The Beardsman Growers Gazette

Bay of Beards 2011 contest update: Winners and Thanks!

2011-10-03T00:45:00.000-04:00

2011 Best in Show trophy

After months of planning, hundreds of hours and dollarsspent, this year's 2011, third annual Bay of Beardscontest is over. It was a wild ride this year for sure. With six majorcategories of judging, and over fifty competitors, 90 degree Florida heat, 300 attendees, and lots andlots of beer we have an amazing collection of winners. The Bay of Beard fundraiser raised $1810 forNational Health Care for the Homeless Council. I couldn't be more pleased, andI want to quickly thank everyone who made it possible, the competitors, and thespectators.

Special Thanks go to my crew here at Beardsman.com: Jocelyn Nunez and Yvonne Rygiel, responsible for our amazing trophies this year and years past. Justin Brecese, Chris Denny, and Morgan Gall for being best buds and wonderful judges. Without any one of these people, the Bay of Beards events would fall to pieces. Andrew Kovanis, Dylan Williams, Steve Mutschler, and Mindy Ecob our event volunteers (planned or impromptu). Last, but not least The Dunedin Brewery for hosting our fine event.

The Winner's Circle

Best overall Beard

- Jonathan Rice

Longest Beard

1st Place-Joe Drummer @ 23"

2nd Place- Jonathan Rice @ 21"

3rd Place- Mark Drizd @ 17.5"

Full Beard

1st Place- Jon Rice

2nd Place- Dewey Miller

3rd Place- Mark Drizd

Freestyle Beard

1st Place- Austin Buchanan

2nd Place- Brandon Wagner

3rd Place- Mike Sullivan

Partial Beard

1st Place- Jonathan Howle (spelling?)

2nd Place- Richard Sidney

3rd Place- Nick Nineth

Moustaches

1st Place- Michael Johnson

2nd Place- Zak Kuhn

3rd Place- Richard Sydney

Thanks to our sponsors this year: The Dunedin Brewery, Beardsman.com,Tampa Bay Rays, Citrus, Classic Tattoos, Blue Beards Original, Forever Tattoo, Greek City,Jimmy Johns, Trek Bicycles, MAC Cosmetics Countryside Mall, Emerald CityComics, and Tampa Bay Derby Darlins.

Thanks,

Austin -

Bay of Beards 2011!!! September 24th

2011-08-06T00:12:00.005-04:00

Hello, Beardsman! It's been a very long time since I have done an update. Life has taken some very strange twists and turns lately, but not away from the main reason I do this damn thing.

I am incredibly pleased to let you know that the Third Annual Bay of Beards beard and moustache contest is coming to Florida once again! Saturday, September 24th at the Dunedin Brewery we will have our night! I just finished the new B.O.B. site the other night so be sure to check it out. It came out great, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Bay of Beards Link. Please let me know what you think.

More information is coming in the next couple weeks, so stay tuned!

Thanks for the continued support,

Austin

Product Review

2010-05-31T22:52:00.005-04:00

When I was first contacted by Bluebeards Original to review their products for Beardsman, I remember being very skeptical of a “beard shampoo and condition”. It seemed almost hokey, and to be a cheap marketing tactic. Needless to say I kind of had it out for them from the get go, but I was very interested to see and more importantly feel the difference.

The thing that I was most skeptical about was the “Beard Wash” shampoo. I don’t by any means have a brutal beard, but it does pose some of the usual problems including tangles, rough texture, and the inevitable shedding. After the first several days I noticed a pretty big difference in the texture and especially the cleanliness of my beard. The smell is a faint natural lime scent that truly is wonderful and I’m sure to be a positive change for the cuddle buddy in your life. My girlfriend loves it.

Bluebeards Original advertises that the Beard Wash is less harsh than other, more chemical based shampoos for your head hair. Their all natural ingredients maintain a great clean without those chemicals leaving not just your beard, but your face feeling very clean.

The only real “cons” of the product is the miniature size bottle that it comes in, even though, your only really needing about a nickel sized squirt to get the job done.

