DC Man Wins ‘Man of the Year’ for Best Facial Hair in the Country

After traveling to the Top 10 Most Facial Hair Friendly Cities in America, and scouring through hundreds of contest entries, 11 men ‘made the cut’ as finalists in Wahl’s now annual Man of the Year Contest.

Washington D.C. topped the list of cities most welcoming of whiskers… and the Capital City prevailed yet again as one of its bearded locals, Steve Carpinelli (below, right), triumphed with the coveted title of Wahl Man of the Year.

“Our annual facial hair face-off is designed to find and celebrate guys who embrace a whiskered lifestyle,” said Steven Yde, division vice president of marketing for Wahl. “Not only do we seek out men with a knack for grooming, we look for men who consider facial hair to be an integral part of who they are.”

“Steve Carpinelli is a perfect example of this. He’s an advocate for facial hair, he’s passionate about it — and he has a great beard.”

Carpinelli has had his beard since 2000, and plans to have it for the rest of his life. “My beard is a definable part of me; it stands out and is one of the first things people notice,” he said. “I’ve also found that facial hair can segue into conversations about interests or passions. For example, facial hair has been a way for me to honor my roots and represent a family heritage I’m proud of.”

As the next Wahl Man of the Year, Carpinelli takes home a $1,500 Grand Prize; in addition, he will reign supreme throughout 2016 and will be featured in a national advertisement.