Mullet winner sports 30 year work of art
Over 30 years of craftsmanship went into the winning hairstyle of the the Show Us Your Mullet competition.
Warwick Barker of Stoke has been sporting a mullet since he was 20 and this week he has won a steak meal for two for his dedication to the do.
He says he’s tried many different combinations of colour and lengths over the years but he has never touched the back.
Short and sharp on top, the back is now at shoulder-blade length. ‘‘Any longer would be a problem. You’d have to tie it up.’’
He said he ’’most definitely’’ had an out-of-date style but preferred being a part of the ‘‘one per cent of people who are different’’.
‘‘[It’s about] business in the front, party in the back,’’ Barker said.
‘‘I just haven’t found a hairstyle that I like better. Why change it?’’
In the beginning the mullet was about a low-maintenance that was the ‘‘right style’’ for the time during his young adult years.
‘‘It was just a bogan thing. You know, black jersey brigade when you’re young ... I just stayed with it and I promote it,’’ Barker said.
‘‘[I’m] just trying to keep the haircut alive.’’
Barker is stopped frequently by passers in the street, but he said the feedback was positive, especially among young males who told him the mullet was ‘‘cool’’.
When it comes to maintenance Barker makes sure the front is always short and trims any stragglers that hang around his eyes and ears.
He learnt quickly about the need for conditioner for the flowing locks at the back and to this day makes sure maintenance is carried out every second day. ‘‘Otherwise you can’t get the rake through it.’’
Other than that he said so long as his hair was clean and combed ‘‘it’s good to go’’. ‘‘Just pull your fingers through it.’’
Barker’s daughter is a hairdresser and helps him out with any trims. ‘‘She’s into it,’’ he said.
‘‘I’ve always done things with my hair had it purple, red, blue and blond and had it streaked since I was a teenager.’’
In winning the Show Us Your Mullet competition Warwick Barker has won a steak meal for two courtesy of the New Street Steak House as part of the Nelson and Tasman Leader compeition.