WOODBURN, Ore. — Musio Chavez had the idea to grow out his mullet in 2014, but it didn't start to take shape until 2020.
"It wasn't difficult. I was working from home. I was fortunate enough to be able to do whatever I wanted with my hair and when I quit my job, I started studying for the bar exam and I was just at home every day," Chavez said about his '80s hairstyle.
When the pandemic hit, Chavez said he wanted to bring joy smiles to people's faces in Woodburn. Now, two years later he's hoping his "business in the front, party in the back" haircut brings home the title of America's Best Mullet.
"It represents the lifestyle that anything can be done," Chavez said. "I pull it back, I can be ready for court. I let it [go] wild, I'm ready for the party."
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His mullet features the state of Oregon shaved into the left side of his head.
Recently, he made the top 100 and fans voted for their favorites via Facebook, shooting him into the top 25 category.
"I didn't believe it," Chavez said. "I truly was doing this for fun and then when I saw the votes coming, I saw the support from my high school. I saw the support from this town. I saw the support from Oregon. I was truly grateful. It felt amazing, not just for me, but for the Oregon under my name."
Voting for the top 25 opens on Oct. 7 on the USA Mullet Championships website and runs through Oct. 11 at 11:59 EST. The winner will win a grand prize of $2,500.