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Marvel at the National Beard and Moustache Championship competitors

This is a big hairy deal.

Gael Cooper
CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of "Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the '70s and '80s," as well as "The Totally Sweet '90s." She's been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She's Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she'll be first in line.
Gael Cooper
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1 of 43 Greg Anderson

Curling

Hundreds of competitors showed off their facial-hair skills at the 2019 National Beard and Moustache Championships this November in the Chicago area. Beard, mustaches and sideburns were on display in more than 50 categories, from surreal to stylish.

Here's Jason Kiley, who won Full Beard Freestyle at this year's National Championship.

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2 of 43 Greg Anderson

Batter up!

Stephen Casper won second place in Natural Sideburns. 

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3 of 43 Greg Anderson

Play ball

Chad Waggoner took second place in the Handlebar Moustache category.

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4 of 43 Greg Anderson

Impressive

MJ Johnson has won at the national championships four times in the past, but now serves as an organizer and a judge.

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5 of 43 Greg Anderson

Peacock style

The competitor who goes by Moustache Battista won first place in Freestyle Moustache. You may have seen him on American Ninja Warrior.

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6 of 43 Greg Anderson

Smokin'

The competitor who goes by Gandhi Jones is a multiple World Freestyle Moustache Champion and a multiple National Beard and Moustache Champion.

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7 of 43 Greg Anderson

Looking back

Gandhi Jones shaves a moustache on the back of his head and walks around the contest backwards, never breaking character.

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8 of 43 Greg Anderson

Skeleton crew

Jimmy Story and Mamie Johnson wore matching outfits, but they must compete separately. Women compete in Craft Beard categories which allows competitors to create beards out of anything they want, from bottle caps to bacon and beyond.

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9 of 43 Greg Anderson

Creative contestant

Anthony Carty won first place in Partial Beard Freestyle.

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10 of 43 Greg Anderson

New look

Anthony Carty again, with a very different look.

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11 of 43 Greg Anderson

Look familiar?

The contestant who goes by Spikey Mike showed off his "Silent Bob" look, resembling filmmaker Kevin Smith's movie character. Yep, his beard spikes shoot through his earlobes. He took third Place in Partial Beard Freestyle.

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12 of 43 Greg Anderson

Keepin' it real

Natali Johnston won first Place in Realistic Moustache, Craft Beard Category. She's one of the winningest women ever in the Craft Beard categories.

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13 of 43 Greg Anderson

Not easy being green

John Banks won third Place in Full Beard Freestyle.

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14 of 43 Greg Anderson

Purple reign

Dennis Gregory won first Place in the Groomed Beard Under 3 Inches category.

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15 of 43 Greg Anderson

Timber!

Addison Anderson in lumberjack garb.

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16 of 43 Greg Anderson

Two of a kind

Good friends Jason Kiley, left, took first place, and Joseph Farrell took second in Full Beard Freestyle.

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17 of 43 Greg Anderson

Fancy

Dan Lawlor is a multiple National Beard and Moustache Champion and a multiple World Beard and Moustache Champion.

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18 of 43 Greg Anderson

Elegance

First-time competitor Narinder Sabherwal took third place in the Full Beard Styled Moustache category.

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19 of 43 Greg Anderson

The eyes have it

Mark Byrnes took first place in the Full Beard Styled Moustache category

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20 of 43 Greg Anderson

Strike a pose

Bobb Burns in a Superman pose.

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21 of 43 Greg Anderson

Color my world

Wilbur Bogan sports a stylish beard and equally stylish jacket.

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22 of 43 Greg Anderson

Hypnotizing eyes

Mark Brzeszkiewicz's beard is impressive, but check out those eyes.

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23 of 43 Greg Anderson

Drink up

Miranda Faulkner competed in the Craft Beard category, Creative Moustache.

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24 of 43 Greg Anderson

Blast from the past

Josh Grinthorr Druin, Patrick Fette, Eric Simpson, Keith Brown and Jason T. Hall are all members of The Derby City Whisker Club in Louisville, Kentucky.

Judge MJ Johnson says, "They raided a local costume shop and all bought pirate outfits just for the competition and showed up looking like this!"

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25 of 43 Greg Anderson

Eye see you

Jonny Dingo knows how to pull off a look.

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26 of 43 Greg Anderson

Don't forget the Motor City

Timothy Shawn represents for Detroit.

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27 of 43 Greg Anderson

Redheads

Sean Logie and Ryan Lammey -- the red beards.

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28 of 43 Greg Anderson

You've got the look

Justin Meler's moustache and  cascading beard.

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29 of 43 Greg Anderson

Luck o' the Irish

Is it St. Patrick's Day already?

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30 of 43 Greg Anderson

First class

This competitor pulled off a very formal look.

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31 of 43 Greg Anderson

Hopping in

Judge and organizer MJ Johnson photobombs competitor John Banks. 

"I've never jumped into anyone else's photoshoot before," Johnson said. "I could tell John had a serious look on his face so, that combined with his gigantic green mohawk made me think 'rabbit ears' would be perfectly ridiculous."

Banks didn't seem to mind, writing on Facebook that this "has to be one of my favorite pics of the weekend."

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32 of 43 Greg Anderson

Lacy look

Sommer Hibbler's elegant black-lace look.

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33 of 43 Greg Anderson

Copper contraption

Now this is impressive.

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34 of 43 Greg Anderson

Gotta wear shades

Tyler Hill took second place in the Donegal category. The "Donegal" beard became famous when worn by President Abraham Lincoln.

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35 of 43 Greg Anderson

Gang of four

These contestants were the top four finishers in the Natural Goatee Wide Over 18 Inches category.

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36 of 43 Greg Anderson

Handling things

Jono Gross took third place in the Handlebar Moustache category.

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37 of 43 Greg Anderson

Surreal look

Nathan Wilson took first place in the Dalí Moustache category. World-renowned Surrealist painter Salvador Dalí sported one of the most famous mustaches in the world.

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38 of 43 Greg Anderson

Jolly old England

Patrick Fette took first place in the English Moustache category. He's also a World English Moustache Champion.

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39 of 43 Greg Anderson

Blue ribbon

The competitor who uses the name Snidley Wildstache won first Place in the Natural Moustache category.

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40 of 43 Greg Anderson

Very sharp

Stephen Eldorado knows how to come to the point.

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41 of 43 Greg Anderson

Close shave

Joel Troncoso won the 5'O Clock Shadow category. Contestants shave in the morning and are judged around 5 p.m. that same day to see how much facial hair they've been able to grow in that time period.

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42 of 43 Greg Anderson

Double take

Allen Eckert's impressive two-tone look.

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43 of 43 Greg Anderson

Badger State brotherhood

Jason Kiley, Walter Cnare and Ryan Lammey are all from Wisconsin, and all placed in their respective categories.

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