For the last decade, a competition has been hunting for the best beard and moustache in West Vic - and that includes facial hair that’s been crocheted or converted into a running gold mine.
Image: Lachy Phyland of media provided
❓What happened: As part of the Heritage Festival in Ballarat, Hop Temple hosted the 10th annual Ballarat Beard & Stache Competition on May 23rd. The competition has six categories:
Full beard natural: 20 centimetres to infinity
Full beard natural: 10 to 20 centimetres
Verdi: short beard under 10 with a moustache
Moustache
Partial beard
Just for fun freestyle
👥 What people said: Jake Warren works as an operating theatre technician, but he’s also the event organiser and co-founder of the Ballarat Beard & Moustache Union (BBMU) alongside Brayden Dorney. It was the City of Ballarat that approached the BBMU a decade ago to participate in the Heritage Festival Weekend.
He told the Brolga the competition is nationally renowned, with each category featuring an entrant from another state.
🗣️: “We love the community we’ve formed”, said Warren. “Competitors come from all over the state and country. We love how many people get together and have fun”.
Image: Lachy Phyland of media provided
Beard beginnings: The BBMU was founded in reaction to several clubs popping up around the country. Some of the beards reach lengths over a metre, and the annual competition creates a ripe platform for creativity.
“We saw a bunch of cool clubs around Australia and the world, so we were just a couple of guys feeling inspired,” Warren said. “So we started growing beards.”
“Last year, we had a guy enter the freestyle category with a running gold mine in his beard. It had a pump, running water and a mine.”
Image: Lachy Phyland of media provided
This year, a couple crocheted their own connected beards.
“We had a repeat competitor crochet a new style of beard. She got her partner up and it was sort of like Avatar - connected.”
Image: Lachy Phyland of media provided
Moustache mates: Warren said the competition is both good fun and an accepting place for all.
🗣️: “People love how inclusive it is, it’s so many different sorts of people getting together. Doesn’t matter if it’s a big beard, small beard, male, female.”
“It’s a perfect setting to get out of your comfort zone and make new friends.”
The victors: Have a look at the full list of winners below!
Full Beard 20cm to Infinity
🥇 1st — Luke Sizeland
🥈 2nd — Kees Webster
🥉 3rd — Justin Magnay
Partial Beard
🥇 1st — Kevin Blanks
🥈 2nd — David Jenkins
🥉 3rd — Kenneth Galvin
Verdi
🥇 1st — William Johnson
🥈 2nd — Santa Claus
🥉 3rd — James Costigan
Full Beard 10cm–20cm
🥇 1st — Neale Postlethwaite
🥈 2nd — Jamie Johnson
🥉 3rd — Cam McAdie
Moustache
🥇 1st — Robert Hunt
🥈 2nd — Ian Oswin
🥉 3rd — Troy Hart
Freestyle
🥇 1st — Gary Moyle
🥈 2nd — Kelly Maynard
🥉 3rd — Ollie Dorney and Harry Warren
People’s Champion
Shu Brown
Image: Lachy Phyland of media provided