Hirsute locals literally faced off at the Minnesota Beard-Off.
Men with handlebar mustaches, muttonchops or beards and at least one Paul Bunyan lookalike (complete with ax) gathered at the Turf Club in St. Paul to see who was the hairiest of them all.
The event, in its second year, was created by Art Allen, who wanted to do a "funny thing" by crowning the "beardliest man or woman in Minnesota." (There's a "freestyle" category in which women can fashion their own form of facial hair.) More than 250 people showed up for the inaugural event.
While Allen may have been surprised by how popular the event has been, he understands the appeal of facial hair. He's been wearing a beard off and on since he turned 14. "I prefer the way my face looks in it," he said, "and I feel less guarded."
Minneapolis-based photographer Brandon Werth is a more recent convert. Werth, who attended the 2010 gathering as a clean-shaven observer, was inspired by the beard-off to part ways with his razor. "I didn't realize how much power the beard had," he said, behind a full face of fur. "Yet, we haven't had a president with a beard in over 100 years."
Having a beard has changed more than Werth's look. "Life changes completely -- the way you shower, the way you eat, the way you interact with people," he said. His biggest challenge has been eating buffalo chicken wings. "It's like a little kid putting his face into a cake, except it's sauce and meat instead of cake and frosting. It's that fun, too."