Next to try out was the “Beard Saver”. Made with the same natural ingredients and lime scent of the Beard Wash, the Beard Saver leave-in conditioner is really an awesome product. Right after the first application I noticed a drastic physical change in my beards texture. It made my beard have a soft, more “hair-like” feel. Combing through my beard with the Beard Saver in it made for fewer tangles. After about a week of daily applications I noticed that my beard was starting to shed a lot less as well. The overall feel was just a healthy and vibrant man-scape. I was genuinely surprised by the product and have been recommending it to close friends who have way more gnarly beards than I do to try it out. It’s worth it.

Bluebeards Original Duo is $36.00

Beard Wash alone is $14.00

Beard Saver alone is $24.00

As a cheap dude that’s not a great price, but it is a fair amount of product for the price. I have been using both products almost every day for over a month and have about 50% of it left. Being made in the USA and from all natural products it’s a reasonable price for a higher end hair care product.

Bottom Line: This is a solid product that I recommend for the pros or for the everyday beard wearer. It made my beard feel awesome, look fuller, and smell amazing.

For more information and details about Bluebeards Original products go to their website at http://www.BluebeardsOriginal.com/

Sincerely bearded,
Austin

2010 Bay of Beards Results!

2010-05-10T22:16:00.011-04:00

Hello, Beardsman! It has been a while since I’ve had some time to sit and actually update the site a bit since the contest. So this will be a big post to catch all of you up on everything.

First and most importantly, the contest went incredibly well. The rnout was great with over 250 attendees. All together we raised 2090 dollars; crushing last year’s proceeds and this year’s goal. We couldn’t have done it without a handful of amazing volunteers that made a ton of the event what it was.

Special thanks from myself (Austin) and Beardsman go out to the following individuals: JP Marra, Randon Martin, Anthony Grajirena for the beautiful flyers, Jocelyn Nunez and Yvonne Rygiel for the amazing handmade trophies and other décor, Justin Brecese, Morgan Gall, and Chris Denny for being the critical beard growing judges, and Adam Williams and Dylan Williams for helping out at the door, Lilt Lathauser, Andrea Jenkins, Kendal Fleming, The Dunedin Brewery for keeping everything together and doing a great (job again), Shark Destroyer, and lastly all of the great sponsors that contributed to the raffle and prizes.

Thank you to all of our sponsors for their generous donations: The Dunedin Brewery, Classic Tattoos, Forever Tattoos, MAC, Bluebeards Original, Moe’s Mexican Grill (Countryside), Chainwheel Drive, Peg & Awl, Kabob House, Dunedin House of Beers, Tampa Bay Paintball, Chris Reed, Ryan Cullen, Scott Lukacs, Keller, Jocelyn Nunez, Daniel Mrgan, Allen Hampton, Anthony Grajirena, Chris Parks, Berto, Girl.Bike.Dog, Hands On Bicylcles, Burro Bags, 66Fixed, Heart of Gold Clothing, Yanko Pads, and City Cycle Supply.

For those that haven’t heard, seen, or met any of the winners from the beard and moustache competition, please allow me to introduce these amazingly bushy Beardsman.

Bearded Ladies

1st – Lizz Teti

2nd – Tiffany Cortes

3rd – Angel Toston

Longest Beard

1st – Dan Wing (13”)

2nd - Mark Stewart (10 ¾”)

3rd – Jason Mott (10”)

Natural Full Beard

1st – Dan Wing

2nd – Mark Stewart

3rd – Ryan Lessl

Garibaldi

1st - Jason Misner

2nd - Kienan Almeida

3rd - Chris Reed

Sideburns

1st – Bato Ijacic

2nd - Charlie Haueter

3rd – George Gallandre-Lebhar

Styled Moustache

1st – Zak Kuhn

2nd – Austin Peterson

3rd – Jason Messick

Freestyle Beard

1st – Brandon Wagner

2nd – Jason Misner

Best Overall Beard

Mark Stewart

Shortbox Beard

1st – Joe DiSanza

2nd – Jake Connelly

3rd – Tyee Jordan

Natural Moustache

1st – Matt Patton

2nd – Tony Tietto

3rd – Brian Nitzer

Goatee

1st - Damon Goldsmith

2nd – Jean-Paul Gagnon

3rd – Charlie Haueter

2010 Beardsman Beard & Moustache Contest

2010-03-20T22:50:00.004-04:00

The Bay of Beards website is finally up, and is always being updated. Check it out here. I hope you like it can make it out. The contest will be on May 1st 2010 at the Dunedin Brewery. Should be great this year.

