Josh Black and The Beardcaster discuss the Remington Beard Boss 2018 Great American Beard & Moustache Championship. This year the event is in Richmond, Virginia and hosted by the RVA Beard League and the North American Competitive Beard & Moustache Alliance. The event will be held at The National on Saturday, September 29th and will benefit The National Humane Society and the Pink Ink Fund. There are many great pre and post events planned for this great weekend of facial hair fun!

The North American Competitive Beard & Moustache Alliance (NACBMA) again invites you to one of the most amazing charity facial hair competition in North America! Join us September 29th, 2018 in Richmond, Virginia for the 2018 Great American Beard & Moustache Championship to benefit the The Humane Society of the United States and the Pink Ink Fund.

The 2018 GABMC will be hosted by the guys and gals of the RVA Beard League and The Alliance (NACBMA) member clubs. Additional details are available at GreatAmericanBMC.org:

https://www.greatamericanbmc.org/tickets

https://www.greatamericanbmc.org/categories

https://www.greatamericanbmc.org/sponsors-vendors

https://www.greatamericanbmc.org/travel-info

https://www.greatamericanbmc.org/hotels

⇨ 9/27 - Thursday night - Official Kickoff Party for the 2018 GABMC

https://www.facebook.com/events/178439266174106/

⇨ 9/28 - Friday daytime event - James River Tubing Trip for the 2018 GABM

https://www.facebook.com/events/452443308538033

⇨ 9/28 - Friday night - Welcome Party + Merch Market for the 2018 GABMC

https://www.facebook.com/events/210475522929833/

⇨ 9/30 - Sunday - Farewell Brunch for the 2018 GABMC

https://www.facebook.com/events/303652576851856/

The 2018 GABMC GroupMe is live! It's great for coordinating and sorting out who's where when you get into town and get some local opinions on what to see and where to eat in town. https://groupme.com/join_group/43432906/OY6jwd

Sometimes called pre-judging, though there are no scores involved at this step, the pre-jurors see that competitors are in fact entered in the category to which they are most suited, much like the Sorting Hat from Harry Potter. They determine a competitor’s category, making sure lengths are accurate and what’s presented matches the criteria for your category. While a competitor may believe he or she should be in one specific category, the panel assures that the judges are evaluating like competitors and that you’re on-stage in the right category.

In order to minimize your time standing in line, we’ve doubled the Pre-Jury and Registration Panel since the last time in Denver. We’ll have a total of 8 pre-jurors at 4 tables with 2 registration stations, with half of them dedicated to Full Beard category competitors. Pre-jurors will be paired and evaluating facial hair types for which they would be ineligible, e.g.. Moustache competitors will be evaluated by Full Beard pre-jurors. ***Artistic category competitors will need have a photo of their creation on hand, if they’re not wearing it, for the pre-jurors to evaluate. ***

THERE WILL BE 2 WINDOWS FOR REGISTRATION AND CHECK-IN: EARLY (FRI NIGHT) AND DAY-OF.

⇨ The first, and preferred, is Early Registration on Friday night at the Welcome Party + Merch Market for the 2018 GABMC at the Canal Club, from 7:00-9:30 PM. That way you already have your number and swag bag, you can just show your ticket to get in on Saturday, and you won’t have to carry around your swag bag all day Saturday. We’ll have a basic pre-jury panel there Friday night to get you registered and checked in.

⇨ The second is Day-of Registration on-site at the Remington Beard Boss 2018 Great American BMC at The National, from 1:00-3:00 PM. We’ll have our full panel there to speed things along.

The following prejurors are all knowledgeable, experienced competitors and judges who understand how important it is that you’re in the right category. These folks know what to look for.

