Modern society is entertain an Age of the Beard. Hipsters, athletes, family men and business men are all rocking facial hair. To honor this obsession, on October 25, 2014, the annual World Beard and Moustache Championships were held in Portland, OR. Men with artful facial hair competed to be crowned and to have their luxurious face locks celebrated the world over.
The competition goes beyond just having hair on your face; competition organizer Phil Olsen explained in an interview that they’re looking for the facial hair that “best enhances their overall appearance, style and personality.” The competition includes, besides beards and mustaches, a considerable amount of pageantry.
And these guys have plenty of style and personality. Besides their mighty beards, these gentlemen have style for days. Check out their outfits–if you can take your eyes off the beards, that is.
Toot Joslin
This formidable muttonchop ‘do means there’s a new sheriff in town.
Unidentified
No one caught his name, but he’s still quite dashing.
Jeff Well
A Dali-esque waxed ‘stache cuts down on drag.
Unidentified
This gentleman would have given his name, but he’s working as a spy in an alternate universe Victorian London, and really can’t be too careful.
Jeff Vidouck
This is Mr. Vidouck’s reaction when you ask if he needs a scarf.
Taylor McKibben
This glorious two-tone affair is perfectly offset by Mr.McKibben’s fur coat.
Luke Shuler
Mr. Shuler is a rebel, plain and simple.
Unidentified
Whenever the contestants are not identified, I like to think there’s a very serious reason behind it. This contestant is obviously a dignitary who must keep his identity under wraps for world safety reasons.
Unidentified
Whoever he is, he seems to be a World Beard and Moustache Championships veteran.
Charles Hazleton
Guess where the source of his power lies.
Burke Kenny
Mr. Kenny’s beard and mustache are a classy mix of modern and traditional.
Kevin Riordan
When he’s not competing, Mr. Riordan can be found lasso’ing small animals.
Craig Bishop
This happy chap goes for volume, not length.
M.J. Johnson
We don’t question Mr. Johnson. We just…don’t.
Aaron Calihan
Mr. Calihan knows the importance of accessorizing, and strikes a notable balance of manly and dainty.
Kevin Graybill
Channeling historical figures is encouraged.
Unidentified
This vision in lavender knows how important color coordination is.
Stefan Rasile
Don’t make Mr. Rasile angry. His beard will get you.
Jordan Dauby
Mr. Dauby channeled some American Gothic for his look.
This year’s competition was a bit rushed, according to Oregon Live, and saw about 300 contestants and 18 categories. Contestants came from 30 U.S. States and territories and nine foreign countries. I don’t think we’d be able to judge any of these guys. To us, they and their facial hair are all winners.
