Is there anything competitors do thats illegal, like a hirsute version of steroids?
Oh my god, is there! There are very specific rules about which categories permit the use of styling or grooming aids, including mustache waxes, hair gel, hair spray – and people have been caught using artificial styling aids in the categories where they’re prohibited. In 2003, one of the competitors qualified for one of the natural categories, then put mustache wax on. The judges didn’t notice until it was over and he’d won first place. When someone protested, there was a huge crisis. The judges did the diplomatic thing and awarded two gold medals. Q: Was that competitor then disgraced? A: In certain circles he was. But in others, he was secretly hailed as someone who made an important civil disobedience statement. The score Birth date: Feb. 7, 1949, in Palo Alto, Calif. Grown to the max: Phil has had his beard for eight years, but it stopped growing after two. Eich bin beard Berliner: At the 2005 World Beard and Mustache Championships in Berlin, out of 17 competitive categories, Germa
