The Dirty Tenerife

As I said in a previous blog post, I recently returned from the Canary Islands - Tenerife Island to be exact - and spent the last 6 days with my good friend Brad. We had some great adventures, a lot of Corona-esque relaxing times at the beach, and hiked Mount Teide, the tallest mountain in Spain. More on the rest later...

Like any man who goes on a trip with his guy friends - also known as a "bro-cation" - you know it's fun (and darn near necessary) to grow a little facial hair for the occasion...

Enter in my mustache, aka "The Dirty Tenerife". It's a solid mix of 6th grade Cory Thomason, freshman year Adam Morrison, and 3rd grade unibrow of Anthony Davis. I realize it's everything but beautiful, but after 7 razor-less days it's all I've got.

I have had a lot of facial hair role models in my day throughout my family, and I hope to one day achieve the ranks of facial hair masters like them. Here are just a few of the famed follicle fathers, brothers, and cousins that make me proud, and the facial hair that accompanies them.

The Facial Hair Hall of Fame

Dave Ellis, aka Grizzly Adams - My Dad's beard on his wedding day. Rumor has it he shaved literally 3 hours before this was taken.

My Uncle Ladell Thomason, aka The Hungry Hungry Caterpillar.

My brother-in-law, Marc Voth and his goatee, aka The Colt 45 - a smaller piece of weaponry that can still knock anyone to their knees if need be.

My uncle Marty Hunt with his 'stache Frank Sinatra - cool, smooth, and never going out of style.

My cousin, David Ellis, rocking the Appalachian Sensation.

My cousin, Joel Thomason with his famed mustache, The Duke. When I asked him why it was called that, he simply responded, "because it makes a little noise, Colorado."

And last but certainly not least, my brother-in law, Anthony Puryear, sporting his own version of famed fighter Kimbo Slice's beard that he affectionately refers to as Vanilla Slice.

"There are many feats a man can do in his life - ride a unicycle, speak in tongues to wild birds, spin the perfect pot, conquer the Blazin' Challenge at Buffalo Wild Wings - but a man who can grow facial hair: that, my dear friends, is a man who deserves the utmost respect." - Pope John Paul II

Fear the beard,

Brad.