Vancouver Islanders sporting sleek scruffs and wild whiskers will face off in Nanaimo’s third annual beard contest this Saturday.
Judges will be taking measure of the best beards and moustaches during Beard-O-Rama, a competition and variety show that Dave Lawrence, organizer and That 50’s Barbershop owner, says people won’t forget.
It’s the third year of the event, dreamed up by Lawrence’s wife who was half-awake when she told her barber husband he should do a beard contest, listing off categories like best natural and best stylized. She didn’t remember telling him about the idea when he asked her about it later, but Lawrence was convinced.
The first event launched in 2015 and last year 25 bearded fellows squared off. Lawrence has added a new category for best female artistic beard along with classics like longest natural beard, best stylized beard and best overall. So far 10 people will compete, with the winner getting bragging rights and their name engraved into the beard cup, which gleams from a shelf at Lawrence’s Victoria Crescent barbershop. There will also be burlesque dancing, comedy and music at the event.
“It’s a show Nanaimo doesn’t see that often and I think when a show like this comes about you should come and check it out just for the novelty of it,” he said. “It’s not your traditional music show, it’s not your traditional burlesque show, not just stand-up comedy, but this crazy, infused breed of it all and there’s going to be all kinds of bizarre surprises and craziness.
“It’s just going to be a really fun night.”
Nanaimo’s Christopher Danko will return after winning best overall beard and best natural last year, his first time in the contest.
“I had a long beard … what else am I going to do with it, really?” he asked, laughing. “If there’s no competition, I just have a beard.”
He hasn’t shaved in at least three years and he admits his beard can get in the way – water from the fountain stops at his moustache and the facial hair can get stuck in his teeth. But he said he hates shaving.
He said it was nice to have the recognition of his beard last year.
“It’s the easiest competition that I’ve ever been in because you don’t really have to do anything but grow hair on your face,” he said.
Beard-O-Rama is at the Vault Café this Saturday (June 24) from 7-11 p.m. There’s free entry into the competition and registration is still open at www.that50sbarbershop.com. Tickets to attend the contest and show are $17 available at That 50’s Barbershop.
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