Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Austin man’s unique mullet making waves in national contest

 

Sometimes you just need to have fun with something, which is exactly what Curtis Wilson and his epic mane are doing.

Wilson’s flowing mullet has earned him a spot in the top 25 of the USA Mullet Champ Men’s Open Division and a chance to win $2,500. The Austin resident is the lone Minnesota representative on the list.

“Honestly, I didn’t think it would go this far,” Wilson joked.

Wilson’s mullet, which flows past his shoulder blades and includes trimmed sides, was initially started as a form of remembrance, with little thought that it might one day lead to a possible money prize in a national contest.

“I lost an aunt to cancer three years ago,” he said. “I was bald, but I decided to grow the hair as a good way to remember her.”

The mullet was also much shorter then, but as you talk to Wilson, you gradually start to recognize a common theme.

“I would just rock it,” Wilson said.

And it’s not just a few people noticing the epic do. Wilson has become a minor celebrity, gaining interviews from a number of media outlets including a segment on The Jason Show. On Monday alone he had three interviews set up and a video clip had generated nearly 3,000 views as of Monday.

“Honestly, this has been a fun accomplishment,” Wilson said. “I’m just having fun with this, ask anybody who does this. I don’t care where I finish.”

Wilson has also found himself a dedicated community of mullet enthusiasts, who have embraced one another’s passion to grow the hair style that was popular in the 80s but has made a comeback in recent years.

“All these guys are amazing,” he said, supporting him when he brought up the media attention. “They’ve messaged and have all said, ‘just do it.’ They’re family.”

While the hair style could earn him prizes and is a good way to remember a family member, there is also an added benefit.

The cost to enter the contest, driven by online voting, is $10 per person. Half of that amount, from each person entered, goes toward suicide prevention in soldiers.

“Those guys do a lot for us, it’s the least we can do for them,” Wilson said.

Despite whatever the outcome of the contest is, Wilson has no plans to cut the mullet, indicating that his fiancé, Cheyanne Steinbrink, and her two children Chloe and Callen, love the hair do.

“She loves it more than I do,” Wilson said. “I’m going to keep it until I go bald.”

If you want to vote for Wilson, there is still time. Voting ends at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 29. Head over to https://mulletchamp.com/2021-mens-open-division-voting/, type in an email address and cast your vote.

Curtis Wilson Wilson was featured on The Jason Show. To view the clip, visit: https://fb.watch/7zVqUKm6lb/