November 20, 2023
Daytona Beach, Florida, was full of fun facial hair as contestants arrived for the 2023 Honest Amish National Beard and Moustache Championships on Friday, November 3, reports My Modern Met.
Photographer Elle Jaye was on hand to shoot the official portraits of those whose incredible beards, mustaches, and goatees enabled them to enter this year’s competition.
Participants could choose from a wide variety of categories and classes—including everything from neatly groomed facial hair to fantastical, crafted facial hair that uses creative materials to give the illusion of a beard or mustache.
But, by far, the freestyle category is where contestants really
Above, two of the freestyle contestants. (Photo source: Elle Jaye)
shine each year—as they use their natural hair to create incredible shapes. The final results are sculptural and demonstrate just how much you can do with a beard or mustache.
Jaye’s portraits capture the pride these contestants have for their facial hair. For many, it has taken years to perfect their looks and the satisfaction of what they’ve achieved is written all over their carefully groomed faces.
According to the official contest website, a Garibaldi beard is “wide and round at the bottom, and no more than 8 inches in length as measured from the bottom of the lower lip.” A natural appearance is preferred, and “the mustache may not be made distinct from the beard or styled.”
Research contact: @mymodernmet
