The Competitive Spirit: Beards and Beasts

Every human being is at least a wee bit competitive--it's in our nature to rank, rate and judge.  Many folks get their competition-related jollies through sporting events (if not through participation then by proxy), but some prefer to leverage other achievements and talents in the quest for recognition.  There's something thrilling about watching people compete, and as an enthusiast of the strange, I get way--WAY--too into weird contests.  I'll take World's Strongest Man over the Super Bowl *any day*, pals.

With pro beardsman Jack Passion

In addition to my passion for oddball sporting events, I really get enthusiastic about events that focus on off-beat aesthetics. Few groups manage to blend sincere devotion with a quirky sense of humor the way the professional beardsman scene does.  I'm a devoted fan of IFC's "Whisker Wars," a teevee show that celebrates the personalities behind the impressive facial plumage, so there was no way I was going to miss the New York City Beard Competition that took place in Brooklyn on December 3rd.  There's a real beauty to people who own their eccentricity, and the men behind the beards let their wonderful strangeness flourish.  Wizard beards, Viking beards, Tyrolean beards, and good old fashioned Hillbilly beards were all present, and it was fascinating to watch the entrants eye up and appreciate one another's facial hair.  One of the more controversial figures on the bearding scene is Jack Passion, a man whose luxurious red beard and gentlemanly persona have nabbed him a number of product endorsement deals.  His portrayal as the villain on "Whisker Wars" made him a favorite in the Tenebrous Household, and I'm here to report that he's an absolutely charming individual who's extremely patient with fans (The Baron and I even overcame our icy Northern European natures and let him initiate a group hug).

Photo by elaynam - original here

Followers of this blog will remember the Carnivorous Nights Taxidermy Contest from years past.  Each year, I see something that my brain wants to say is THE COOLEST THING IN THE WORLD, and this year's entrants were no exception.  It was even more magical to experience the competition with my friend ElaynaM of the food blog Open Mouth, Insert Cookie, who was a first-timer.  The photographs she took do a lot to convey the beauty and grotesquery on display.

The headhunter baboon riding on a rottweiler (complete with a basket of real human bones) was entered by Ryan Matthews of Discovery Channel's "Oddities."  All the pieces used to create the tableau are from his extensive and impressive collection, assembled into one jaw-dropping piece.  This thing has been haunting my dreams for a week now.  Another "Oddities" entry--and ultimately winner of the competition--was Mike Zohn's beer-dispensing coyote with monkey torturer:

Photo by elaynam - original here

Coney Island's favorite rogue taxidermist, Takeshi Yamada, entered with another mythical creature--this time venturing into New Jersey's Pine Barrens to nab this rarely-seen specimen of the Jersey Devil:

Photo by elaynam - original here

Found fur and ethically-obtained specimens were popular among entrants who created their own mounts.  Blasko was created from fur scraps and mounted on a Halloween dancing animatronic that played Michael Jackson's "Thriller" from a speaker near his butt:

photo by elaynam - original here

Perhaps the most unusual specimen was this "vegan taxidermy" deer creature, created from grasses and plants harvested around the New York City area:

photo by elaynam - original here

Click here to see all of ElaynaM's photos from the Carnivorous Nights Taxidermy Contest.