Contestants in this year’s International German Beard and Mustache Championship make Bert Reynold’s iconic ‘lip warmer’ look like puberty gone wrong.
On April 27, nearly 100 competitors went chin-to-chin in the German town of Pforzheim to showcase some of the world’s finest facial hair for their annual beard and moustache contest.
The fur-ocious participants competed in 18 categories, including “Dali-style,” “Imperial” and “Freestyle.” This year’s event marked the 26th year of competition.
But this tiny German town isn’t the only hub for the hirsute-inclined. In recent years the trend of ‘bearding’ has caught on around the world with pageant-like championships that include the European Beard And Mustache Championship and America’s own East Coast Beard and Mustache Championship.