The Ovechkin Beard Guy, Eric Brooks, was once again in attendance for the Capitals game at Pepsi Center tonight. He debuted a tandem beard at Pepsi Center.
Along with his friend Ryan Hardon, the two friends, rooting for the competing teams, showed off Caps and Avs-shaped beards.
For over four years, we have been reporting on the best hockey beard ever. The Ovechkin Beard Guy, who also has an actual name, Eric Brooks, has been shaping his chin folicles in support of the Caps for what seems like forever now.
Tonight, the Ovechkin Beard Guy will has a new design on display and you’re going to love it.
By Cara Bahniuk 7 years ago
Nearly four years ago, we reported on the gr8est hockey beard to ever be grown. Rockville, Maryland transplant Eric Brooks, whom we affectionately called the Ovechkin Beard Guy, shaped his lengthy facial hair into an eight at a Caps-Avalanche game.
The beard and the story went viral and we later learned that Brooks was an award-winning free-style beardist.
Brooks returned to Pepsi Center with the same beard last April, but he announced he has something new planned for the Caps game March 29th.
Photo: NHL
The big news from last night wasn’t that the Capitals beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 or that they tallied their franchise-record 55th win of the season. No, the Ovechkin Beard Guy returned! With his beard hair sculpted in a number eight (which included a circle!), the Ovechbeard grower was featured on the NHL’s Instagram page. “Beard goals,” the NHL wrote.
But this beautifully bearded human has a name. It’s Eric Brooks. We spoke to Eric several years ago and we learned that he’s a Caps fan from Rockville, Maryland who now lives in Colorado. He’s an illustrator and assistant brewer at Verboten brewery. He also competes in beard competitions because of course he does.
Photos: Eric Brooks
RMNB reader Eric Brooks, AKA the Ovechkin Beard Guy, was at Verizon Center last night. He appeared to have a good time. We saw him twice: first in a selfie during warm-ups with Ovechkin in the background, and then again when his beautifully coiffed crumb catcher made an appearance during CSN’s intermission.
Eric with one of his awards.
Ed. note: During Sunday night’s game in Colorado, CSN’s cameras found a Caps fan with a stunning Ovechkin-themed beard. It was surreal. We wrote about it. We asked the man behind the beard what could drives him to turn facial hair into art.
My name is Eric Brooks, a 24-year-old Washington Capitals fan from Rockville, now living in Fort Collins, Colorado. I am the president of the Rocky Mountain Beard and Moustache Club, a national beard and mustache competitor, and an illustrator and assistant brewer at Black Bottle Brewery.
So, about the beard. It all began 2 yeards (beard years) ago. One summer, I was introduced to a TV show called Whisker Wars, which highlighted a group of different individuals who competed in facial hair competitions around the world. This was something I had never heard of before and it really intrigued me. I decided to put down the razor for a while and see if I had any shot at this.
By Chris Gordon 10 years ago
Screencap via Reddit user domaa
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin may not have had his best game on Sunday, but one super fan managed to get the Great 8 into the highlight reel anyway. During a stoppage in play, a man with a giant “8” shaped and colored into his epic beard saluted the Colorado crowd and the CSN cameras. One of our readers, @pthompsonktown, tells us he’s a DC transplant who now lives out in Denver.
This moment in facial hair history is definitely not brought to you by Gillette.
