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RVA Beard League Vice President Josh Black hoists the best in show trophy at the 2016 Great American Beard and Mustache Championship in Denver. (Photo courtesy RVA Beard League)
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Josh Black with fellow competitors (Photo courtesy RVA Beard League)
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RVA Beard League Vice President Josh Black and President Chad Roberts (Photo courtesy RVA Beard League)
It’s finally official: Richmond is the best at being bearded. On Sept. 24, the RVA Beard League made its way to Denver for the first Great American Beard and Moustache Championship, where they dominated the competition. In addition to first-place finishes from two other Richmond bearders, League Vice President Josh Black won both the foot-long natural beard category and best in show. He says the key to a prize-winning natural beard is keeping it well-rounded.
“Some judges might like beards that hit the floor; others might say, ‘That beard only has five hairs to it,’” Black says. “They look for a lot of different categories, but especially to see if it’s healthy.”
Even with so many wins, the RVA Beard League got one victory at the event that didn’t end in raising a trophy: They were picked to have their city host the next national beard championships in 2018. Held every two years to avoid interfering with the world championships, the event, like this year’s in Denver, will donate all proceeds to local and national charities, according to Black. The championships this year in the Mile High City raised over $17,000 for the Fisher House Foundation and Rocky Mountain Cancer Assistance.
Other RVA Beard League members who took home honors from Denver include Patrick Quinn (first place in sideburns/mutton chops), Katie Quinn (first in artistic realistic beards) and Johnathan Wakefield (second in full-beard freestyle). League President Chad Roberts was elected to serve as a judge in the competition.
