No doubt you’ve heard the name… it rolls of your tongue like the feel of a cool breeze going through your beard on a hot summer day. Jack Passion (http://jackpassion.com and @jackpassion)… say it with us… Jack, Passion… yes, the very same that has amassed two wins in the Natural Beard category at World Beard and Mustache Championships at the age of 25… yep, that author who tackled beards chin on with The Facial Hair Handbook the must have beard growers book… the very same Jack Passion that signs his emails “Love and Passion”… people like that just warm our heart…and yes, the very same with a giant orange beard.
“Jack Passion is to the sport of bearding what Tiger Woods is to the sport of golf.”
— Phil Olsen, Founder and Self-Appointed Captain, Beard Team USA
B-a-B edit: Written on 5/29/2009… yes, that matters.
We try to be inspiring here at B-a-B, but truth be told we like nothing else than being inspired by the bearded community as well… Clearly, Jack is in a league all his own in terms of inspiration; Jack even was one of his graduating class’ speakers at UCSC among other things… we should probably continue writing up this interview while bowing our heads, and you should probably read it as such as well.
Either way, when we heard that Jack wasn’t competing in the 2011 World Championships we raced to meet this bass playing beard oracle to get some answers and gauge what this means for competitive bearding, do German’s cry, what the end of Street Fighter II looks like and much, much more… so, enjoy!
It’s an honor to be here by the side of such a beardo… your follicle awesomeness is an example to us all… how and when did you decide to grow it out and grow it proud?
The honor is mine! I never gave bearding much thought until I placed highly on the world stage. Prior to that, my beard was just another in a long line of facial hairstyles that I had worn. At some point, I had no choice but to accept my role as America's beard ambassador; the alternative would have been to shave - no thanks! Since that time, a great deal of thought and discussion has brought me and my beard to where we are today. My beard is my career, and I work hard.
When did the decision to participate in competitive bearding come to be? And why, how’d you even hear about Beard Team USA?
Initially, I just wanted a story to tell my grandchildren one day. I did not know the caliber of my beard, nor did I even know a fire burned in my heart to crush other men's dreams of bearded glory. Sometimes the spirit of competition must be awakened in the soul, like the premise of any good 80s action sports movie. I heeded the call to brush and condition my way to the top, a position from which I can hopefully lead by example that a bearded life is an authentic, honest, and honorable one.
Tell us about your first competition on the global level … did other beardos give you a hard time because some of their beards were older than you?
The first world competition I attended was in Berlin, and I "only" got third. There was quite a bit of outrage, but since it was in German, I had no idea. Later on, I was told that the older, German elite thought I was totally un-serious and that my pirate costume was disrespectful. They don't have to like me, as long as they fear me.
My world standings are as follows:
2005, Berlin, 3rd place, Natural Full Beard
2007, Brighton, 1st place, Natural Full Beard
2009, Anchorage, 1st place, Natural Full Beard
We know that people love the beard… did having a few titles help to milk even more love from envious women (and scores of men)?
Yes. ;-)
Nice, we dig… Anyway, then comes Alaska… you win that championship too… how’d you do it? What is it about your routine that you think sets you apart?
I spell out my entire regimen and all of my trade secrets in my book, The Facial Hair Handbook. My program is pretty simple in concept, but I actually follow all of it to a tee, and I am unrelenting in my pursuit of perfection -- no detail is to be overlooked.
We will most certainly get to your hairy manuscript a bit later…Why is the natural beard the most coveted title? Did the Germans cry like little babies after your 2nd win in a row?
I don't know if there is one title more coveted than another, but Full Beard Natty is certainly the most competitive because of its size; more than half the competitors at the Anchorage contest were in my category.
I don't know if they were crying, nor do I care. Nobody can hear their pitiful sobs over the roaring cheers of Passionate victory, anyway. Really though, everyone's a beardsman and after they warmed up to me, the Germans have always been really happy for me when I win. And if you've ever beaten Street Fighter II as Ryu, it's like that: I'm already on to the next match; I live for the thrill of the fight.
Also, despite the sometimes (ok, often) inflammatory rhetoric, I grow and wear a beard for many reasons higher in priority than competition. I have made some men jealous, but if there is envy or rage, it is only because I have yet to connect with these guys on a personal level. If I have a beard and you have a beard, we have something in common of great social and moral significance; a bond that makes us real friends before we even meet.
So now you are a two time champ, and yet you chose to not compete in the upcoming National Championships… what’s the deal? Is winning THAT boring?
I've logged the forest bare, and I need to let a few bearded trees grow again so that I can obliterate and tarnish their family names for all time once again.
I've been a very prominent figure on the team, and since we're hosting it, I thought it'd just be a good move to sit it out. When I brought this up, the event planners offered the MC gig, and that's right up my alley, so I took it. I'm excited to relax and just have a good time with a bunch of good guys over a beautiful weekend in the Pacific Northwest, which to be fair, out-beards Brooklyn 10:1.
I really encourage everyone in beards to come to Bend. It's super cheap to fly there, and this is not only your chance to do really well in a beard contest, but it's also shaping up to be the biggest facial hair event in history. Guinness will be on hand to record the number of contestants and spectators. Beard competitions are finally rising to the level of sports like World's Strongest Man and hot dog eating competitions. Anyone can do roids and get overpaid to play with balls. I say let's eat hot dogs, throw kegs over walls, and grow beards!
We'll start booking our trip tomorrow! In the meantime, tell us about your book… is a sequel planned? Perhaps a guide to manscaping, or a tome about sideburns? Stache excellence? Do tell… and also, who is your favorite author?
There is a lot of information on facial hair care in the world, but let's be honest: There's still a lot of shitty beards, and a lot of guys trying to grow beards end up quitting (and I say quitting instead of shaving, because it really is quitting; as in giving up, folding, submitting, and forfeiting) because it itches or someone tells them it sucks. I provide the motivation to go beards out, and the skill set to grow and wear facial hair to the best of your biological ability; in a practical and easy to follow format. Facial hair is an honest and natural thing, and I take a very holistic approach to equipping you with everything you need and nothing you don't. I know it sounds like a shameless plug, but it really will change a man's life. Plus, it makes a great gift. :)
The book has done really well, and I'm just about to release a revised second printing. The content is almost identical, but some design things have changed, most notably the cover.
I don't really have a favorite author, but I tend to read a lot of philosophy and other non-fiction if that helps. But when you ask about a favorite author, I have to ask, were you guys trying to get me to plug garyvee?
Haha, thanks for that… but not since he shaved... You’re an author and we figure you must be inspired by someone… bearded philosophers surely fit that bill. Finally… have you heard of Mane n’Tail, if so… would you recommend it or even use it?
It smells good, it's inexpensive in bulk, and it gets the job done well, but it's a age-old myth of the beard community that it's some miracle beard wash/condish. Beard hair isn't head hair, but it sure isn't horse hair, either! That said, if they offered me an endorsement, I'd take it. You can do better ($$$$), but you can do muuuch worse.
(Photo credit: Justin James Muir)
