(NewsNation Now) — When you hear the phrase, “Business in the front, party in the back,” what comes to mind? If it’s not a mullet hairstyle, you need to catch up on your culture. The mullet has been a popular way for men to wear their hair for decades, especially in the South and in any place where a fishing pole is always in reach and the radio presets have more country stations than anything else.

The mullet is far from a modern invention, though. According to MulletChamp.com, “Homer even described a haircut that sounds eerily familiar in The Iliad: ‘their forelocks cropped, hair grown long at the backs.’ The Greeks weren’t the only ones sporting the mullet, though. There is evidence that Neanderthals and our oldest ancestors would wear this ‘do, as well.”

The mullet does have abundant value for anyone working outdoors. If you’ve ever had a sunburn on the back of your neck, you know how good it would be to have something shading that area. Sunscreen sweats off too easily, and a ballcap worn backward will lower your apparent IQ by a good 40 points.

Before you turn up your nose at mullet-wearers, take note of the fact that David Bowie wore an unmistakable mullet as Ziggy Stardust, Paul McCartney sported one both in the latter years of The Beatles and when he was fronting Wings, and Mel Gibson combined crazy cop with stylish mullet in the “Lethal Weapon” franchise.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, mullets came raging back into style since barbershops were closed and the best many parents could manage without training was a quick trimming of the bangs and sideburns. The mullets grew longer and prouder than the guitar solo in a Skynyrd song.

Since humans are a competitive bunch, it was inevitable that someone would come along with a contest to determine who had the finest mullet of them all. There have been plenty of “local bar” versions, but thanks to the internet and social media, Mullet Champ draws contestants from all over the country. There are even kid and teen divisions for the younger set whose parents are sufficiently enlightened to allow them follicular freedom.

There are three age groups within the kid mullet competition: the Li’l Mullets, the Kid Mullets and the Big Kids. While the adult mullet prizes have already been awarded, voting for the kids is still in progress via the usual point/click/vote procedure. We’ve included a slideshow below of some of the more notable contestants, but you’ll have to visit the site if you’d like to vote.