Who's Who, Pin the Beard

Pin the Beard on the Predeparture Photo - by Kerry Steinberner

As a late arrival on the last voyage before winter I had only a small amount of training with most of the winter group more than 6 months earlier before their departure.  This meant that as I arrived on station I was relying heavily on a series of pre-departure photos taken of the group as they arrived in Hobart for pre-departure training to remember names... alas only to find a large majority had gone and changed dramatically. 

Whether it is a little experimentation away from normal society, tradition, peer pressure/competitiveness, because they don’t trust the station hairdressers, or for practical and artistic reasons but 18 of the 21 males on station have decided to grow some form of beard.  The practicalities of this are an improvement in insulation when out in the cold, with amusing face art as a side benefit when the moisture from ones breath freezes all over the beard.  This can cause problems as previously reported when the balaclava freezes to the beard requiring the wearer to thaw out in the hut before they can remove it and eat or drink anything!  The local wildlife also enjoy showing off their icy whiskers while the women on station can only produce icy eyelashes like a heavy handed white mascara that sticks their eyelids closed when they blink.

With many intending to show off their spectacular years growth to family and friends before meeting with the razor there are a number of shocks in store for those who remember farewelling youthful fresh faced partners, family, friends and employees. 

You can help them by matching the pre-departure pictures provided below with the assortment of beards currently seen around station (answers provided below).  The six people on station without a beard need to wear the synthetic equivalent, the neck gaiter, when outside.

Stay tuned for an end of winter update on their progress...