Mr. Fur Face
historyThe Fur Rondy festival has been held in Anchorage, Alaska during the late winter since 1950. It has been a time when trappers and other residents would gather to share stories, sell their furs and antlers, and to socialize. The Miners and Trappers Ball has always been a highlight of the Rondy festivities and one of the main events of the Ball is the Mr. Fur Face beard contest.
The next Mr. Fur Face contest will be on Saturday, March 7, 2009.
Contest
The »Mr. Fur Face Contest continues today as one of the longest running beard contests in America. This year will be the 59th consecutive year that the contest has been held. Contestants vie for the title in categories such as:
- Mr. Brown Bear - Brown Beard
- Mr. Honey Bear - Blonde Beard
- Mr. Black Bear - Black Beard
- Mr. Polar Bear - White Beard
- Mr. Pole Cat - Mixed Color Beard
- Mr. Red Fox - Red Beard
- Mr. or Ms. Ptarmigan - Anything goes, even being a woman!
- Mr. Mountain Goat - Goatee
- Mr. Soupstrainer - Moustache
- Mr. Wolf - short, trimmed beard
The categories are based primarily on facial hair color, but categories exist for Moustaches, for close shaven beards, and for Goatees as well. Three judges choose the winner, but ladies from the audience, affectionately known as the "beard fondlers", are eager to assist in choosing the champion. Each category has a winner and the overall title of Mr. Fur Face is given to the grand champion chosen from the best in each group.
Past Champions
If a contestant wins the Overall Title as Mr. Fur Face»http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2007/jan/30/image/chi-0701300020jan30 for three out of five years, then he is able to retire the main trophy and, in doing so, often retires from competing himself. Multiple year winners gain a folklorish type following among many Alaskans. The legendary champions of the contest include David Traver (4X), Robert Crawford (4X), Jim Fisher (4X), John Pex (3X), Earl Carson (3X), Larry Smith (3X), and Warren Kolb (3X).
The newly crowned Mr. Fur Face also becomes the next president of the South Central Alaska Beard and Moustache Club, if he accepts the nomination. If he chooses not to take over the reins of the club, then SCAKBMC members of vote for a new president as directed by the club bylaws.»http://www.akbeardclub.com/clubbylawsandcha.html
Three SCAKBMC club members have competed in the previous World Beard and Moustache Championships in Carson City, Nevada (2003), Berlin, Germany (2005), and Brighton, England (2007).
Sponsors
The Miners and Trappers Ball and the Mr. Fur Face contest are put on by volunteers from local Lions Clubs, the SCAKBMC, and other interested parties. All net proceeds from the event go to the charities of the Lions Clubs.
- »Alaska Lions Clubs
- »Miners and Trappers, Inc
- »South Central AK Beard and Moustache Club
- »Anchorage Fur Rendezvous