Some beards are adequate. Some beards are hairy enough to seem manly, while trimmed enough to keep the boss happy. And then there’s the beard that makes all regular beards look like adolescent peach fuzz.
August’s Beard of The Month is just such a beard.
This month’s beard belongs to Nathan Smoyer, a guy who gets up and puts his pants on like everyone else in the morning, and then strikes fear into the hearts of men with his impressive beard.
Nate is a Social Media Coordinator for Logos Bible Software, a member of leadership at Ekklesia Church, a BMX’er, and more importantly, a bearder.
But enough about Nathan- let’s get to know his beard…
Getting to know your beard
Approximate age of your beard: At the time of the photo, 8-9 weeks or so.
Beard style/category: The “I keep the stache curled just a bit.”
Food most often found stuck in your beard: Oh man, bits of bacon, cookie crumbs. Eating pancakes is difficult. Everything I drink gets in the mustache.
Your bearded lifestyle
What inspired you to grow your beard? I’ve wanted one since I was little. Must be because I thought all the biker dudes at our family picnics were the coolest and I wanted to look like them. I also really dislike shaving, so I’d rather groom and maintain than shave.
How do you avoid the summer temptation to shave your beard? There is no such thing. Period. People (like my mother) ask me, “Aren’t you hot with that beard?” Unless they can grow a beard, I don’t really even want to ask the question. It makes no difference to me. Once you get past the itchy phase it’s all downhill from there- regardless of the weather.
What is the most unique comment you’ve received regarding your beard? A TSA guy stopped me to tell me my beard was awesome once. Here in Bellingham, facial hair gets a lot of respect, so I’m used to random folks saying nice beard. It’s kind of cool.
A day in the life of your beard
Describe the daily maintenance of your beard: Be sure to wash with water daily and soap every now and then. I comb it daily (especially after a shower). That’s about it.
How do people typically react to your beard? Positively. Then again, I’m still single so who knows if it really is making a positive impression on others. Haha. Some tell me I would look better without a beard. Their opinion doesn’t really count though.
How do you defend yourself against beard enviers? Defend? No need to. Haters are going to hate. I’ve been blessed and I couldn’t be more stoked about it.
Your beard’s uniqueness
How would you say your beard matches your personality? I’m outspoken and very outgoing. I can be a bit intense in comparison to most west-coasters I meet- so yeah, I think it fits.
What about your beard are you most proud of? I can’t say I’m really “proud” of it. I view growing a beard as a test of patience. I’m thankful for the blessing of having the ability to grow a good beard, so I take the time to groom and cultivate it.
How has your beard in particular served as an inspiration to others? I get the comment, “I wish I could grow a beard like that” all the time. I encourage every man to try and to eat bacon everyday. Everyone has the ability to cultivate a look of their own. Mine happens to be a full beard. I’d say I owe my inspiration to all the old biker guys I used to see when I was younger. I can only hope to inspire little tikes everywhere to dream of one day sporting a beard!
Big thanks to Nathan for letting me feature his follicles. If you’d like to submit a nomination for Beard of The Month, email me at stephen@thebeardedidealist.com.
*Photos courtesy of Nathan Smoyer and RyanScottPhoto.com.
Is Nathan’s curled-stache-beard the bees knees or what?