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FKN Guido Cappello - New York
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• Member, Austin Facial Hair Club
• Owner of mountainmanoils.com
• 2018 Come And Shave It - Big Joe Johnson Award
• 2016 Hampton Roads Beard and ‘Stache Society Beardsman Appreciation Award
• 2015 Southeastern Beard & Moustache Championships - 2015 American Bearder of the Year
• Competed in almost 100 contests, placing in most of them, and in a number of different categories including Full Beard Natural with Styled Mustache, Groomed Beard, Verdi, and Freestyle.

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Daniel “DC” Cunningham - Tennessee
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• President and Founder, Marble City Whisker Society
• 2018 Title Beard: Battle for the Belt - 1st place Full Beard Styled Mustache
• 2017 Southeastern Beard & Moustache Championships - 2017 American Bearder of the Year
• 2017 Southeastern Beard & Moustache Championships - 3rd place Full Beard Natural with Styled Mustache
• 2016 GABMC Denver - 1st place Natural Full Beard with Styled Mustache
• 2016 Great Lakes Regional Beard & Mustache Championships - 1st place Full Beard Natural with Styled Mustache
• 7th Annual Carolina BAM - 2nd place Full Beard Freestyle

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Patrick Fette - Kentucky
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• Founding member, Derby City Whisker Club

Three-peat World Champion:
• 2017 WBMC Austin - 1st Place English Style Mustache
• 2015 WBMC Leogang - 1st Place English Style Mustache
• 2013 WBMC L.E. Germany - 1st Place English Style Mustache

• 2012 BTUSA Las Vegas - 1st Place English Style Mustache
• 2015 BTUSA National Musketeer Champions.

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Keith Haubrich, a.k.a. “Gandhi Jones” - Washington
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• Council Member & Treasurer, Emerald City Beardos Seattle
• 2013 WBMC L.E. Germany - 3rd Place Freestyle Moustache

Three-peat World Champion:
• 2011 WBMC Trondheim - 1st Place Freestyle Moustache
• 2009 WBMC Anchorage - 1st Place Freestyle Moustache
• 2007 WBMC Brighton - 1st Place Freestyle Moustache

• 2016 GABMC Denver - 1st Place Imperial Moustache
• 2015 BTUSA Brooklyn - 1st Place Dali Moustache Moustache
• 2013 BTUSA New Orleans - 1st Place Dali Moustache Moustache

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“MJ” Johnson - Minnesota
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• Founder, The Minnesota Beard and Moustache Coalition
• 2017 WBMC Austin - 1st Place Freestyle Cheekbeard
• 2016 GABMC Denver - 1st Place Imperial Partial Beard
• 2015 WBMC Leogang - 4th Place Freestyle Partial Beard
• 2013 WBMC L.E. Germany - 2nd Place Imperial Partial Beard

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Scott Metts - Florida
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• Member, Orlando Facial Hair Club
• 2017 WBMC Austin - 1st Place Full Beard Natural with Styled Mustache
• 2018 Beard Battle: L.A. Part 3 - 1st Place Full Beard Natural Over 8”
• 2018 Southeastern Beard & Moustache Championships - 1st Place Full Beard Freestyle
• 2017 Beard Battle: L.A. Part 2 - 1st Place Full Beard Natural with Styled Mustache
• 2017 Southeastern Beard & Moustache Championships - 1st Place Full Beard Natural with Styled Mustache
• 2016 BTUSA Nashville - 2nd Place Full Beard Natural with Styled Mustache
• 2016 Southeastern Beard & Moustache Championships - 1st Place Full Beard Natural with Styled Mustache

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Bryan Nelson - Texas
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• President and Founder, Austin Facial Hair Club
• Vice President, WBMA - World Beard and Moustache Association
• President, The Alliance - Nacbma
• 2013 WBMC L.E. Germany - 2nd Place, Full Beard Natural
• 2012 German Nationals, Bad Schussenried - 4th Place Full Beard Natural
• 2017 8th Annual Queen City Beard and Moustache Competition - 1st Place Full Beard Natural
• 2016 Southeastern Beard & Moustache Championships - 1st Place Freestyle Beard
• 2014 Los Angeles Facial Hair Society BMC - Best In Show
• 2014 Los Angeles Facial Hair Society BMC - 1st Place Full Beard over 12”
• 2014 Southeastern Beard & Moustache Championships - 2014 American Beardsman of the Year
• 2014 Southeastern Beard & Moustache Championships - 1st Place Full Beard over 1'
• 2014 Midwest Mustache & Beard Wearer’s Championship - Best in Show

