It turns out you did not have to be male to compete in the 3rd Annual Beard and Mustache Contest on the Christiansted boardwalk Saturday. Heck, you didn’t even have to be human.
Presented by Krewe de Croix in association with Beard Team USA and Big Beard’s Adventure Tours, the contest drew 24 participants ranging in age from 23 to 73, showing off their beards and mustaches in seven categories. The hairy bunch hailed from as far away as McMinnville, Oregon, even Berlin.
The theme this year was “Rock N’ Roll Is Here To Stay” and many brought their fake guitars as part of the wardrobe. Spirits were high as the contestants were judged on their creativity, costumes, appearance and growth of the facial hair.
Characters of all kinds strutted their stuff on the boardwalk as the beard and mustache parade marched from Angry Nate’s restaurant to the Brew Pub collecting free drinks at every stop.
There was a dog dressed like Abraham Lincoln, a man in a tuxedo T-shirt wearing a sign selling mustache rides for 50 cents, another man resembling the Monopoly board game tycoon, a bearded biker riding his Harley, two women with fake facial hair, dressed in prom dresses and wearing tiaras, a German man in Chinese garb and a Fu Manchu mustache, and a dancing guy in overalls from North Carolina.
“Germans are the powerhouse in these competitions,” said Dennis Dickerson, who has competed in international beard and mustache contests.
Dickerson allowed that the Germans have an advantage. “If you want a good beard the key is to drink a lot of beer and eat a lot of sausage,” he said.
The task was up to three judges to separate the contestants in to their proper categories. Flirting with the judges, apparently, was also a major key to victory.
“There are lots of good beards, but it’s totally about kissin’ (butt),” said Peter “Dancing Beard” Flint, 28, from North Carolina. True to form, he dropped his bandana — in order to bend over and pick it up in front of the judges.
“It’s just fun and each year it gets better,” said Marion Hazlewood, who was judging the competition for the second year. “I’m seeing some of the same guys I saw three years ago and now their hair is even longer. They really put in an effort.”
The Full Beard Long winner was Flint, who won a half-day Buck Island tour courtesy of Big Beard’s Adventure Tours. He will also be competing in the Southeastern Regional competition three weeks from now in Charleston, S.C.
The Full Beard Short winner was Wes Toronto, 63, who won a half-day Buck Island tour.
The Full Beard Free-Style award went to brothers Brent, 70, and Kirk Williams, 67, who took home the prize of a case of beer sponsored by Dos Equis.
The Partial Real Beard winner was Ken Ullrich, 62, of North Carolina, who won a half-day tour of Buck Island.
In the mustache category, Dr. Detleff Steinhofel, 62, of Germany won first place and took home the full-day tour of Buck Island prize. Steinhofel was ranked No. 2 in the World Beard and Mustache Championships in Anchorage for his Fu Manchu in 2009 and will compete again in the championship later this year in Trondheim, Norway.
Ginger Williams of Oregon won the Artificial Partial Facial Hair award. Her friend Jeanette Lorenzen won the Artificial Mustache category.
The Artificial Full Beard award went to Goliath the dog, dressed up as Abraham Lincoln in honor of Presidents Day this month. This is Goliath’s first beard competition according to owner Michael Dance, but he has participated many other Krewe de Croix events.
Finally, in the newest category, Let It Grow, in which contestants only had three weeks to grow their beards, Bill Schultz, 68, won and received a bottle of Captain Morgan.
“Everybody was so great. It was very hard, especially with the real beards,” said Sunni Benoit, chief judge of the contest.
Every participant won a miniature trophy. “Our policy is, if you have facial hair, you’re a winner!" said Dickerson.
