A secret society festers in Calgary. Businessmen and fathers try to ignore their forbidden love. But on Saturday, a troop of brave gents put shears to their beards creating sculpted moustaches for the ninth annual Stachepede. “It’s grown like crazy,” said CHICO, (not to be confused with the famously moustachioed former Calgary Flame Lanny McDonald), founding member of the day-long celebration of the moustache. Stachepede started in 1998 as a dare between four friends. Back then the men, all in their 20s, shunned the ’stache. It was a symbol for dads, not bachelors, they said. Moustaches defied cool. But as Calgarians pulled out their fringed western shirts and dusted off well-worn cowboy boots for Stampede, the four decided they’d also let their hair down — er, out — so to speak. Who issued the challenge remains lost in Stachepede lore, but a pact was made to grow the biggest, ugliest and hairiest moustaches for Stampede. On the first Saturday of the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, the quartet trimmed the beards into moustaches and took on the town. A day of furry-lipped devotion was born.
    “Nobody wants these things on their face. We all hate them. It’s a sacrifice of vanity,” said CHICO, hours before trimmers transformed his beard into this year’s entry.
    Almost a decade later, the Stachepede founders were lost in a sea of moustaches as about 70 men participated in Saturday’s events.
    The stachetivities began by participating in the Bowness Stampede Parade. From there, devotees gathered at Saracens Rugby Club for a barbeque, modelling their styled facial hair before their ladies — the Stachettes.
    The evening was capped off with a pub crawl. A plethora of photos were taken to capture the texture, character and charm of each moustache. Founding members will pour over the images before bestowing several honours, including the coveted Tom Sellick award for the best ’stache.
    Sellick’s thick brown moustache is revered by Stachepeders. Emulating “the King” requires perseverance.
    One must endure weeks of itchy heavy hair, endless ribbing from coworkers and less than amorous responses from wives and girlfriends.
    Mild-mannered IBM project manager HAM shocked clients with his wiry handlebar after being caught by television cameras during a previous Stachepede.
    Though his current girlfriend was counting the hours until her sweetie returned to his clean-shaven state, HAM says he cannot ignore the call of the moustache.
    “I don’t think it would be Stampede without Stachepede. It’s our Stampede,” said HAM.
    SMCGINNIS@THEHERALD.CANWEST.COM