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Kristin “Wags” Wagner - Ohio

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• Board Member of the Beards of the Old Northwest - Cleveland, Ohio

• Former Vice President of the Steel City Beard & Mustache Club, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• 2017 WBMC Austin - 4th Place Creative Beard

• 2 separate Creative Beard category Three-peats

• Whiskerina extraordinaire

Masters of Ceremonies: Jimmy + Johnny!

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JIMMY THOMSON
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A Virginia native, Jimmy Thomson started his competitive bearding career at the 1st Ever Mid-Atlantic Beard & 'Stache Competition in 2012. An outstanding member of the RVA Beard League, he served as treasurer for several years. In 2015, Jimmy rose to the occasion at the Mid-Atlantic Beard & 'Stache Championship IV, filling in for a sick judge, and last year co-emceed the Mid-Atlantic Beard & 'Stache Championship VI.

Jimmy’s competed in several different categories in 10 different states, Freestyle being his preferred, but also Groomed, Chops, Natural Mustache and all the Natural Beard length categories except 12” and over. He placed in a fair share of comps and received a Best In Show in New York City at the Gotham City Beard Alliance’s final competition back in 2016. He competed at the 2017 WBMC in Austin, has traveled to places he never thought he’d get to see, and made some of the very best friends a man could ask for. Please welcome Virginia’s Jimmy Thomson!

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JOHNNY AWESOME
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Sharing the stage with Jimmy is the president and co-founder of Cape Beard: Follicles of Freedom, Johnny Awesome!

Born and raised in Pensacola, Florida, Johnny’s been a resident of Fayetteville, North Carolina since 2008. A semi-professional/part-time botany enthusiast, Johnny studied graphic design at Pensacola Junior College, graduating in 2005. He’s been a tattoo artist for Smokin Guns Tattoo for 7 years, tattooing for 10, and considered one of the best traditional and freestyle artists in the country.

Johnny’s a founding and original member of Cape Beard, which was started back in 2011. Under his direction as president, Cape Beard has raised over $134,000 for local charities around Fayetteville, including Karen Chandler Trust, Inc. - Cancer Charity, Autism Society of Cumberland County (NC), Second Harvest Food Bank, KidsPeace, and Chambers For Hope. Competing since 2011, he’s competed in Full Beard Freestyle, Groomed Beard, Ginger Beard, Full Beard Natural, Full Beard with Styled Moustache, with several first second and third places. Johnny has judged numerous competitions both local and around the country. He has emceed The All American Tattoo Convention for the last 2 years, the Zombie Walk & Prom Fayetteville NC walk for the last 5 years, all of his club events, and many others. He is a 2014 alumnus of The Fayetteville Observer's 40 under 40, an avid music and concert-goer, and devoted comic book and toy collector. Please welcome North Carolina’s Johnny Awesome!

credit: Back Bay Photography

Bill Petersen

Hailing from Springfield, Missouri, our first judge is a man of many faces, one who has competed in 11 different categories* over his career. He’s competed most notably in Hungarian Moustache, where he took 4th Place at the 2017 World Beard & Moustache Championships (WBMC) in Austin, and 1st Place at the 2016 Great American Beard & Moustache Championship (GABMC) in Denver. He’s been competing since 2011, where he showed up to the Queen City Beard & Moustache Federation’s competition with a six-week-old baby beard, and made a big splash at the 2012 Beard Team USA Nationals in Las Vegas placing in the Top 10 in Garibaldi.

