The USA Mullet Championships have partnered with Major League Eating (MLE) to spice things up for the nationwide championships in 2022, according to a press release.
The USA Mullet Championships celebrate the millenniums-old hairstyle often described as “business-in-the-front, party-in-the-back.”
The ancient Greeks were known to sport the short-in-front, long-in-back hairstyle, and evidence suggests that perhaps Neanderthal Man wore the look as well. Those of a certain age might recall the haircut as worn by celebrities such as George Clooney, Billy Ray Cyrus, John Stamos, Patrick Swayze, and others during the ’80s and ’90s.
The hairstyle competition began in 2020 as a simple marketing strategy for Kevin Begola’s business, a men’s store called Bridge Street Exchange that offers apparel, shoes, grooming supplies, and barware in Michigan.
Because the adults-only competition did so well locally in Michigan, Begola expanded the idea nationwide and added other divisions. Now the competition has categories for kids, teens, adult males, and adult females (whose ‘do’s they call “femullets”)
The mullet competition will hold both virtual and in-person events for 2022, and MLE will help guide them on their way to success and include them in their own events.
MLE organizes eating competitions, producing around fifty events a year, including “Nathan’s Famous July 4 International Hot Dog Eating Contest,” the press release explained.
MLE will be helping to build the brand for the mullet championships using its knowledge in producing live events, media, and sponsorships.
Begola is thrilled for MLE’s help in expanding to new venues and building up the fanbase. “MLE’s experience building a sponsorship-driven live-event brand will help support the rapid growth of the competitive mullet world,” he shared.
Jaxson Crossland, a local fourth-grader from Collin County, was the 1st place gold winner in the kids’ division in 2020 for his representation of the “Curly Mullet.” The following year, he placed among the top 25, according to the USA Mullet Championships website.
CBS DFW stated that he won five hundred dollars for the title in 2020. His mother, Zoie Shepard, said, “Jax has been just ecstatic since winning. It’s been so great to be able to enter him into something that celebrates what makes him different… people recognize him everywhere now.”
The Chair of MLE, George Shea, stated, “The mullet is more than a hairstyle – the mullet is a lifestyle. We believe that the USA Mullet Championships is a cultural phenomenon that lies at the core of the American experience and we are excited to help showcase the platform to new fans and sponsors alike.”
