World Beard And Moustache Championships Coming To Anchorage In 2009
Anchorage, Alaska – Nov. 28, 2005 – Hundreds of competitors vying to sport the world’s most impressive beards and moustaches will converge on Anchorage in four years. In March 2009, Anchorage will host the World Beard and Moustache Championships (WBMC).
The World Beard and Moustache Association awarded the championships to Anchorage following a bid process and vote of its members, according to association president Bruce Roe of Bremerton, Washington.
“Anchorage certainly impressed everyone with a fantastic presentation“, said Roe, “and it was very challenging for the competition.”
Lichtenstein, the only other competing bidder, withdrew after the presentations and ended up rallying behind Anchorage.
“There was tremendous support from the Anchorage community to host the WBMC in 2009,” Roe says. “And many people are excited to come to Alaska because it’s different and so incredibly beautiful.”
The biannual event was held in the United States only once before. That was two years ago in Carson City, Nevada.
Just last month, 243 contestants from 20 different countries competed in the WBMC, held in Berlin, Germany. Home team and perennial powerhouse Germany won the gold in 14 of the 17 categories. The most successful American was Lake Tahoe's Toot Joslin, who resembles the pistol-toting cartoon character, Yosemite Sam. Joslin took top honors in the sideburns category. Twenty-one year-old rookie, Jack Passion, finished third in the highly competitive full beard natural category. Other Americans who placed in several different categories include Jeff Well, third place, Dali; Bruce Roe, third place, Wild West; and Frank Madera, third place, Garibaldi.
Competitors can choose from several different categories. The moustache categories are Natural, English (narrow with long whiskers), Dali (narrow, curved upward), Handle (bushy, upward pointing ends), Wild West (large, bushy whiskers), Fu Manchu (ends long and pointing down), Imperial (whiskers growing from the cheeks, pointing upward) and Freestyle. For those preferring to grow goatees and other partial beards, the categories include Natural, Musketeer (small pointed goatee, separated from the moustache), Sideburns and Freestyle. The full beard category includes Natural, Full Beard, Styled Moustache, Garibaldi (the bottom is round integrated with the moustache), Verdi (bottom part of the beard is short and round; the moustache is prominent) and Freestyle.
This unique, whimsical event is open to everyone willing to support his or her country by sporting a beard or moustache. The Southcentral Alaska Beard & Moustache Club will serve as Anchorage’s host for the 2009 championships.
“It’s a big honor,” says David Traver, vice president of the Southcentral Alaska Beard & Moustache Club. “We’ve had a beard competition going on in Anchorage for about 54 years now, and we feel Anchorage is the perfect venue for this event.”
Anchorage is no stranger to quirky events, and is certainly familiar with facial hair competitions. For decades, Mr. Fur Face has been one of the highlights of the Miners and Trappers Ball during the winter Fur Rendezvous celebration. The 2009 WBMC is expected to draw big crowds not only locally, but internationally as well.
The next World Beard and Moustache Championships will take place on September 1, 2007, in Brighton, England, with London's Handlebar Club serving as host. Representatives from the Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau will attend the championships in London to help promote and generate enthusiasm for the WBMC in Anchorage in 2009.
The Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau’s mission is to attract and serve visitors to the Municipality of Anchorage. ACVB’s marketing functions are funded by half of the bed tax collected by the lodging association. The other half goes to the Municipality’s general fund. ACVB receives no state or federal funds. For more information, explore www.Anchorage.net
Media Contacts:
Laura Tanis
Public Relations Manager
Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau
ltanis@anchorage.net
(907) 257-2331 direct
(907) 250-5285 cell
(907) 222-3752 fax
Nance Larsen, APR
Vice President, Communications & Marketing Programs
Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau
nlarsen@anchorage.net
(907) 276-4118 direct
