Top of the chops! Bizarre beard and moustache contest draws scores of men eager to show off extraordinary facial hair

• More than 100 take part in European Beard and Moustache Championships
• Event held in Wittersdorf, near Mulhouse, eastern France

After a summer in which the Olympics, the Paralympics and the Euro 2012 football tournament have caught the public's attention, they might seem a modest affair.

But for more than 100 men who gathered in eastern France this weekend, the European Beard and Moustache Championships were as eagerly anticipated as a major sporting event.

Competitors from across the continent converged on Wittersdorf, near Mulhouse, to take part in the contest.

Cheers: More than 100 men took part in the 2012 European Beard and Moustache Championships in Wittersdorf, France

Helping hand: Two men wearing impressive curled moustaches help each other prepare as they await their turn before the judges

Finishing touches: An entrant holds his curly moustache in place with sticky tape as he waits backstage (left) while other competitors help each other to perfect impressive looks (right)

Team effort: German contestant Elmar Weisser is helped by his wife as he gets ready to participate in the competition

And, on this evidence, the judges must have had a difficult job deciding whose facial hair was most impressive.

Some wore extraordinary costumes to match their extraordinary hair, with several candidates sporting hats to complete their unusual look.

At least one man came dressed as a sailor, and many others turned up in military uniform.

 

But if some of the entrants wore similar outfits, the facial hairstyles on display varied widely.
While a few entrants decided to wear their beards big and bushy, others came to the show with curious curly moustaches.

Several participants received a helping hand from supporters as they sought to create a winning look.

Elmar Weisser, a 48-year-old German competitor, enlisted the assistance of his wife as he prepared to take to the stage.

Top marks: A competitor is awarded a perfect '10' by a judge as he takes part in the unusual contest

Unusual: The competition in Wittersdorf attracted proud contestants from across the continent

Picture gallery: Some entrants wore extraordinary costumes to match their extraordinary hair, with several candidates sporting hats to complete their unusual look

Watching on: Three men with extraordinary moustaches sit in anticipation as fellow competitors are judged on their appearance

Going into battle: Two men wear similar moustaches and similar outfits as they prepare to take part in the event

Spot the difference: Three men wearing enormous grey beards stand together during the extraordinary contest

Ship-shape: Two competitors dressed in naval uniform assist each other as they prepare to take part in the contest

Taking it seriously: Two men read competition documents at the European Beard and Moustache Championships

Pampering: A man uses a hairdryer as he gives his grey moustache some last-minute attention

Face to face: A participant with a large grey beard is seen through the moustache of a fellow competitor in this unusual photograph

Bizarre: Four men wearing hats and unusual beards wait in line to appear on stage

It takes all kinds: A wide range of weird and wonderful styles were on display at the event in Wittersdorf, eastern France

Time for reflection: A participant gazes at his expertly-groomed moustache in a mirror