2011 World Beard and Moustache Contest

The world's facial hair elite have descended on Norway for the 2011 World Beard and Moustache Championships.

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150 contestants from 15 countries have flocked to the Prinsen Hotell in Trondheim, Norway, to be in with a chance of winning the much-coveted prize for the world's best facial hair.

The World Beard and Moustache Championships take place every two years and competitor’s battle out their facial furniture in 17 different official categories ranging from Dali and Fu Manchu moustaches to Garibaldi and Imperial-style beards. The top three finishers in each category take prizes.

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Ole Skibnes, the president of the host Norwegian Moustache Club, which is hosting this year's championships, says judging the different hairy entrants is no easy task.

'This is not a circus,' Mr Skibnes said. 'You can't just judge the size of the moustache - you have to see if the hair is well-groomed, see if it suits the person, see if it makes them look good.'

First held in 1990, the competition has taken place every two years since 1995.

The 2009 contest took place in Alaska where Americans, Germans and Belgians performed well.

The winners have not yet been announced.

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