World Beard Day is an annual celebration of bearded folks and the people who love them. One thing we know here in #DowntownTempe, is that beards are a part of the culture -- much like beer and bikes. Long, short, tamed, or wild...beards take shape in all different forms and are often used to express a man's unique character. Whatever the case, we hit the streets of #DowntownTempe in search of some impressive whiskers and some of the top secrets to maintaining a great beard. 

Name: Benjamin Betz | Beard Spotting: Loco Patron

You can find this beard behind the bar while sipping on a freshly squeezed margarita. While shy about sharing his secrets at first, Benjamin finally revealed that he frequents Executive Men's Grooming in Gilbert once every 3-4 weeks to get the perfect shape. In between visits, he tries to keep it well groomed by washing and conditioning regularly. His secret is applying coconut oil to his whiskers 1 hour before showering. Now we know where he gets that shine! We look forward to visiting Benjamin again in a few months, as he let us know of his plans to continue growing his beard through the end of the year. 

Name: Nick Nitz | Beard Spotting: Handlebar

Meet Nick...known as the "Beer Geek" here in #DowntownTempe. He keeps things in order at Handlebar and represents the three B's like no other -- beards, bikes, and beer! While some may assume that beards are the result of males being too lazy to shave and keep their facial hair maintained, Nick's secrets put those assumptions to rest as he insists on using a Boar's Hair Brush and Beard Balm that is made in Detroit, MI. Oh...and drink lots of beer of course! 

Name: Michael Monteilh | Beard Spotting: Mill Avenue

We caught Michael as he was headed back to his vehicle from a fresh haircut. It's clear that he maintains the hair on his head with the same level of care as the hair on his face, making the quick jaunt from Chandler to spend time in the chair of his favorite barber at Elite Cuts & Clothes. Before bolting, Michael shared 2 simple secrets in just 2 simple words -- wash & balm. 

Name: Tony Pethers | Beard Spotting: La Bocca 

Along with some of the best bruschetta in the valley, La Bocca is home to one of the best beards we've seen as well. Tony shared that a good trim is constantly in order, as his whiskers tend to get a little wild and bushy. Although short for the summer season, his beard was so long at one point that it didn't fit into the frame of his driver's license photo -- and yes, we made him show us. Reluctant to share his secrets, he did let us know that he and Nick from Handlebar often get together to do just that over cold brews. 

Throughout the world, bearded communities are acknowledging this sacred day by organizing and staging their own World Beard Day celebrations. We encourage you to share your beloved beards with us by taking to social media and using #DowntownTempe along with #WorldBeardDay. And whatever you do today guys, don't shave...it is highly frowned upon and considered very disrespectful.