He’s served as Queen Ambassador and as president for the last two years of the QCBMF, an organization which has so far raised over $81,000 for local charities in Southwest Missouri. Please welcome Missouri’s Bill Petersen!

* In case you were wondering what those 11 were:
- Business Beard Under 2"
- Full Beard Under 6” or Under 8” (depending on the comp)
- Over 8"
- Over 12"
- Full Beard Style Moustache
- Full Beard Freestyle
- Chops
- Whaler
- Partial Beard Freestyle
- Natural Moustache, and
- Styled Moustache

credit: Jeffrey Moustache for The World of Beards

Taxi Phil

He is the co-founder and current president of the Cincinnati Beard Barons. Phil has been sporting a handlebar moustache for nearly 30 years. He and his iconic ‘stache started competing over 10 years ago. In this last decade, he has claimed numerous awards, and has had the honor of judging over a dozen bearding events.

At the recent 2017 WBMC in Austin, Phil claimed the title of 3rd Place in the Freestyle Moustache category. As if that all wasn’t enough, he is also a sponsored ambassador for the MEAN BEARD Company of Batavia, Ohio.

At the core of it all, Phil says that the fantastic people, incredible charities, and amazing friendships he’s made over the years, have kept him coming back for more. He looks forward to many more years of being a part of the bearding community. Please welcome Ohio’s "Taxi Phil" Jones!

September will be here before you know it. Find the link for tickets, schedule, registration, and more information at GreatAmericanBMC.org!

credit: Douglas Duerring Photography

Rita Bielefeldt

Calling the woods of Northern California home, her ties and history with the European beard and moustache clubs run deep. She attended her first World Beard and Moustache Championship with her husband Aarne back in 2009 in Anchorage and they have made it to every WBMC since. A seasoned judge and competitor since 2011, Rita’s competed and placed at dozens of competitions all over the country. In 2013 in Germany, she placed at the first and only (so far) Whiskerina event in Europe.

Aside from being the resident cat lady, she enjoy reading science fiction, and likes to sew, craft, and oil paint, along with gardening and traveling. Though recently much of her and Aarne’s time has been devoted to rebuilding and cleaning up their property after losing their outlying structures, water system, and vehicles in last fall’s firestorms that swept through that region. Their house was amazingly spared, but there’s still much work to be done before their home is anywhere back to normal.

Rita loves all of the wonderful friends she has made from all over the world, where every comp is like going to a big family reunion, only with the best family you could have. Please welcome California’s Rita Schoeberlein Bielefeldt!

September will be here before you know it. Find the link for tickets, schedule, registration, and more information at GreatAmericanBMC.org!

credit: Jeffrey Moustache for The World of Beards

Greg Schoenwolf

co-founder of the Salty Saints Social Club & Facial Hair Society, a non-profit organization founded in 2013. Calling Salt Lake City home, they’re a proud member of The Alliance - Nacbma and the WBMA - World Beard and Moustache Association. Greg is the creator, M.C., and head coordinator of the Snowbird Oktoberfest Beard and Moustache Competition, marking its 5th year. A prodigious freestyler with about 50 different freestyle designs since April 2013, he’s been growing his beard for about 6 years without trimming, and plan to just let it grow! He’s judged in competitions throughout the western U.S. and placed 5th in Full Beard Freestyle at the 2017 WBMC in Austin.

Sponsored by Mariner Jack, Greg’s also a stay at home dad, who homeschools his two wonderful daughters. In his spare time he works at Shades of Pale Brewing, and previously has been a professional ballet dancer, a ballet teacher, a deck construction worker, and a parking attendant. But at the end of September, he’ll be Judge Schoenwolf. Please welcome Utah’s Greg Schoenwolf!

September will be here before you know it. Find tickets, schedule, registration, and more information at GreatAmericanBMC.org!

credit: Jeffrey Moustache for The World of Beards.