Thats all for now,
Austin

Beard Team USA Announcement

2010-03-20T22:49:00.000-04:00

To All Members and Fans of Beard Team USA,

Plans for the $5000 BTUSA National Beard and Moustache
Championships in Bend, Oregon on June 5 are well underway.

Huge Announcement

Online registration for the Nationals is now available!
Just go to http://beardteamusa.org/nationals for everything
you need to know. Registration for competitors is $40, which
gets you into the competition, two chances to win $1000 (one for
winning your category and another in the drawing), and free beer
during the event.

Before you register, be sure to check out the options available for
activities on Friday, June 4. When you register, you can sign up for a
choice of mountain biking, brewery hopping, canoeing, cave exploring, or
rafting. All of the activities have limited availability so be sure to sign
up soon. Click here for more information about the activities.

Also, note that there are three choices for lodging. The upscale Mt.
Bachelor Village Resort offer rooms and condos for a range for prices. Most
people will stay at the mid-range Phoenix Inn, which is offering suites to
our group for a rate of $109 per night. The budget option is at the Super 8
Motel with rooms for about $70.

If you stay at the Mt. Bachelor Village or at the Super 8, you will probably
want to have a car. If you are at the Phoenix Inn, you won't need one,
since the Phoenix Inn is right downtown.

Another Huge Announcement

Two-time World Beard Champion (Full Beard Natural) and noted beard book author
Jack Passion will not be competing. Jack is going to step aside and
give others with full beards a shot at the $1000. Instead, he will be the
onstage host of the competition.

Be sure to check beardteamusa.org for the latest information.

See you in Bend!

Phil Olsen
Founder and Self-Appointed Captain
Beard Team USA

LOTS OF UPDATES!

2010-02-16T11:35:00.002-05:00

Hey Beardsman and Beard-ladies. I have a couple updates regarding the contest, new merchandise, and website updates.

The 2010 Bay of Beards Competition IS CONFIRMED!!!
On Saturday, May 1st 2010 the Dunedin Brewery will be hosting the second annual Beardsman beard and moustache contest. The Brewery did an amazing job last year, and we are looking forward this year going off even bigger. We already have received a couple very generous donations and are avidly looking for more donors. If you or your business is interested in being a donor for this year’s Beardsman contest please contact Austin at faceforest@beardsman.com. This week I’m going to be posting http://BayOfBeards.com, the contest website.

I have updated the website pretty well in each of the pages. If you get a moment to check out some of the stuff I added, I think you’ll be into some of the additions. I’ve added a couple games in the arcade, and added one or two beard styles. Beardsman is looking for official Team members that are located in FL. Be sure to check out the “team” page, I have some more information on there.

We have recently put out a piece of merchandise called the Bearded Danglers. Check out the store. Yvonne Rygiel of stellasophia has hand made these wonderful little buddies. There are only a couple of the Danglers in existence as of right now, so make sure you move with haste! We will be releasing some more merchandise soon. It might keep you northerners a little bit warmer than a t-shirt (not to give it away or anything).

In other beard news, The WBMC and Beard Team USA have posted new websites. They look fantastic so check them out. If you are in the Austin, TX area Misprint Mag is hosting a beard & moustache contest. http://m.misprintmagazine.com/post/379216950/4th-annual-misprint-beard-and-moustache-competition

Hope you enjoy the good news here and keep checking back for updates.

