Father and son compete face to face

Leadman Russell (Ibby) Ibbotson (left), of Kaka Point, and his father, Catlins Historical Society...
Leadman Russell (Ibby) Ibbotson (left), of Kaka Point, and his father, Catlins Historical Society president Leadman (Ibby) Ibbotson, of Owaka, go clean shaven for the first time in nearly 40 years. Photo by Hamish MacLean.
Leadman Russell (Ibby) Ibbotson (46), of Kaka Point, has challenged his father, Catlins Historical Society president Leadman (Ibby) Ibbotson (68), of Owaka, to go clean shaven for the first time in nearly 40 years as the two Catlins men go head to head in a beard growing contest.

The pair shaved yesterday to enter the Owaka 150th Celebrations beard growing competition.

More than 25 men sported the baby faced look in South Otago yesterday in the lead up to the jubilee - one entrant sent in a clean shaven photograph from Scotland so he could be judged when he is home for Christmas.

Facial hair will be judged at the Old Fashioned Sports Day on January 9 on four criteria: length, fullness, style and sophistication, and general manliness.

The town's 150th celebrations run from January 7 to January 10 and feature the unveiling of Russell Beck's 10m stainless steel waka sculpture, concerts, family fun, a parade and the Shipwreck Ball.

Mr Ibbotson sen, born and bred in Owaka, said he remembered the 100th celebrations, which he attended ''not long'' after leaving school, and said he believed the 150th celebrations were more important for the community.

The town had not changed very much over its history - it had been primarily a sawmilling community, and when the sawmilling ended, Owaka's primary industry switched to farming. Now, though, change was coming to the town, and with it a growing appreciation of its history.

''It's been pretty stable. There's been more change in the past 10, 20 years. There are properties up there in the Owaka Valley that I would have said would never have been sold, but that's only been in the last 20 years.''

The town was ready to celebrate its past.

However, there was some dispute yesterday as to which of the two Ibbotson men would come out tops in the beard growing contest. Mr Ibbotson sen said he would win the contest easily ''no doubt''.

''We'll just see about that, mate,'' Mr Ibbotson jun said.

 

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