Saturday, April 27th, the Blackhawks played their last regular season game. That was the beginning of my playoff beard. The playoff beard is a tool that fans use to cheer their team on in the playoffs. The basic premise is that you stop shaving when the playoffs start, and you don’t shave again until your team is eliminated, or you win the Stanley Cup. Because the Hawks won the Stanley Cup, that meant I went 60 days without shaving. I have never had facial hair in my adult life (early playoff exits in the last two seasons meant the beard never really took hold).
I carried the beard on vacation to Disney & the Bahamas, dripping sweat down my neck the summer through. The longer the hair got, the prouder I was as that meant the Hawks were still winning. I hatched the idea of doing something with the beard if we won the Cup. That’s where my friend John Jansky came in.
John Jansky is friend of mine from Danville High School. He does some amazing speed paintings, but also does work with household kitchen items like; salt, sugar, chocolate sauce, ketchup, etc. I didn’t contact John until after the Hawks had won. (I didn’t want to jinx us winning.) I then called and the conversation went like this;
Keith, “John, have you ever worked with hair.”
John, “No, but I want to.”
Keith, “Well, here’s my idea. You know if I have this playoff beard and now that the Hawks have won, I..
John, (interrupting)”…you want me to do something with your beard?, Yes, yes I will.”
I asked John for something Blackhawks so we could share with Hawks nation. He posted today an amazing Hawks logo. He also took a photo of me from vacation and made something from that.
John is an amazing, talented artist. I’m proud to call him my friend and thankful for the ability to let the 2013 playoff beard live on. Thanks, John & Go Hawks!
