Whisker Wars

Photographs by Steve Shelton for Newsweek.com
No matter what you call it--a 'stache, whiskers, face fuzz, a flavor-saver--facial hair is how men the world over show their individuality, their religious faith or just that they live in a cold climate. Though mustaches and beards have had a long and sometimes less-than-illustrious history (Peter the Great imposed a controversial beard tax on all men except peasants and priests), these days, they're more often than not celebrated. The late George Carlin even composed a poem to his hairy chin: 'Here's my beard; ain't it weird? Don't be skeered, it's just a beard.' In preparation for next year's World Beard and Moustache Championships , the Bremerton, Wash.-based Whisker Club held its first annual North American contest on July 5 to raise money for charity, drawing competitors from as far away as Sweden. Here are some of the top contenders from the whisker warfare.