Beards face off in playful contest

In the midst of No-Shave November, bearded and moustached aficionados gathered to compete for the title of best facial hair at Duel Brewery Friday night.

Gentlemen and gentlewomen strutted their facial manes in front of the judges and crowd. Competition was fierce, but only one could claim the prize.

The contest, organized by Christopher Isonhood, consisted of seven categories, including: “natural beard under six inches,” “natural beard over six inches,” “natural moustache,” “styled moustache,” “women’s beard,” “women’s moustache” and of course the eclectic “styled beard.” Other categories were “baby beard,” which consisted of new growth under an inch, and the “partial beard,” which falls somewhere in the realm of Joe Dirt, sporadic and patchy.

Event host Audrey Harper spoke to the deeper meaning of the event.

The group gathered “together to support each other’s beards, but they also want to do something for the community,” she said. “It’s a lot of fun.”

The event began when Isonhood decided he wanted to start a competition to have some fun with some of the local hair growth groups, Harper said.

All funds raised from the shenanigans of well-groomed follicles and well-crafted beers were donated to the Barrett Foundation, a charity that provides homeless women and children with shelter and supportive services.

There is a misconception of a bearded guy being a grizzly man full of angst and anger, Isonhood said.

“We want to get that changed by having beard and moustache competitions for charity,” he said. “One of the reasons we picked the Barrett Foundation is because it is a...charity that helps homeless women and children. So I feel like they counteract the idea of the angry agro-man, with supporting a charity for women and children.”

Beard growing is about more than the aesthetic outward appearance, Isonhood said.

“My personal motto is, I believe in the inner beard more than anything. You know, keep the inner beard strong,” he said.

Alison Luttrell is a culture reporter with the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Luttrell_Ali.