San Antonio Man Awarded Best Facial Hair In Country And Coveted Wahl® Man Of The Year Title

STERLING, Ill., Feb. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The verdict is in. Fifteen facial haired finalists competed for the honor of becoming the next Wahl Man of the Year and it was the Man of San Antonio, Ricardo Ruiz, and his clever handle-bar mustache and goatee combination that wowed the judges and ultimately took home the coveted title and the $1,000 cash prize that comes with it.

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Wahl thanks the hundreds of participants, including the 14 finalists who were named facial hair champions of their respective cities, as well as the panel of celebrity judges: Gerilyn Manago of Men's Health, Phil Olson of Beard Team USA, Dr. Adam Paul Causgrove of American Mustache Institute and Tyler Marlete of the Clinton LumberKings, who ultimately selected Ruiz as this year's winner.

"The Wahl Man of the Year contest recognizes and celebrates real guys with great facial hair," said Steve Yde, Marketing Director for Wahl. "Ricardo Ruiz is only the eighth man to hold the title and we applaud his mustache and goatee combination as well as the other finalists who are fine examples of well-groomed facial hair."

What is the Wahl Man of the Year Contest?

Each year, Wahl, a proud American brand and champion of facial hair, scours the country in search of the best beards, mustaches and goatees. Armed with a team of Master Barbers and 30-foot mobile barbershop, Wahl traveled from city to city on an 11,000-mile journey to celebrate facial hair and find the one and only Wahl Man of the Year.

"Six in 10 guys sport facial hair at some point during the year, but the truth is that many want and need guidance on how to properly groom it," said Yde. "Our annual Man of the Year quest and tour is our way to help guys look their best with the latest tools and techniques." 

To find the next Wahl Man of the Year, Wahl supplied its team of Master Barbers with the latest grooming tools and sent them to groom where men gathered. While dishing out advice—and free facial hair trims—the team was also on the lookout for men with a gift for grooming and a flair for facial hair. In the end, 14 style-defining delegates were chosen at each tour stop along with a national finalist selected from online entries. Each finalist won $500 and a Wahl Lithium Ion Stainless Steel Trimmer to keep up the great grooming. As the 2013 Man of the Year, Ruiz will also win an additional $1,000 Grand Prize.

For more information about the contest or to see Ruiz's winning style, visit grooming.wahl.com.  To learn how to achieve a new style, check out Wahl's facial hair gallery and tips from the experts. You can also connect with Wahl on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

About WAHL Trimmers
A quarter-century ago, WAHL recognized the desire for well kept facial hair and created the trimmer category. The WAHL Groomsman was the world's first battery operated facial hair trimmer, and featured the same type of blade quality that defined WAHL clippers. And for the past 25+ years, that innovation has continued, developing trimmers for specific facial hair styles – beard, goatee and mustache – and other variations including ear/nose, body grooming and all-in-one. Most recently, WAHL introduced the first trimmer to harness the next generation of lithium ion power that continues a legacy of superior trimming innovation.

SOURCE WAHL Trimmers