As we happily announced last week, Mark Krayenhoff is Brooklyn's Beard Ball winner. Mark is a fabulous architect in New York who recently granted B-a-B the chance to sit down for an exclusive interview with the man behind the glowing (but no longer growing) gray...
How long have you grown your beard?
I grew my first beard when I was 18, almost 34 years ago - and I’ve never been clean-shaven since. I was crazy about facial hair ever since I was young and I was very eager to grow my own beard as soon as I could. Over the years I’ve had a short beard, various forms of goatees, and for one summer, a mustache.
*Mark in picture series - "My Beard & The Weather"
Have you always admired beards?
Most definitely – it’s part of being a man! When I was a young teenager in the 70's I was dying to have big mutton-chop sideburns (think Engelbert Humperdinck), although they went out of style by the time I could grow them. I always noticed bearded men like Glenn Hughes from the Village People, Kenny Rogers, Al from Home Improvements, or even Raymond Burr when he had a beard.
How long is the beard? Is it still growing?
My beard reaches below my nipples. The longest hairs are 14.” It has reached terminal length, so it’s not getting any longer. I was hoping it would reach my belt buckle like ZZ Top but this is where it stops. (My boyfriend has a beard too, so we get compared to them a lot). Also, my longest moustache hairs are 4 to 5” so I use mustache wax to keep them out of my mouth. It’s like painful dental floss if the hairs get caught in your teeth.
*Mark in picture series - "My Beard & The Weather"
Being an architect in NYC, how is your beard received by your clients and peers?
I’m lucky – I work in a small firm that does mostly high-end residential projects, so most of my clients are sophisticated, intelligent people, so it’s not a problem. I can imagine that some of them are surprised when they first meet me, but they soon realize that I’m good at what I do, and I’ve never had a complaint. And for those clients who want something really new and original, I think my appearance is an asset. They know they won’t be getting the same old thing from me. It would be much harder if I worked in a big firm designing office buildings where the corporate culture was more conformist.
Who is your favorite famous beardo and why?
Jack Passion has a truly incredible beard – although I don’t think he’s famous outside of beard circles.
We noticed you were drinking beer at the 2010 Beard Ball... any advice on how to keep the froth from the 'stache/beard?
LOL – that’s a very good question! You really have to change your way of eating and drinking with a big 'stache, but it’s more than worth it. Once in a while I like getting beer foam on my 'stache so I’ll drink from a mug, but normally I only drink bottled beer to keep my mustache out of the way. (And eating soup is even more of a challenge, because it’ll get in my 'stache at the same time that my beard is dipping in the bowl).
What did you enjoy most about Beard Ball Brooklyn, other than this honor?
It was great to have the opportunity to chat with other men about their beards. I know it’s something that a lot of men think about, but they don’t often have the opportunity to talk with other men. I often hear guys say they wish they could grow a beard, but their partner won’t let them, or they have to be clean-shaven for their job. There is a lot of anti-beard prejudice out there, so it’s great to have a friendly place to talk about it.
Are you going to "go Beard or go home?!"
Absolutely!
----------------------
Here is a special tribute to Mark Krayenhoff's hairy life -- 8 historical photos of his progress from 1980 to the present – short beard, various goatees, and now his long beard. Note: progression from brown to white.
1980 - Mark's 1st beard – 22 years old
1991 - "The 1990s were all about goatees" – 33 years old
1994 - "Experimenting"
1995 - "Another goatee"
1996 - The least facial hair Mark's ever had as an adult – a chin strip - 38 years old 
1997 - Mark growing his beard long for the 1st time
1998 - "A bit fuller" - 40 years old
2005 – "Going gray quickly now" - Shortly after this, Mark ceased trimming his beard completely
2010 – 52 years old - Brooklyn Beard Ball Winner.
Mark's beard has reached maximum length and is mostly white
*Build-A-Beard would like to sincerely thank Mark for sharing his pictures - and allowing us insight into his awesome bearded journey. You make NYC proud, sir!