EMBARRASS- Mullet, not the saltwater fish, but the hairstyle.
In Minnesota, it’s also known as hockey hair. The iconic hairstyle, “business in the front, party in the back,” was made famous by the Beastie Boys 1994 hit “Mullet Head.”
Local mullet aficionados got a chance to strut their stuff during the Embarrass Fair’s first-ever mullet competition on Aug. 28. There were four categories and two dozen entrants, though youngsters outnumbered the adults two-to-one.
“A huge thank you to the parents who raised these brave individuals with the confidence to say, ‘Yes, I know what my hair looks like, and no, I am not cutting it!’” said event organizers Amanda Rasmusson and Chandelle Cannon. “Thank you for supporting their dreams, their questionable hair choices, and their commitment to keeping the party in the back alive and well,”
Rasmusson thanked four area salons who helped sponsor the event: Uptown Stylists, Cost Cutters, Great Clips, and Northern Lights Salon.
“Without our parents, our hairstylists, and our generous donors, these mullets would simply be haircuts,” they added.
The crowd gathered for the event was impressive, and while the cribbage tournament was underway in a nearby tent, the area in front of the stage was filled with an enthusiastic crowd.
Each entrant picked their own walk-up song. There was a lot dancing and fancy footwork to 80s and 90s hits from AC/DC, ZZ Top, and Queen. But toddler Mateo, from Virginia, pranced and danced to “Baby Shark,” an earworm sure to stick in many of the audiences’ ears for days (it is still stuck in mine!).
The competition was fierce, and the judges, who stayed anonymous, said the judging was “completely scientific, extremely professional, and only slightly questionable.”
Axel Gorecki, of Embarrass, won the kids’ division for the best mullet and most likely the best stage presence, rocking out to “We’re Not Going to Take It,” the 1984 hit by Twister Sister. But there were plenty of other contestants who rocked the stage, and swung their hair, during the contest.
“I’ve had my mullet a long time,” said Axel. “I like the style!” He credited his aunt, a stylist at Uptown Stylists in Virginia, for his award-winning look.
Ely’s Hudson Kingston won the adult division, along with the longest mullet, measuring in at a little over 14 inches. He was slightly embarrassed to have put his name in for the longest mullet competition, not realizing his competition was mostly under 10 years old. Kingston said he saw the competition advertised on Facebook and decided to get his long locks styled for the event, crediting the Roots Salon in Ely for his award-winning getup.
Crowd favorite went to Collin Folstad, whose on stage presence was a bit more rowdy, and messy, as he punctured a beer can and attempted to drink the spray, which mostly just made a mess, causing the judges to say no more beer drinking on stage.
Yep, you had to be there.