns and gigantic full formations woven into fanciful shapes that bring to mind illustrations in old fairy tale books.”

All the profits from the event will be donated to a local Alaskan charity, might I suggest Beards for Tots, providing youngsters who are unable to grow facial hair a way not stand out amongst their peers.

There are plenty of tickets still available and Anchorage is a short flight from anywhere (providing you are already in Siberia) so you should jump at the opportunity.

After the jump, join us at admiring some of our favorite beards that showed up to compete, and of course, there is a larger gallery that you can check out here.

[ADN]