Local man's beard so lush he turned it into a birdcage, by dreadnatty on Nov 12, 2015 2:31:28 GMT 1, Local man's beard so lush he turned it into a birdcage
www.coloradoan.com/story/life/2015/11/10/fort-collins-beard-competitor-catch-up/75529434/

Fort Collins beer and beard aficionado Eric Brooks first turned heads at a Colorado Avalanche game against the Washington Capitals in 2013. His shoulder-length beard — coiffed, sculpted and painted into an homage to the Capitals — caught the attention of news cameras. Soon he was a story.

Back then, beards were "a little less mainstream," Brooks said. Now he's seeing increased interest in the beard and mustache competitions he started frequenting in 2011. He's reading articles about the steady decline in sales of blades and razors (partly because of the popularity of beards and partly because of competition from services like the Dollar Shave Club).

The Traveler Beer Co., the official craft beer sponsor of the National Beard & Moustache Championship, paid for his recent trip to New York to present the winner of its sponsored contest at the championships in Brooklyn on Nov. 7.

The 26-year-old said his goal is eventually to lock down similar partnerships with promoters. In the meantime, he works at Verboten Brewing in Loveland and is adjusting to fatherhood. Since he hasn't shaved in four years, Brooks said his beard now reaches to his — um, well, we're all adults here, I guess — nipples. And with his 6-week-old baby daughter Madison tugging on it, he has to keep it knotted and out of the way most of the time.

But when it comes time for competition, he unleashes the beard. He recently competed in Boulder, where his beard design came in second place behind a former world champion from Germany. At the championship in Brooklyn, he unveiled a showstopping birdcage design created by hairstylist Adam Maclay, Brooks told TODAY.com.

The cage, a prop made using prosthetic hair matched to Brooks' chestnut brown shade, was placed over Brooks' head and attached to his beard.

"You know, it's a new trend," Brooks said of beards, "but for a lot of people, they've been doing it for years."

"It isn't going to go away (for them)," he said.

Brooks is also working with the Rocky Mountain Beard and Moustache Club to set up a big national beard and moustache competition next September. There will be another local competition at Hodi's Half Note in Fort Collins the first week in June.

Local man's beard so lush he turned it into a birdcage
www.coloradoan.com/story/life/2015/11/10/fort-collins-beard-competitor-catch-up/75529434/

Fort Collins beer and beard aficionado Eric Brooks first turned heads at a Colorado Avalanche game against the Washington Capitals in 2013. His shoulder-length beard — coiffed, sculpted and painted into an homage to the Capitals — caught the attention of news cameras. Soon he was a story.

Back then, beards were "a little less mainstream," Brooks said. Now he's seeing increased interest in the beard and mustache competitions he started frequenting in 2011. He's reading articles about the steady decline in sales of blades and razors (partly because of the popularity of beards and partly because of competition from services like the Dollar Shave Club).

The Traveler Beer Co., the official craft beer sponsor of the National Beard & Moustache Championship, paid for his recent trip to New York to present the winner of its sponsored contest at the championships in Brooklyn on Nov. 7.

The 26-year-old said his goal is eventually to lock down similar partnerships with promoters. In the meantime, he works at Verboten Brewing in Loveland and is adjusting to fatherhood. Since he hasn't shaved in four years, Brooks said his beard now reaches to his — um, well, we're all adults here, I guess — nipples. And with his 6-week-old baby daughter Madison tugging on it, he has to keep it knotted and out of the way most of the time.

But when it comes time for competition, he unleashes the beard. He recently competed in Boulder, where his beard design came in second place behind a former world champion from Germany. At the championship in Brooklyn, he unveiled a showstopping birdcage design created by hairstylist Adam Maclay, Brooks told TODAY.com.

The cage, a prop made using prosthetic hair matched to Brooks' chestnut brown shade, was placed over Brooks' head and attached to his beard.

"You know, it's a new trend," Brooks said of beards, "but for a lot of people, they've been doing it for years."

"It isn't going to go away (for them)," he said.

Brooks is also working with the Rocky Mountain Beard and Moustache Club to set up a big national beard and moustache competition next September. There will be another local competition at Hodi's Half Note in Fort Collins the first week in June.