Was the mullet ever in style or did it never go out of style? No matter the answer, Windham High School senior Eliott Kullman, also known as “Big Redd,” rocks the look. In fact, he wears it so well that he decided to compete in the USA Mullet Championships.
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| Elliott Kullman, a senior at Windham High School, has advanced to the second round of competition in the teen category of the 2024 USA Mullet Championships. SUBMITTED PHOTO |
“At first, my mom didn't want me to get a mullet,” says Kullman. “It took probably a week before my mom actually approved it and from there, I went through four different hair places to get the mullet I wanted.”
It was something very new for Kullman and a lot of people helped him to fully understand the look and how to take care of his mullet.
Later, when he heard about a national mullet competition called the USA Mullet Championships, he decided to give it a shot.
The USA Mullet Championships started in 2020 and is an annual competition with a goal to crown the very best mullets in the country. The competition awards cash prizes and bragging rights to winners in child, teen, and adult mullet categories.
It is the world's largest competition of its kind, with more than 1,000 competitors each year. The competition also raises money for charity and for this year, the USA Mullet Championships is partnering with Jared Allen's Homes for Wounded Warriors, a national charitable organization that helps build mortgage-free homes for wounded American veterans. All donations from the mullet competition will go to the Homes for Wounded Warriors charity.
To officially join the mullet competition, Kullman had to send in three photos – a front, a side, and a back – of his mullet, as well as write an essay about the story of his mullet. After a bit of waiting this spring, Kullman received the word that he was approved and was officially in the competition.
Since then, Kullman has been actively trying to raise money for donations and people to vote online for his mullet.
“The winner is determined by the number of votes and donation amounts that each competitor gets,” says Kullman.
As well as raising money for a good cause, winners of the USA Mullet Championships will also receive a Mullet Champ belt, a GoPro HERO12 Black Action Camera, and a cash prize.
In the preliminary round ending earlier this week, Kullman came in fourth place in the teen category, and qualified to compete in the USA Mullet Championships second round.
Voting in the second round is underway and ends July 30. If Kullman gathers enough votes and donations, he will compete in the final round from Aug. 14 to Aug. 21. USA Mullet Championship winners will be announced online on Aug. 28.
Kullman is asking the community to vote for him and his mullet, as well as make a donation of any size, if possible. You may place your vote and/or donations on the USA Mullet Championships website at www.mulletchamp.com.
Believe it or not, Kullman is still growing his amazing mullet.
“I'm glad I decided to get a mullet because it's rare to see a ginger with a mullet,” he says. “I get a lot of compliments and I love this hairstyle. Lots of people tell me it looks great on me.”
Over time, Kullman says that he has gotten used to his mullet and taking care of it and gets it cleaned up every four weeks.
“I thought I wouldn't be able to pull it off until a lot of people gave me confidence and I kept going,” he says. “So here I am in 2024 with an awesome mullet and hoping to win the USA Mullet Championship Competition. I love my mullet and I am going to keep it for a long time.” <
