Since 2007, the number of men sporting unusual mustaches in the streets of Coronado, during the month of November, has steadily increased and it is set to rise over the coming years. These “Mo Bros”, as they are commonly referred to around the globe, are likely to be participating in the charity event Movember. Men (and ladies, if they can) are encouraged to grow a mustache for the whole month of November to raise funds and awareness for men’s health, particularly prostate and testicular cancer.
Here in Coronado, Blue Bridge Hospitality hosted a Movember challenge. The end of challenge celebration and judging took place on December 3, at the Village Pizzeria Bayside, located on First Street in the Coronado Ferry Landing. By hosting this event, Blue Bridge Hospitality has provided the Mo Bros of Coronado and San Diego with a creative outlet to display their well-manicured whiskers while raising much needed funds and awareness for men’s health.
I, along with fellow eCoronado.com staffer Brooke Prouty and local lawyer and lifestyle writer, Alisa Kerr, were honored with the task of judging the best mustache. It was a delightfully entertaining evening for an enthusiastic crowd.
As an Australian native, I have a long history with Movember as it was in Australia the tradition of Movember began, unsurprisingly, over a few beers in a Melbourne pub, sometime during 2003. Two mates, Travis Garone and Luke Slattery, discussed the recurring nature of various trends and pondered why the mustache was no longer popular. They challenged each other to grow a mustache. Inspired by a friend’s mother who was fundraising for breast cancer, the boys decided to grow a mustache to raise awareness for prostate and testicular cancer. They then convinced 30 of their friends to join in the fundraiser and charged them $10 AUD a head to participate. From these humble beginnings, Movember has since become a successful global fundraising event and is gaining popularity in the USA.
A comprehensive and comical history of the early years of Movember is detailed in Movember – a Hairy Tale.
The primary aim of Movember is to raise awareness and much needed funds for men’s health, but it is also an opportunity for men to unleash their creativity and even possibly to satisfy a harmless fantasy, especially for professionals in job positions that require a sharp look; think of the smart-looking business executive who grows a “Trucker” mustache to fulfill his western cowboy fantasy.
The international rules that govern Movember are simple (though they were relaxed slightly in the inaugural Coronado contest). Each Mo Bro must begin the 1st of November with a clean shaven face. For the entire month, each Mo Bro must grow and groom a mustache. There is to be no joining of the mustache to the sideburns as it is considered a beard; and there is to be no joining of the handlebars to the chin as it is considered a goatee. Participants are to register online at Movember.com. The final rule of Movember is: each Mo Bro must conduct himself like a true gentleman.
Movember organizers have put their own slant on an already well-established mustache styles and have renamed each of them. Names include the Trucker, the Box car, the Abracadabra, the Undercover Brother, the Regent, the Connoisseur, The Wisp, the Rock Star and the After Eight. Some of these mustache styles and others were paraded at Blue Bridge Hospitality’s Movember Charity Contest. The competition was stiff as all contestants modeled creatively coiffed mustaches.
Contestants of the 2013 Blue Bridge Hospitality Movember Contest
The winner of Blue Bridge Hospitality’s Movember contest was 21 year old Brian Fernandez with his Rock Star style mustache. Brian was awarded $500 in his honor to the Men’s Health Network. Additionally Brian will also be the lucky recipient of a chef’s dinner for eight, prepared by Leroy’s executive chef, JC Colón!
Second place winner, Scott Aurich, sporting an immaculately groomed Trucker mustache, with a twist, scored two tickets to Leroy’s Hess Brewery Dinner. Third place winner, Anthony Incardona, and his traditional Trucker style mustache won a $100 Bluebridge Hospitality giftcard.
Blue Bridge Hospitality’s representative, Angela Butori, commented on the success of the night, “we are so happy to be able to donate to the Men’s Health Network as well as spread awareness about men’s health issues. It is so great to see men being proactive about their health and having fun doing it.”
2013 Coronado Movember winners (left to right) Anthony Incardona 3rd place, Scott Aurich 2nd place & Brian Fernandez 1st place
Ever the pessimist, in my opinion, there is a downside to Movember and it is fraught with danger. Wives or significant others of Mo Bros find they have to spend the month keeping their men at arms distance with kissing privileges often revoked for fear of beard rash. Several days in to the month of November, Mo Bros develop a course and unrefined stubble. They rub at their faces as if they are primates, or perhaps suffering from some sort of dermatological affliction.
The upside is the mustache is a catalyst for conversation: Family, friends and co-workers inquire as to why stubble has suddenly sprouted on one’s top lip. Strangers may comment on a peculiar style of mustache. Ultimately a conversation ensues about men’s health, the need to raise awareness and funds.
Let’s face it. Men in general are reluctant to talk about their health, particularly serious health issues, and especially ones that may be perceived as embarrassing and too private to talk about. Movember aims to break down these barriers and encourage men to learn about their health, talk about their health more openly and to ultimately be more proactive in looking after their health.
I wish to extend congratulations to the Coronado Mo Bros of 2013 for participating in Movember. I look forward to seeing next year’s styles. If you didn’t participate this year, there is always next year!
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Siobhan Bailie
Staff Writer
eCoronado.com