Austin

Holy City Beard&Moustache Contest

2010-01-04T12:39:00.002-05:00

HCBMS Folks,

Lots in the works here for 2010 (Year of the Beard)!

The big event is February 13th at Tin Roof, the Southeastern Beard & Moustache Championships. Make sure you get your registration form in (on the event page). A PayPal will be set up soon as well. We have beards coming in as far away as Michigan, Pennsylvania, Maryland, & New York. I am working on the Round Holiday Inn as the event hotel.

Sponsors are shaping up as well. Volunteers will be need for Friday nights opening social at Southend Brewery & for the night of the competion at Tin Roof. Let me know if you can help & it is much appreciated! I already have a few & AmeriCorps might lend a hand.

Is anyone interested in HCBMS having a Twitter page? Would you be interested in running it, mainly to annouce monthly pub nights? Let me know.

Other news:
Jan 16th - at Flying Saucer in Columbia 8pm, 2nd Annual South Carolina Beard & Moustache Association Pub Night (after World Beer Festival)

Jan 23rd - Blind Tiger January Pub Night at 8pm

March pub night will be at Tommy Condon's in downtown Charleston.

Our 3rd Anniversary party looks to be a more "formal' affair at FIG (Food is Good). More to come.

Send in any suggestions or comments,

Paul
Commander, Holy City Beard & Moustache Society

Moustache T-Shirt; Lip Lawn

2009-12-16T14:34:00.003-05:00

Beardsman.com is super excited to announce we have unveiled the newest addition to the alliteration line. Designed by Daniel Mrgan, the "Lip Lawn" design the first pro-moustache t-shirt. To order. I'd like to thank my good friend Ben Sharpe modeled the shirt. He looks like a champion to me! To all you moustacheman out there, I hope you enjoy this. We worked very hard to make it something special.

Till next time,
Austin

Beard Team USA Nationals Update

2009-12-16T00:30:00.002-05:00

Beard Team USA National Beard and Moustache Championships

To all members, fans, and friends of Beard Team USA:

The first ever Beard Team USA National Beard and Moustache Championships will take place on Saturday, May 36, 2010, in Bend, Oregon [I got the state right :0) -ed].

Bend was selected from over 25 communities, resorts, and hotels -- ranging from Las Vegas to Peoria -- submitting bids to host the championships. Bend has pledged full community support for this extraordinary event.

Located on the Deschutes River in Central Oregon, Bend offers fly-fishing, rafting, golf, canoeing, mountain biking, hiking, and possibly even late season skiing and snowboarding at nearby Mount Bachelor. Did I mention beer? Bend is the home of seven microbreweries including the famous Deschutes Brewery practically next door to the Les Schwab Amphitheater where the competiton will take place.

There will be competition in four separate categories designed to include everyone. The winner in each category will walk away with a cool $1000. So that everyone gets a shot at the cash, the fifth $1000 prize will go to a contestant selected at random.

Here are the categories:

1. Best moustache. Beards are allowed in this category but the contestants will be judged on their moustaches only;
2. Best partial beard. Includes goatees, van dykes, sideburns, musketeers, etc.;
3. Best full beard. Styling aids are permitted;
4. Freestyle. Anything goes. Anything. Be creative.

The date?? It's May 36. Purists will insist that it is actually June 5, but since I have been promising for months that the Nats will be in May, I am sticking with May 36 for now.

The championships will take place in conjunction with the 8th Annual Balloons over Bend hot air balloon festival.

Stay tuned for information on registration, lodging options, transportation from the airport in Portland, and everything else you will need to know.

For now all members of Beard Team USA are asked to:

1. Make plans to be in Bend on May 36;
2. Tell everyone they know about the BTUSA Nationals;
3. Keep growing their beards and moustaches for America.

Cheers,
Phil Olsen
Founder and self-appointed captain
Beard Team USA

Merch Updates

2009-11-24T00:59:00.002-05:00

Beardsman

It has been a while since I have introduced a new set of merchandise, but I have some good news. This afternoon I picked up the 2 new t-shirts and 1 new hoodie, and I am pleased to say that the art is coming along nicely. Moustaches world wide will be excited to hear that Beardsman will have a pro-moustache shirt to add to our growing line. Of course I didn't leave out the beards though. A new design is in your future as well. Thanks for reading. More updates will be there as they come in.

