Bearded life not an easy one, say contestants at facial hair contest

DESPITE the hirsute hype that has accompanied the hipster trend of recent years, despite decades of goatees waxing and waning in popularity, and despite the ebb and flow of men's facial hair trends, it can still be tough getting through life with a beard.
Many a bearded man – especially those with the most exotic and lengthy kinds of facial hair – will tell anyone who asks that one of the biggest issues in daily life is gaining acceptance in polite society.
Next comes upkeep of the facial hair.
However, an inability to blend in was hardly a factor for the bearded this weekend in Leogang, Austria, where the 12th biennial World Beard and Moustache Championships were carried out.
You bordered on being an outsider in this Alpine town if you didn't have a beard or moustache.
The other challenge – keeping the beard properly groomed – was clearly front and centre as the contestants showed off.
MJ Johnson founded the Minneapolis Beard and Moustache Club in the Minnesota metropolis to win facial hair acceptance in the workplace.
"I've always thought it is a really big deal," said Johnson, who was taking part in his second world championship after finishing second in the Partial Beard Imperial in 2013.
"Whatever somebody does, if you're clean-shaven, that's great.
"But if you have a beard, that's great too. You're probably just as good one way or the other. You should be able to wear a beard if you keep it well."
Johnson's competitive beard – which is essentially his sideburns grown out and puffed up and curled upwards - is quite a labour of love.
"It takes a couple of hours. You have to blow it out and meet all the shaving requirements, and then it looks awful for a really long time until it comes together," said Johnson, who did not want to offer too many secrets.
But Johnson did say he wears his beard in this way every seven to 10 days so that he can "stay in practise" in forming the beard.
Usually the wine and beer seller wears facial hair as a full beard, or his wife will braid it so that two wild stallion tails come from his face.
"Not ponytails," he urged.
Fellow American Jared "Mac" MacDonald from Austin, Texas agreed that wearing a beard is still not fully accepted.
"You still get judgement from a lot of places – you need to be clean-shaven to be acceptable in society.
A lot of people have to shave for jobs, and that's always sad to hear," said MacDonald, who was competing in his second world championship in Partial Beard Natural.
"But you still get plenty of compliments, people asking for pictures and telling you that's a cool beard. The women all want to braid it. So, overall, it's positive, but there's plenty of judgement thrown your way."
MacDonald said maintaining his beard – a long, thick massive beard starting midway down the sides of his face – is "labour intensive".
"I used to ride a motorcycle exclusively and I had to tie that up every day because otherwise it is in the face. But otherwise I just wear it naturally open."
MacDonald doesn't need hours in the bathroom getting ready for work, but he did admit: "You think you should just cut this thing off pretty much every day."
Mike Donner has not cut his beard in about 15 years. The Austrian contestant in Full Beard Natural admits that his long, thin beard would constantly be in the way if he did not roll it up.
"I wouldn't be able to open a beer, or a jar of honey, really. I could not operate on a daily basis with it open," said Donner, who needs about 30 seconds to roll up his 1.2 meter long beard.
Norwegian Einar Eilertsen still has a ways to have a beard that long, especially after cutting his about three years ago.
"I had a full beard, but I cut it off, and I've regretted it ever since. So I had to let it grow out again. I just love it," said Eilertsen, who was competing in his first world championship in Full Beard Natural.
"It keeps me warm in the winter and we do have cold winters in Norway."
Eilertsen said he usually needs about 15-20 minutes to get his beard ready in the morning, but that preparing for a competition like this would take more like 30-45 minutes.
Eilertsen said beards are more accepted in the "hipster" community, but says he faces regular hassles from the people around him.
"My parents don't like it and my friends always say I should shave. But my girlfriend likes it and I like it," said Eilertsen, who has been growing his beard for about a year and a half. It measures about 15 centimetres in length.
"It's going to get bigger. I just look forward to letting it grow because it's a pain to shave." –dpa