Most recently held in Berlin, Germany in October of 2005, the World Beard and Moustache Championships is described as the anti-Olympics, with no “qualifying tournaments, strict drug regulations, [or] gender testing.” With competition categories including “Natural,” “Imperial,” “Wild West,” and the crowd-favorite “Freestyle,” the WBMC also holds regional events, including a New York event at The Knitting Factory in May that we ignorantly missed, despite attendance by up-and-coming beard contender Jack Passion.

Should you want to gaze on majesty past, the WBMC has a gallery of winners, while the web site for the upcoming film Splitting Hairs includes video clips showing some examples of the dominant styles. You can also follow the adventures of Beard Team USA on their blog, written by the copyright-sensitive, self-appointed team leader, Phil Olsen, as he chronicles Team USA’s fight to the next World Beard and Moustache Championship to be held in Brighton, England on September 1st, 2007 (hosted by The Handlebar Club).