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August 3, 2022
By David Nordby
The Brillion News
BRILLION – One Brillion boy has taken his mullet hairdo national.
Axel Wenzel, 5, has advanced to the final round of the USA Mullet Championships after reaching the top 25 kids in the national competition that started with 689 entrants.
A mullet, which is a hairstyle that is cut shorter on the sides but grown out in the back, has made a comeback after being popularized in the 1980s and into the 90s.
Axel finished the first round of voting in third place, which placed him in the top 100 kids. He then finished the second round in roughly 10th place, landing him in the top 25 kids in the nation for the best mullet.
“Now here we are asking for his local community that has supported him this far to continue to do so in the final round,” his mother Jessica Wenzel said.
Voting for the final round will take place from Monday, August 15 to Friday, August 19 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
There is one vote per 24 hours per email address, but people can vote through separate email addresses. All voting is done on the website mulletchamp.com.
When people visit the site, the photos are randomized so people must scroll through the page through all of the photos until they see Axel to vote for him.
A vote is conducted by entering an email address, scrolling to find Axel, then scrolling to the bottom and entering the Captcha check box, then clicking on ‘vote.’
While all voting is completed on the site, the mullet competition has gained sizable audiences on Facebook with tens of thousands of comments and shares to expand awareness and the fun.
Wenzel started ‘growing the flow’ two years ago when his uncle Lucas promised him an IROC-z Camaro if he grew it until he reaches the age of 16.
“I, as his mom, and his hairstylist, took that as a challenge, and he’s been full steam ahead ever since,” Wenzel said.
Wenzel, to her credit, cuts the mullet hairstyle to perfection. Axel’s hair is short on the sides and longer on the top and back so well that it would make 1980s’ mullet-wearers like John Stamos, Andre Agassi and Mario Lopez proud. All of his curls in the back are natural.
The Wenzels learned of the mullet competition last year and decided to prepare for the 2022 competition. There is a charitable benefit to it too.
“A portion of each registration fee goes to support Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids, a nonprofit out of Michigan that helps make and donates wigs to kids ages 3 to 18 that have either a medical condition or an accident that leaves them with the need for a wig,” Wenzel said.
With the 689 entrants this year, $3,455 was donated to help kids who are missing hair.
Another area child, Max Weihbrecht, whose parents are Katie and Chad, are friends of the Wenzels and live in Lawrence. Weibhrecht is in the top 10 in the teens division. People may vote for both of them as they are in separate age categories.
Top prizes are $2,500 cash, USA Mullet Championships gear and a pair of Pit Viper Sunglasses for first place, $500 and the sunglasses for second place, and $250 and sunglasses for third place.
If he wins, Axel already has plans.
“Axel did note that he would love to be able to donate some money to the Brillion Nature Center to ‘help the reptiles’ and some money to ‘the poor people,’” Wenzel said.
Axel will have plenty of votes from around the Brillion area and will need them all to win the tough competition.
“People can vote from multiple email addresses, and we’d love to see businesses sharing it around their offices,” Wenzel said.
The mullet has been a conversation piece around town for Axel and his family.
“We are so extremely humbled by everyone’s support and love so far,” Wenzel said.