Adrian Zivelonghi crossed his eyes, stretched his lower lip over the tip of his nose and revealed his twisted face to a panel of judges, who meticulously scrutinized each contortion.
Then came his clincher: The 58-year-old odd-jobs man popped out his dentures and wiggled them in his mouth, triggering a roar of approval from the audience.
The facial gymnastics — known as “gurning” — are the focus of the World Gurning Championships, a reverse beauty pageant of sorts and an ancient tradition in the town of Egremont, in northern England’s Lake District.
The rules are simple, if odd. Competitors must make their face through a horse collar, known locally as a “baffin.” They are not allowed to use their hands, artificial aids or excessive makeup.
They may, however, heighten the dramatic effect of their gurning “by thrashing around onstage and making wild, animal-like noises,” according to the official rules.
Here’s what it looks like:
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