-Austin

Website updates

2009-11-04T12:53:00.003-05:00

Pages that I've updated:

- Beard Styles

- Online store; Dropped the price on the "original" t-shirts. Your welcome.

- Links

Thanks,

Austin

Merchandise and Contest News

2009-11-03T22:34:00.004-05:00

Afternoon beards everywhere. We haven't spoken in a while so I figured it was time to update the site. As you may notice, I have made a blog for the Growers Gazette so you can follow Beardsman news easier.

There are some new developments at Beardsman HQ. We are getting ready for the holiday season. We are going to be releasing the "Face Forest" t-shirt with a new color! Also, we will be printing a hoodie this year. Here in FL it doesn't get very cold, but everywhere else in the world might appreciate them. Our good friend Daniel Mrgan is going to be designing a brand new shirt/hoodie. We're very excited to see what his ridiculous mind comes up with.

In other news, the November contest has been cancelled. I've fully explained this back a couple entries ago. I've been looking for a good venue for the next contest. This will be good...I promise.

More soon,
Austin

CONTEST CANCELLED!!! Please read

2009-10-01T20:12:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone. I hope that all of you had a fabulous summer, and have been growing well. I have some very bad news about the upcoming Beardsman contest in November. We have had to re-schedule the contest for early next year. There were a handful of reasons why we came to this decision. We obviously feel terrible for everyone who was looking forward to November. Just know that you weren’t alone.

First and most important reason is that the Beardsman Bay of Beards Contest is a fundraiser event. In March of 2009 we raised $1500 with 100 bearded and non-bearded patrons that attended. We couldn’t reach an agreement between Beardsman and the venue allowing a door charge for that day. This was a major blow to the fundraising aspect of the event.

Second, we are working toward registering the Beardsman Foundation as a Not-For-Profit Charity. This takes time. Even if we started months ago (which we did), we wouldn’t have enough time to fully be ready, but with that status we will be able to get larger donations from outside sources that will help the fundraising effort. In turn, that will drop the door cost, and possibly make the next contest even bigger, better, and more successful as a whole.

Third, the promotional items that are essential for this contests success we’re not prepared in time. The last contest we did had flyers and posters 2 months prior to the event even being announced. This was my fault, and I apologize for being unprepared. This means that the event would be suffering severely from promotion. I would rather have no contest, then a half-assed one. I think that everyone can agree about that.

So, we are arranging a new, more suitable venue that will be able to hold a lot more people, with a smaller entry fee, and bigger raffle items that make your beard hard. We will keep you up to date about everything, and as soon as we have the venue and more importantly the date we will let you all know. Thanks for your patience, and I appreciate your ongoing support.

Austin

Monthly Trimmings: Tips, tricks, and beard styles of the month

2009-09-10T19:59:00.000-04:00

Recently I have had a handful of people asking me about I trip and shape my full beard. So I decided to make this section of the Gazette for them.

Trimming a Full Beard Style:
1st Step: Comb out beard so that it is showing it's true shape. You want the whole beard to be off the surface of your face. Take your time, you should allow for about 10 minutes of trimming. Don't rush unless you don't like your beard....then rush.

2nd Step: With a beard trimmer or scissors, (I find free-hand is best) carefully start shaping and evening the hairs. I prefer a roundish beard, so I usually trip the beard to look like an egg shape. Continue until you have man-scaped your face forest into whatever shape you basicaly want.

3rd Step: Repeat Step 1. You should notice that your beard when it is combed out should look some what like the desired shape.

4th Step: Repeat step 2. This time making sure that all the hairs are uniform and your face shape looks symetrical.

5th Step: Moving to the neck line. This is always a sticky situation for most so I have found a good diagram of what to do and not to do.

