LONDON (AP) – Hundreds of shaggy men competed Saturday to see who had the bushiest, longest and most sculpted whiskers in the World Beard & Moustache Championships.

About 250 contestants took part in the competition in Brighton, England, lining up before panels of judges to compete in 17 different classes of facial hair.

Moustache categories include the “Dali” – slender with long tips, straight or arching up – and the big and bushy “Hungarian,” while the beard categories ranged from the shorter “Verdi” to the rounder, more expansive “Garibaldi.”

Those with particularly fanciful fuzz – like one man who showed up with a beard sculpted into the shape of London’s Tower Bridge – were invited to compete in the freestyle categories. Competitors were barred from using extensions or hair pins, although wax and hairspray were allowed in some cases.

The first competition was held in 1990.

The next championships in 2009 will be held in Anchorage, Alaska.

On the Web:

World Beard and Mustache Competition: http://www.handlebarclub.co.uk/wbmc.shtml