Tim Tweed and Peter Beauchamp have created so many pristine beards in Penticton they decided it was time for the facial hair to go face-to-face in direct competition.
“We decided because the two of us were creating so many of these amazing looking beards around town that we would have a beard competition,” said Beauchamp, co-organizer of the Okanagan Beard Festival and owner of Okanoggin Barbers in Penticton.
The first of four rounds of the Okanagan Beard Festival took place at the Cannery Brewing Feb. 15 with a registration event selecting 60 of the Okanagan’s best beards vying for the top spot.
Tweed is the owner of Splendid Bastard Beard Supply which provides Penticton with locally made beard-care products.
“(Beauchamp) is the best barber in town and I make beard-grooming products so it was natural mash up,” Tweed said.
The 10-week competition features beards of all different shapes and sizes. Beard growers are competing in 12 categories including longest beard, thickest beard, best mustache/goatee combination, most original beard and best of show.
“We got young guys, we’ve got old guys, we’ve got all types. It’s looking good,” Tweed said.
The winners of each category will have their beard featured in a calendar. The calendar will be sold as a fundraiser for Movember and part of the proceeds from the four events will go towards Discovery House Penticton, an addiction treatment and recovery centre for men.
The first round of judging took place at Cannery Brewing Monday night, with beards getting measured and attendees casting their people’s choice vote.
The panel of three judges, who will be at each event, includes Jason Cox, president of the Penticton and Wine Country Chamber of Commerce, April Valentine, a local hairdresser, Ed Schnieder from Many Hats Theatre and the celebrity guest judge Monday was Anthony Brodeur, goaltender for the Penticton Vees.
There will be a surprise guest judge at each event. The next beard-off takes place at the Copper Mug Pub in March, followed by another round at the Barking Parrot and the festival returns to the Cannery for the final event.
“We get to showcase the guys we helped make look good,” Beauchamp said.