Mulletfest kicks off epic Australian Road Trip

In February 2020, Mulletfest went ahead, blissfully unaware of the global pandemic that was about to change all of our lives. Now 12 months after Covid became the biggest news story on earth, Mulletfest is back in the headlines and running its first Covid safe event....and what an event it was.

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For the previous three years, Mulletfest has welcomed entrants from all over Australia and many international contestants but with travel restrictions in place, Mulletfest HQ has decided to bring the "party in the back" to the people. This weekend in Kurri Kurri at the Chelmsford Hotel was the first of several statewide heats as we head to every state at territory to find the best mullet of them all.

This weekend saw 143 mulleted contestants descend on Kurri from all over NSW for the chance to become a heat winner and compete for the national title back here in Kurri Kurri in November after all the state heats have been completed.

The young, the old, the shy, and the extroverted all took to the outdoor stage to strut their stuff. We had costume changes, possibly the best version of "the worm" ever performed, some serious dance moves, and one mullet lover strolled onto the stage with just his budgy smugglers and a smile.

So wide-reaching is Mulletfests stellar reputation that we had a contestant from Switzerland. Stuck in the country after the Covid outbreak and then caught in the Melbourne lockdown. Once he could travel again he jumped on his pushbike from Melbourne to Sydney. Went to a hairdresser in Revesby, heard about Mulletfest, got himself a brand-new haircut, and cycled up the freeway. The best part ladies, in the midst of all that he broke up with his girlfriend, so he is available.

The thing that stood out most this year was the time and effort that went into not only the hair care but the choice of outfit. There were green velour VB tracksuits with open-toed VB slip-ons. Lots of Adidas, your classic trucker singlets, a full custom made Mediocre Mulletman Superhero costume and with a special shout out to the mother-in-law of one of our regulars Keg, for her sewing skills with a business shirt in the front and a Hawaiin (party) shirt in the back; overlocked edges to boot.

Our highest scoring finalist of the night was our Mediocre Mulletman himself, Josh Hogg. He won the judges over with his stage presence, his costume choice, the condition of his mullet, and his personality, which to steal a line from Spinal Tap, was turned up to 11. Josh traveled a long way to be there, he lives 600 meters from the pub but said the journey was well worth the effort.

When all is said and done, everyone came together for a great family-friendly weekend and for a great cause; to raise money for the Mark Hughes Foundation to help them continue their amazing work into brain cancer research, treatment & care. MHF is the reason that our Mulletfest emcc, Prousty, now can get treatment closer to home for his brain tumour which sadly has a terminal diagnosis. End-of-life treatment is no time to be away from your family support system.

The Kurri event included the Matt Forster Memorial Rookie Award, dedicated to our dear friend Matt who sadly passed away in 2019. Leaving behind his beautiful young family. His strong and resilient wife Carly has remained involved in the event. The hope is that the work of the foundation could make another family's journey slightly more bearable and hopeful one day find a light at the end of a very dark tunnel.

The Rookie event was proudly taken out by Megan Farquhar, a Newcastle local who was quick-witted, full of energy and pretty excited about her win.

A huge thank you to the new owner for the Chelmsford Hotel Mel and Jason Crockett who welcomed us with open arms and not only agreed to let us continue to do the annual event in the place where it all began but have agreed to host the national finals in November proving once again that Kurri Kurri really is the natural home of the mullet. Also a big thanks to Shout Brewing in Mayfield for bringing their Mullet Pale Ale out to the venue for the weekend. Refreshing and totally on-brand.

Despite the undeserved reputation of the iconic hairstyle, which has seen it make the news over the last 12 months being banned from certain pubs and schools we would like to point out that now in our fourth successful year without one single incident of antisocial behaviour, hundreds upon hundreds of mullet sporting men, woman and children (and the families and friends who love them) have come together to raise thousands of dollars for charity. Just further proof, you should judge someone by what's in their heart, not what's on top of their head.

Heat locations and venues will be announced next week. We'll see you on the road mullet lovers. Sponsorship opportunities are still available and can be submitted at www.mulletfest.com.au. If you want your brand connected with this international success story, associated with family-friendly fun, a good laugh and a big heart then feel free to reach out and become part of this wild ride.

Image Credit: MAAT