PV Staffer Triumphs at World Beard & Moustache Championship

TUCSON, Ariz.—When he’s not occupied with crafting mesmerizing techno, acid and house music, electronic music producer Giovanni Dominice has another passion, one that he wears evidence of right on his face—literally. Dominice, who heads up Pink Visual’s video department, recently returned home from Trondheim, Norway, where he won first prize in the Imperial Moustache category at the World Beard and Mustache Championships. The newly minted moustache champ, who DJ’s under the moniker of Datwop and performs in the Yamama Records-distributed electronic music duo PLOY, said that his pursuit of the award was merely part of a higher goal for making the trip to Trondheim. “I came in peace for all mankind,” Dominice said, twirling the edges of his award-winning soup-strainer while affecting the mischievous grin of a movie villain. “That, and I really wanted to try a few bites of rakfisk.” Joking aside, Dominice said that winning the trophy was a “facial hair dream come true,” and the fulfillment of several years’ work toward getting his prized nose neighbor into tiptop shape. “I’ve really looked to my fellow competitors for inspiration, as cheesy as that might sound,” Dominice said. “I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Beard Team USA and its president, Phil Olson, for showing me the ropes, and for the passion they have for the competition.” Dominice said that his interest in moustache competitions stemmed from an office contest with a theme appropriate to the company’s business sector. “We held a contest among employees to grow the best ‘Porn Stache,’ and winning that private competition inspired me to grow the glorious Imperial you now see before you,” Dominice said with evident pride. “So never let it be said that Internet porn never did anything positive for the world; without that office contest, my facial hair potential might never have been realized!” Given the nature of his chosen sport, there really is no ‘off season’ for Dominice, who said that tending to an elaborate lady tickler like his is a true labor of love. “If you don’t take good care of your ’stache, it can get ratty in a hurry,” he said. “At this level of competition, you simply can’t afford a bad hair day.” The World Beard and Moustache Championships are held every two years, with the location of the event changing in Olympic Games-like fashion.