Jeremy Smith

current member and former president of Spokane Beard & Mustache in Washington state, Jeremy Smith! Dedicated to his Whaler beard, he first got into bearding 2014 when he finally got up the nerve to go to a meeting. The community quickly became something he loved, and threw himself into it because of the people involved and charity aspect. Over the past 6 years, and with his guidance through several years, WBMA - World Beard and Moustache Association member club Spokane Beard & Mustache has raised over $75,000 for local charities.

Jeremy’s traveling has been limited due to multiple back surgeries, but has managed to take home several partial beard trophies over the years and judged at competitions in the U.S. and Canada, not to mention learning from some of the best judges around at Spokane’s own competition over the years.

A devoted fan of Montucky Cold Snacks (a brand of Northwest lager that donates 8% back to local causes), he’s been a Teamster Warehouseman for 22 years, and married to his wife Heather for 18. They have 2 kids, Taylor (26) and Chloe (19), and they now enjoy their empty nest if you don’t count Otis (6), their 150 lb. Great Pyrenees/Anatolian Shepherd mix. Please welcome Washington’s Jeremy Smith!

September will be here before you know it. Find tickets, schedule, registration, and more information at GreatAmericanBMC.org!

credit: Bailward Photography

Jason Kiley

Our next judge had a very successful 2017. He is currently the World Champion in the Full Beard Freestyle category and was awarded “Best in Show” at the 2017 WBMC in Austin. After a tidal wave of public support, he’s been a member of Remington’s Beard Boss team for the past two years.

A man of creative and artistic talent, he got his start in beard competitions back in 2013, and since then has had the opportunity to spend a lot of time on both sides of the judging table. He has racked up many 1st Place finishes in Full Beard Freestyle and Full Beard Groomed categories at numerous competitions across the country.

Outside of bearding, Jason owns and operates One Eyed Cat Curiosities and Crafts, a handmade functional ceramics business that specializes in cups and mugs with moustache guards. We’re willing to bet many of you have some sitting at home or work. Please welcome Wisconsin’s Jason Kiley!

credit: Greg Anderson Photography

Chris Adler

Epicly-goateed Grammy-winning drummer, Chris Adler! Best known as a member and founder of metal band Lamb of God and Grammy Award winning member of Megadeth, Chris began Lamb of God in 1994 under the moniker Burn the Priest with dorm-mate, best friend, and it’s current bass player, John Campbell. Both previously served as judges at the RVA Beard League’s annual charity competition, the Mid-Atlantic Beard & ‘Stache Championships.

Chris became a member of thrash metal band Megadeth from 2014-2016, collaborating and working closely with Megadeth’s primary songwriter and founder, Dave Mustaine and is credited in helping write their 15th album, “Dystopia.” Chris performed most live world-wide touring dates in support of that album. In his 5th Grammy nomination, "Dystopia" won Chris his first Grammy Award for the Best Metal Performance at the 59th Grammy Awards.

In 2006 Adler collaborated with revered progressive guitarist Ron Jarzombek beginning the project Blotted Science, and in 2010, Adler moved to Toronto for 6 weeks and recorded and helped write the album "Volition" with the progressive metal band Protest The Hero. The album went on to win and provide Chris his first Juno Award (the Canadian equivalent to the U.S. Grammy). In 2014 he contributed several drum tracks to the Testament album “Dark Roots of the Earth.” In 2016 Adler recorded three songs with Jim Gillette, Michael Angelo Batio, and Victor Wooten in a California studio for a Nitro reunion album. As of October 2017, he left the Nitro reunion project to focus on a mid-2018 release and tour with Lamb of God.

He is the elder brother of bandmate and guitarist Willie Adler (Official), whom he brought into the band. Prior to his work in Burn the Priest/Lamb of God, Chris played in several local bands including Calibra, Jettison Charlie, and Grouser. Adler is pescatarian and has worked with PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).

Please welcome him back to the judges’ table, the one and only, Virginia’s own Chris Adler!

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