(L to R) Dustin Taksar, Bert Mayer (winner of free style partial) and Tom Ward.

Beard competition gets hairy at the Precinct

By Kevin Anglin

While the temperature rose to an almost Spring-like feel on Saturday, a young couple huddled together in the crowded back room of The Precinct to methodically attach fake mustaches to one another.

With a satisfied smile they hoped back in line for the “March of the Fake Beards” portion of the second annual “Get Your Beard On” competition. Held at The Precinct bar in Union Square, the event’s contestants consisted of men, women, and children, all bearded.

The event was started by Todd Easton when he suggested the idea to the Somerville Arts Council (SAC). After hearing about similar competitions and admiring his own beard at the time he felt it could be a fun event while simultaneously encouraging foot traffic into Union Square.

“Get Your Beard On” was essentially a showroom for various different facial hair combinations. The competition’s categories comprised of: Natural Full Beard, Free-Style Beard, Free-Style Mustache, Free Style Partial, and the all inclusive ‘Best Fake Beard’.

As one of this year’s judges Easton advised “It’s about creativity and how you present yourself. It’s not just what about you wear on your face.”

Contestants ranged from the die-hard to people who just happened to hear about it in time. Some spent up to four years growing their beards. While others endured up an hour and a half of prep time for the free-style portion of the competition.

“I’ve been following the world championships for a year and a half,” said Bert Mayer, who took home the top spot in Best Free-Style Partial. “Once I heard there would be a competition here in Somerville I knew I had to participate.”

All the money from this year’s beard competition went to the Somerville Arts Council. Hosting the event for the second year in a row was local resident Jimmy Del Ponte.  Del Ponte took some heat at one point when he suggested that growing a beard required no actual work. “Boo’s” erupted from the audience. Supported by a unanimous cheer one person countered with “We have to avoid zippers!”