Hirsute men from eight countries curled, primped and even blow-dried their facial hair in preparation for the European Beard And Moustache Championship, held high in the Austrian Alps this weekend, the AFP reports .

The event drew about 150 participants to the town of Leogang, not far from Salzburg. According to MSNBC, men competed in 17 eccentric categories, including "Freestyle Beard," "Natural Moustache" and "Verdi," with the winner of the latter category bearing a style akin to the famous 19th century Italian composer Giuseppi Verdi.