Alexi Lalas

Panayotis Alexander “Alexi” Lalas (born June 1, 1970) is an American soccer icon. Lalas is best known for his participation with the United States national soccer team in the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where he was a standout player on the team with his stunning long red beard and untamed hair.  After the World Cup, Lalas went on to become the first American in Italy's Serie A as a member of Calcio Padova. Lalas returned to the United States in 1996 to take part in Major League Soccer, including an incredibly successful stint with the Los Angeles Galaxy, with whom he won the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and MLS Cup before retiring in 2002. Following his playing career, Lalas served as general manager of the San Jose Earthquakes, New York Red Bulls, and Los Angeles Galaxy of MLS. He was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2006. Alexi Lalas was known for the fire of his stamina, the intensity of his style, and the uncontrollable handsomeness of his unique blazing beard.

Beards In Sync With Your Wardrobe

by Bill Alley, Broadcast Host, Wordsmith and Beard

Last month we concentrated on wardrobe. Let’s look at how your facial hair can coordinate with your lifestyle. For those of us like myself, the beard rarely makes changes and I’ve not done anything drastic of late except for the retiring of ‘beard in a bottle’ colorants, allowing what I have in strands of mostly white to flourish.

“Old” is a style and a presentation that most of us can’t bypass. It will force us to find ways to capture youth by whatever means make sense and whatever finance we have on hand to effect and maintain old avoidance. I am one of those beards that doctored things to keep youthful, full whiskers. Today, in my 60s, there is something to be said for ‘earning every gray hair’ as a symbol of seasoning, if not outright wisdom. In many cultures elders are still revered with respect for all they show us. The more society blends, the more cultures of old assimilate back into the mainstream.

If you are at that point in life for changing up something, or admitting you’re not a natural blonde or jet black hair person, then letting the truth come out from the roots can be a big step in showing yourself as ‘natural’, at home in your form. Styling that goes with such a choice can be tough: I was at one of our local grocers with a cashier not far from my own age, gray hair and what should have been gray beard...dyed a dark, glowing orange. Had to think this out: basketball season playoffs, maybe a Texas A&M fan? It was a bit shocking, but on this guy, it was not offensive. As it was seasonable, it was believable.

I’ve recently tied my Pinterest beard world to parts of Beardsley to be reminded of the diversity of whiskers we man can grow. Pins entered are so wide-ranging that acceptability and ‘likes’ to photos have me receiving over 43,000 impressions in just over a month! From sweepingly wavy moustaches to thick, coarse beards to smart, precise goatees there’s presentation galore found in almost all modes of the dress-up or dress-down of the guy with that eye-fetching look. For the new first time bearder to the most sophisticated, detailed set of whiskers there is a connection any guy can make to help create the best of looks that speaks of your taste and demeanor. Finding that will be the foundation to everything you do and choose for your individualism and its grooming care.

The World Beard & Moustache Competition: What’s Changed and What’s Stayed the Same

by Bill Alley, Broadcast Host, Wordsmith and Beard Advocate

Antwerp was not in the lineup of attended events for this year; our business has been full of developments for a robust year and we just bought a house at the end of last year. Work and a mortgage will prevent a larger list of the ‘I wanna go’ list from taking off.

Our Internet radio station, KNGY-DB (at kngyradio.com) took an invite from the Austin Facial Hair Club to cover their 2017 Worlds event. We were there all five days with great moments captured, reunion with friends, and more production than a 4 month old facility should ever undertake. But, it was the zenith of whiskerdom, an hour away. Grueling as it was, we’ve got so many snapshots we could fill a large wall!

Leading up to Antwerp I didn’t find as much publicity as Austin, though all in the Beard & Moustache association world had ample ways to keep abreast. Our choice to follow and communicate with whose Beard was making the international photo rounds was Nils Fulgesnes—our Norwegian sweater model, woodsman, family man and in my estimation one of the best of beard contestants, for a host of reasons. Congenial, photogenic and creative in letting the camera capture him as lumberjack logger, flanneled trailblazer with friend, or chest-bare in a frozen snowfield with the sun as back-lighting to define whiskers as rugged as the man is with nature could not have been excelled in every good and manly trait. If I were a betting man my money would have Nils in the top three of the best of relevant categories (full beard natural, best newcomer, and Best In Show). We await word on his first time as competitor and spectator and when he updates we’ll share his insights.

What the lenses picked up at the Worlds gave onlookers the wild, styled, far and bizarre within the competitive field, which the likes of every major British newspaper and other publications, television networks and fans presented. In fact, typical reporting these days found most running the Reuters photography and wording with little deviation; not much was said about each contestant, their presentation nor status. Comparing the Austin vs. Antwerp comps in their view, one would be hard pressed to tell the events apart. One photo however caught my attention: a moustached sculpting of what presented to be a laying umbrella formed by whiskers which from left-to-right started with a large curved handle at the base, and past the nose formed a closed umbrella shape. The contestant was one of the very few who could actually pull off this feat.

As of this writing and publication deadline (22 May) the committee have not made the judges decisions presented formally, but several blogs and news organization did reveal a few things. Esquire Magazine announced the definitive truth about beard popularity stating clearly that ladies are more attracted to the bearded man as overall preference, and that heavy stubble was top favorite with full beards and shadowy stubble ranked 2nd and 3rd. Meanwhile Robert Mevec got a lot of attention from Syracuse.com’s entry for winning 3rd place overall dressed as a full beard (less moustache) ‘Alaskan Whaler’. Mevec put the Greater Hartford CT Beard & Moustache Club in the spotlight for that win. You can follow my growing collection of the WBMC 2019 event here.