Facial Hair Club keeping Austin "beard"

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Americans are proud of the fact they finally elected the nation's first African-American president.

However, before we pat ourselves on the back too vigorously, we might ask ourselves a question: How well would an otherwise well-qualified presidential candidate fare if he sported a large beard that hung to his navel?

Just when we thought we were making such progress!

Fortunately, those of the big beard can still compete for something and four of them from Austin are going to do just that. They are members of the Austin Facial Hair Club, and they leave this week for Anchorage, Alaska, and the World Beard and Mustache Championships .

"It just makes me feel unique, you know," said contestant Allen Demling. "It's like when I go out somewhere, even though I see people, like, laughing at me and stuff like that, it's like, 'Well, at least I stand out,' you know. People will remember me, at least."

Fellow contestant Brent Nutting has his own reason for a long beard.

"Really, I just don't like shaving very much," he said. "Just because it's irritating and I think it's just kind of time consuming to have to, especially if you do, you know, right down to the skin all the time."

But it was contestant Bryan Nelson who went to the heart of the matter.

"If I were to shave every day, that would be not what my face looks like, because that's not how you look normally. You have to go to great lengths and great exfoliation to get in there and shave off layers of your skin and try to deny yourself the beard that wants to break free."

The World Beard and Mustache Championships event is held every two years. This year's competition is scheduled for May 23 in Anchorage.