The TOP 12 MEANest BEARDS of 2017

We are proud to announce the TOP 12 MEANest BEARDS in the world for 2017.  These men were selected by the 10 person MEAN BEARD judge panel out of the 126 MEAN BEARD contestants from 23 countries around the world.  It was a very hard decision for the judges, as all the entrants have exceptional beards, all unique and special in their own way, and many with amazing stories attached to their beards signifying a deep meaning for what their beard symbolizes to them, which ultimately makes it a MEAN BEARD.  You all inspire us, and make it clear that a MEAN BEARD is a symbol of strength, freedom, truth, patience and perseverance.  You all have a different story, however, you all share the same passion, and that is a great passion for the beard.  Thank you to all contestants you all have a MEAN BEARD.  Stay MEAN and look forward to the 2018 contest!

The TOP 12 MEANest BEARDS of 2017, in no particular order are:

Tony Kelly - Milton Keynes, England - @Mrcoors69 

"You will do a double take when Tony walks into the room, his beard is unique in colouring and has a great shape & fullness.  What he does for a living is very special - working with disabled children & their families to modify & equip their homes so the children can live at home instead of institutionalized."

Jamie Murphy - Wapato, WA USA - @fastbackbeast68 

"Yet another big red beard, an immense beard.  Obviously, growing a beard requires skill, and clearly Jamie has it as he is also a carpenter by trade. We dig his passion for cars, and his collection of classics sounds awesome."

Jim Jones - Washington, IN USA  

"First thing that caught our eyes was the insane stache.  That's a world-class stache.  His family is King to him, which is vitally important in today's day and age of broken families.  He only wants to do good with his beard for charity purposes, that's a great MEAN attitude." 

Mychael Anders - Grants Pass, OR USA @mykeanders 

"This guy's beard is insane.  Great red full beard and well maintained.  We appreciate Mychael's service and his ex-military background being put to use bringing vets together helping with PTSD, a very important cause." 

Adam Jones - Brockville, ON Canada - @whiskerjones  

"He is known as Whisker Jones.  He has a great beard and stache with an artistic flair.  We know Adam is very passionate about bearding with his presence on social media, and he is an inspiration to all those with beard goals."

Cory Gall - Pullman, WA USA - @beard_science 

"The bearded scientist. Really cool story, clearly a very cleaver man doing great work, there's nasty shit coming out of Africa disease wise.  Cory certainly is one for the ladies with a great look, his beard is full and well maintained."

Mark Dana - Tustin, CA  USA - @markhasabeard  

"It may not be the longest beard, but it is definitely one of the fullest and most distinct - jet black and perfectly shaped.  Mark rose up to his own insecurities due to others putting him down. He has the right attitude: Be who you are, with all you are.  Be kind, but be mean to evil".

Bryan Wilt - West Mifflin, PA USA - @Chainsaw_PGH  

"For many of the judges, this is the MEANest pic in the competition. Bryan's look as a clown is scary as fck and the fact that he chases people with a chainsaw at a theme park sounds like he is a lot of fun. Bryan's beard is awesome. We like that he is a care worker for the deaf and is fluent in sign language."

Robert Kuhn - Middletown, PA USA - @medieval_one 

"A beard as white as snow.  No yellow tint, it's pure white, even his mustache.  The curls are unique and a great feature of his beard, making it look very healthy.  We agree Robert's beard has the ancient classic look of the scantily clad roman & greek god statues that grace the museums."

Gerry Spiller - Grantham, NH USA - @Spillergerry 

"A fierce mane and world class beard competitor.  Gerry's beard is dense, lush and wide - as wide as a semi truck coming at you.  We love his - 'if you're going to do it, do it well' attitude".

Troy Wallace - Augusta, KS  USA - @T.wall77 

"This photo really stands out to us - like the heavens are shining down on a magnificent beard.  The colour, the width, the length and thickness all make Troy's beard one of top  MEANest by far.  We love his gentleman attitude towards women and his charity work towards helping those who are hungry and in need."

Scott Bradley - Camp Hill, PA USA

"This guy's look is badass.  Scott has an amazing full white beard.  His build and tats reveal his MEAN as FCK attitude to persevere and not care what other people think.  It is clear, Scott is ambitious and you know he will achieve his goals." 

Look forward to next week!  The MEAN BEARD judge panel will determine the TOP 3 and make the announcement on January 15th, and then the Champion will be announced on January 17th. When determining the MEANest BEARD Champion, the main factor is obviously the beard.  However, it's not only the beard, it's also the attitude that deems a MEAN BEARD.  What's the story behind the beard, what does the beard stand for?  The judges will look closely at the story and who the person is behind the beard.  The MEANest BEARD Champion has to be able to represent what MEAN BEARD is all about. 

The champion will claim the MEANest BEARD trophy and a MEAN prize pack valued up to $1,000 which includes beard care products from MEAN BEARD Co., and cool items donated from the contest's sponsors - Elderwood Handcraft, Gonzalez Handmade, One Eyed Cat Crafts, and MEAN Clothing Company.

You can view all 126 contestants and their full stories on MEAN BEARD Instagram or Facebook, or a brief here on the website contest photo gallery.

 Feel free to leave a comment below.  We'd love to hear your thoughts.