To the untrained eye, there is only one type of mullet. But, mullet fans know there is much more to the 1980s hairstyle.
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Judges arrived at Chelmsford Hotel Kurri Kurri in the Hunter Valley on Saturday to choose who would be crowned a winner at the inaugural Mullet Fest.
They had the difficult task of choosing the best mane in each category – every day, grubby, ranga, ladies and junior mullet and publican.
Jess Hill, mother of three-year-old mullet-wearing Gabriel, travelled from Warrawong to join hundreds of other mullet enthusiasts.
Her son cried when we wasn’t crowed winner of the junior category but Ms Hill said ultimately the competition was not about winning or losing but “mullet pride”.
“I love our multicultural county and I love all the different opportunities Australia affords and all the different lifestyles but I’m also incredibly proud of our iconic Aussie culture,” Ms Hill said.
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“I am a hearty advocate for the mullet, everyone that knows me knows I’ll got toe-to-toe to defend my kids my hair.”
Meanwhile, Mount Warrigal’s Shane Robinson said his son Bailey, 13, was “robbed” of the trophy in the Ranga category because he wasn’t 18. But the teen – who can’t remember the last time he trimmed his mullet – said that won’t deter him from entering next year.
The title of best everyday mullet went to Shane "Shag" Hanrahan, whose hair has not been cut since 1986.
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Other winners included: The grubby mullet: Trent Wright (Booral, NSW); Junior mullet: Alex Keary (Monavale, NSW); Ladies’ mullet: eleven-month-old Sylvie Thornton (Kurri Kurri) and the ranger mullet title was awarded to Cougar Knight (Rosebud, VIC).
Paterson MP and Mullet Fest 2017 judge Meryl Swanson said people had embraced the event and its atmosphere was “absolutely fantastic”.
“There’s actually a lot of care and pride that goes into these hairstyles,” she said. “I think it will be longer and stronger next year, like a true mullet.”