A HUNTER Valley town, which some claim is the Australian home of the mullet hairstyle, will host a festival to celebrate the cut which arguably epitomised toughness and sexuality in the 1980s.
The inaugural Mullet Fest in Kurri Kurri will centre around a competition to award the best mullet in five categories - every day, grubby, ranga, ladies and junior mullet and publican.
After the winner in each category is announced, the person with the "best mullet of them all" will be crowned, hairdresser and festival host Laura Hawkins told AAP on Wednesday.
Ms Hawkins - whose husband boasts a razor-shaved "skullet" - argues the humble mining town of Kurri can lay claim to be the home of the mullet Down Under.
"The mullet scene is very strong here," she said.
"We've already had 50 entries. There's such a variety: there are the hardcore, tough mullets, but also the coiffed, well-cared-for kind."
The global origins of short on top, long at the back hairstyle go back at least as far as the Roman empire.
The style became popularly known as the "mullet" following the release of the Beastie Boys' 1994 song Mullet Head according to the Macquarie Dictionary.
Kurri Kurri's football club, the Bulldogs, has boasted plenty of wild mullets in recent seasons and Ms Hawkins wants to show the hairstyle deeply rooted in Kurri.
But she needs more red-heads and ladies to enter the competition.
"I see plenty of lady mullets walking around town but I know they're not signed up," she said.
"I think they're a bit shyer than the proud male mullet."
Entrants will be judged on their haircut, overall presentation and stage presence.
The festival will be held at the Chelmsford Hotel on February 24 with entries closing on Thursday.
Australian Associated Press
