Ben (or Benjamin as facebook calls him) Davidson is a man who needs an introduction... his stache however, does not.
At the 2009 World Championships, By Mathew Rainwaters
I first met Ben back stage at the National Beard and Moustache Championships in Bend Oregon this past summer, and his stache followed him everywhere, so i met it too, and what a stache it was... while of course not a match to the winner of the natural stache category in Bend, Ben's tache is something to behold, envy and of course in our case, commend.
This gent is a quiet yet fierce competitor whom has taken the gold (and bronze) both nationally, locally and even internationally (full scorebox for Ben's stache is as follows, all for natural stache category: 1st place, 2009 NYC BMC; 3rd place, 2009 World Championships in Anchorage AK; 1st place, 2010 Coney Island BMC; and most recently 1st place in the 2010 Ohio BMC, Dayton OH).
Given this track record and this being the month of the stache (Movember), we decided to award Ben the coveted (and arbitrary) title of "Beardo of the Month!" I sat down with Ben and talked bearding (or stache-ing), grooming, thunder, arm wrestling, and much much more... read on!
When did you first grow or start growing it? how long as it been since your upper lip saw any sun?
I started growing facial hair in 2007, I think. I had a small beard for a while and then shaved that off leaving just the stache in the summer of 2008. So it's been about 3 - 3 1/2 years since my upper lip saw some sun.
How'd you get into competitive bearding (or staching in your case)?
I basically just happened upon an ad for the First Beard and Moustache Competition in Coney Island, NY in September of '08. I really had no intention of entering the contest, and just wanted to check out some crazy and hilarious facial hair. When I got there everybody said I should enter, I did, and won first place in the natural moustache category. That spurred me on to go to future competitions.
The staches are always well represented at competitions, but think often also get a back seat to the beards, why is that?
I assure you, I don't know. I suppose it could be because it can take a lot longer to grow an immense beard. I can grow my stache out in 6 months or so. Also beards are easier to see from a distance.
Aren't you happy/thankful that (THE) Jack Passion trims his stache and does not (yet?) compete in your category... be honest.
Haha, I love Jack's beard as most people do, but he derives most of his power from his beard's immense volume, and the fact that said volume is bright ass orange. If he were to shave down to just the stache he would lose some of his shock and awe. I think it would be a pretty close competition between us. I don't think I've ever seen a large orange handlebar moustache. That would be pretty sweet. But I suppose in the end, I'm pretty content with him competing in the beard category.
You had to arm-wrestle a guy at the Coney Island BNC for your title... not quite the traditional way to win, but it seemed to work in your favor (what was the age of that guy, 95?). Do you like traditional rules of say the national Competition or those on the local circuit like at Coney Island?
No way, that guy was 75 at the most! I'll take traditional rules any day. At least arm wrestling could be considered kinda manly. If anybody asks me to start singing and dancing it's over for me. I don't go there.
Let's talk grooming... Your stache is glorious, and it really really suits your face... how'd you train it to do what you want, or are you just blessed with the coveted stache gene our scientists are working tirelessly to isolate?
Well, I could go on all day about this, but I'll keep it short. I do have good moustache genes cause my hair grows fast and really straight. If you have really straight hair and a somewhat thick moustache, you can probably have a moustache similar to mine. Anyway, make sure you condition it in the shower but not too much. I have to find a happy medium, if you condition too much or too little, it frays out a lot and is harder to manage in general. Immediately when I get out of the shower I smooth it into the general shape, and put two little clips into it to hold it back away from my mouth. I leave them in just a few minutes then take them out and add some lotion. Regular hand moisturizer will do, you may have to try a few different kinds to see what works best. That's basically it. If you want to know more, hit me up on facebook or at a competition.
Seriously though, what are top 3 tips you can give on stache growing and upkeep?
- When you first start growing your stache, don't trim the hairs that grow from the middle of your lip. There's an awkward period when all those hairs will go in your mouth, which is kinda a pain in the ass. If you stick with it though, they will get long enough where you can spread them to the sides and they stay out of your mouth 90 percent of the time.
- Stay Healthy. If you're healthy, your facial hair will grow faster and more luxuriously. Have you ever seen a really fat guy with a terrible beard?
- Try using Elmer's glue to hold your styled stache in place. It dries in seconds and holds better than any wax I've ever tried. It washes right out with water, is non toxic and safe for kids.
Who are your top 3 stache wearers through the years?
Rollie Fingers for sure… Ben Davidson (a football player from the 60's and 70's, he had a great stache)… I don't know... Tom Selleck?
It's Movember, or nearly the end of it, why do you think it's the staches that get the largest facial hair donations to charity each year? Our good friends at Bearduary is a distant second, but overall Movember is in a class all its own... is it just because its' easier to show the growth progress on a daily basis with staches, or is there something magical in the wax?
Because moustaches are funnier? Maybe because you have to make a concerted effort to grow a moustache. You could accidentally grow a beard, but you have to make the effort of shaving most of your face to have a stache. Also, people just want an excuse to grow a moustache.
Would you ever shave yours and start again if you couls have some high paying sponsors?
Oh Hell yes! I'd do it for low paying sponsors as well, if anybody has an offer.
Are you going to bring the thunder for the New York BMC?
I will be in attendance although, I'm still undecided about bringing the thunder…
P.S. While Ben's stache is amazing, and awesome, and hairy and all that... dont be fooled, Ben can grow a pretty sick ass beard too. Kudos!
Photo credit: Getty Images, Roger Ebert