I find that a good rule to go by is the beard neckline should stop right above or on the the adams apple. From center you can shape the bottom into a half circle. Shaping from the adams apple to the back of your jaw line.

I hope this helps!
-Austin

Beer'd: Beer brewers, tastings, reviews

2009-08-15T19:02:00.001-04:00

The Brew Garden
904 N Mcmullen Booth Rd
Clearwater, FL 33759

The Brew Garden is a upscale new hangout in Clearwater serving up a cornucopia of indulgent delights. The overall theme is Belgian—which can be seen by the lovely mural of a street in Bruges on one of the walls. They have over 30 delicious brews on tap (many Belgians) as well as large imported bottles and some regular bottles of more common beer. This place is far more than the average tap house though. They are open from dawn ‘til midnight offering delicious Kona coffee and espresso drinks with unbelievable pastries (usually filled with Belgian chocolate), as well as sandwiches and various hors d'oeuvres to enjoy with a goblet of Abbey ale. The service there is fantastic and the owners are all great people. The atmosphere is classy but casual and everyone is very friendly. It is a nice place to hang out without being surrounded by frat boys, AKA perfect. Every Wednesday this month they are having a different beer company coming and giving away swag and samples, I’ll be there!

Some of the beers they offer on tap: St. Bernardus Apt 12, Unibroue Terriblé, Maudite, & Trois Pistoles, Young’s Double Chocolate Stout, Chimay Triple, Duchesse De Bourgogne, Delirium Tremens, Cigar City Bolita Brown Ale, Arrogant Bastard, and many more.

For a full list of what they have to offer visit http://thebrewgarden.com
or check them out on MySpace at www.myspace.com/thebrewgarden

- Justin

Hirsute Hillarity: Comics to make your bearded ass jiggle

2009-06-20T17:00:00.000-04:00

Artwork and Illustration by Bryant Williams

Beardsman March 2009 Contest In Review

2009-04-03T16:00:00.004-04:00

Today is April 3rd, 2009 and this is the first installment of the Growers Gazette. This is where you can find all kinds of bearded news from the last month. The First ever Beardsman Beard & Moustache competition was on March 28 th and was a monumental success. Everyone had a killer time. 100 beards made it out to the extravaganza, and together we raised $1557 towards the Beardsman Foundation. The event was covered by some local media. You can read those articles here. TBT / Tampa Tribune / Tampabay.com

Sponsors, Donors, and Special Thanks
I would like to personally thank a handful of people/organizations that helped this event to happen, and be such a success.

Sponsors:
Dunedin Brewery - Venue/ Major Sponsor of the event
Website: http://dunedinbrewery.com
Natures Food Patch - Grocer providing healthy, alternative, vegan friendly food for event
Website: http://naturesfoodpatch.com
Daniel Mrgan - Artist responsible for all poster/flyer designs
Website: click here
Artisticuts Landscaping - Provided raw materials for trophies

Raffle Donors:
Dunedin Firehouse Subs- Providing gift cards
Website: http://firehousesubs.com
Clearwater Moniques Tattoos - Providing $100 in Gift Certificate
The World of Beers - Provided Gift Certificates
Brady Williams, Manager of the Rays Minor League Baseball Team - Phillies/Rays Official World Series Merchandise
Atomic Tattoos - Providing Merchandise/Gift Cards
Website: http://atomictattoos.com
Countryside Moes South West Grill - Providing gift cards
Website: http://moes.com
Sean Fitzgerald -
Ybor Art Studio - Free Potery Lesson

Special Thanks
The Dunedin Brewery - Hosted the Event
JP Marra - Assistant Event Director
Justin Becese - Head Judge
Adam WIlliams - Judge
Chris Denny - Judge/ Beardsman Representitve
Lex Carr - Beardsman Representitive
Big Mike - Beardsman Representitive
Jocelyn Nunez - Responsible for the trophies
Yvonne Rygiel - Responsible for the trophies

I have posted about 100 or more pictures from the contest on the Beardsman Myspace page. More will be coming soon as they pop-up.