Vancouver Facial Hair Club brings out the beard in people

Terry Sagonareadily admits that having a long bushy beard hasn't made his life any easier for the past three years, especially when it comes to eating and drinking.

"Total pain in the butt," he said from Vancouver's Lamplighter Pub, where he was a competitor in the Vancouver Facial Hair Club's annual facial hair competition on Saturday.

"It's typically like pulling the moustache to the side. Anything that's round is a nightmare, it won't happen.Yeah, everything gets cut in half."

Sagona, who is from Seattle, says he often participates in facial hair competitions because they'rea lot of fun, but also for a good cause.

The Vancouver edition always raises money for a local charity. This year proceeds went toHeads Up Guys, which helps men coping with depression.

Garrett Resler founded the Vancouver Facial Hair Club five years ago after watching the American TV series Whisker Wars.

Resler, who says he has always had a beard since he could grow one, cast about on social media for other hirsute people and so the club was born.

"It's been growing ever since," he said, without any irony.

He says the club has raised $20,000 for local charities over the past three years.

Many people in the club and at competitions say that the facial hair is just an ice-breaker for meeting new people and developing relationships.

"The brotherhood and the community is just so phenomenal that you get hooked and stick around and keep doing it," he said.

The movement is not just the domain of men.

"A girl with a beard, it just adds a certain je ne sais quoito the whole thing," said RosamondNorbury who participated in the "beard building" category of the competition, along with a handful of other women.

The category was for women who put together fake but realistic-looking beards.

"My beard is luxurious," added ChristineHackman with a laugh.

"I just really like the interesting reactions I get from people because men are very confused by how sexy I look," she added.

Around 50 people took part in one of 12 different beard ormoustache categories, while several from Vancouver's club says they will participate in 2017 World Beard and Moustache Championships in Austin, Texas.