Author’s Note: This article is a flashback to the 2013 Beard Team USA National Beard & Mustache Championships in New Orleans that I recently rediscovered describing the “post competition blues”. Six years, and countless competitions later, I’m still friends with most featured in this article. We all have grown a little older, some of our facial hair styles may have changed, and there may be a few more grey hairs on our faces, but I find that feeling the “blues” after an action packed weekend together still holds true for us. If you don’t know what the “post competition blues” is, read the article below. Enjoy!
-Chops 2019
Well, it’s here again. The day after a beard and moustache competition. All the bar hopping shenanigans are over. The impromptu 2a.m. hotel room parties have quieted down to just a few whispers as the blue light from the dawn begins to peak through small open spaces of shuttered hotel room window curtains. The realization hits me that the inevitable goodbyes will happen in just a few short hours as groggy beardos and stache-thletes check out by noon and I feel a slight sadness creeping in: The Post Competition Weekend Blues.
I know I’m going to have to say goodbye to friends old and new. Friends I’ve bonded with over the few short hours the weekend had to offer. We formed a temporary 3 day family together around this hairy event, sort of a mini summer camp for the hirsute. Smiling together, laughing, catching up and supporting each others’ wins and losses.
Though I can’t wait for everyone to wake up, share a breakfast and reminisce about the previous days events and craziness, I’m not looking forward to the trip home, heading full speed back to real life with no beardos around. I miss my beard brothers already.
I’m clearly not alone in this feeling because even as I sit here in the hotel Starbucks writing this, waiting on my hairy-faced friends to tiredly zombie-walk out of the elevators, I’ve received several texts from others expressing the same sentiments. I write back immediately “I know! Why couldn’t we have just one more day?!” Just one more beer with Grizzly Stonewall Jackson, watch just one more Coney Island card trick by Justin Vitti as we all scream a collective “OHHH!!!” in amazement, just one more group shot request from strangers passing by, just one more half naked dance on Bourbon St.
Don’t worry gents and lasses, not every pic I have is appropriate and meant to be posted, uploaded, or passed around. Those gems of ridiculousness and lapses of judgment will stay hidden deep in my vault. But hit me up if you need a copy! ;o)
Check out the gallery below!
