The world’s fanciest whiskers have come to Alaska this weekend for the World Beard and Moustache Championships.
More than 200 competitors from 12 countries have come to Anchorage brandishing facial hair ranging from Salvador Dali-style moustaches to bushy beards.
Three-time winner David Traver, 43, of Anchorage planned a “very Alaskan” look this year. The main categories are moustaches, full beards and partial beards.
Although men no doubt have been engaged in low-level facial-hair competition since the first Neanderthal learned to scrape hair from his cheeks with a flinty arrowhead, the Alaska contest can be traced to the Verband Deutscher Bartclubs (Association of German Beard Clubs), which held the first contest in 1990 in the Black Forest village of Hofen-Enz. From 1995 on, it has taken place every two years.
Barrage of barks holds hope of fending off seal invasion Officials in San Diego who want to prevent seals from taking over a popular beach are hoping that a dog’s bark is worse than its bite.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reported Saturday that the city will seek court approval for a plan to use recordings of barking dogs at Children’s Pool beach in La Jolla, Calif. The city hopes the recordings will disperse about 200 seals — at a cost of nearly $700,000 a year.
Marine experts say the seals likely will adjust to the noise, but city officials say their backup plan is to add other sounds and spray the seals with water. Animal-rights activists say they’ll oppose the plan.
