World Beard and Moustache Championships 2011

The World Beard and Moustache Championships is a biennial competition in which men with elaborate beards and moustaches compete with each other in 17 different official categories ranging from natural goatee and sideburns freestyle, Hungarian and Fu Manchu moustaches to Garibaldi and Imperial style beards. The event which began in 1990 has been running regularly since 1995. This year it was held in Trondheim in Norway on May 15.

 

Pia Weis prepares her husband Hans-Peter for the freestyle full beard event

Over one hundred and fifty contestants from 15 countries descended on the Prinsen Hotell in Trondheim, Norway this weekend to get down to the hairy business of who exactly has the world's best facial furniture. The coveted prize was taken by a German hairdresser Elmar Weisser, 47,  with his elaborate facial hair sculpture of a moose. It is the third time Mr Weisser has emerged as champion. 

Also see European Beard and Moustache Championships

Gerhard Knapp prepares for the championships

Overall winner of the championships, Elmar Weisser, Germany, took first prize in the freestyle full beard category

Karl-Heinze Hille, Germany, poses after winning the imperial partial beards category

Bill Mitchell, US, winner of the sideburns category

Germany's Wolfgang Schneider sports his winning natural moustache

Dusan Lalos, Germany, winner of the natural partial beard category

Jurgen Draheim, Germany, poses after emerging victorious in the Musketeer category

Rooty Lundvall, US, winner of the natural full beard category

Dieter Besuch, Germany, after his triumph in the freestyle partial beard category

Burke Kenny, US, winner of the natural full beard with styled moustache category

Germany's Lutz Giese after scooping first place in the Chinese partial beard category

Story: BBC. Photograph: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images