The Advertiser’s Kid Mullet Cup: Hair is your winner …

We’ve combed through the hairy best SA families had to offer and put their growth to the vote. Now meet the boy who you say is a cut above.

Ryder Bushell has been getting his luscious locks tamed at the Unrivalled Barber Shop, in Salisbury North, for the past two years and now he is proving the salon deserves its name.

Ryder has been awarded The Advertiser Kids’ Mullet Cup for 2022 from a field of more than 200 entries, an honour barber Yamin Jamal was confident he would win.

Ryder Bushell, 9, crowned champion. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

Cody Prime do was voted in at number two.

“Ryder’s mum told me about the competition and I said straight away ‘oh he’s totally going to win that’,” Mr Jamal said.

“It’s the perfect mullet – blond, long and luscious.”

Ryder, 9, was inspired to adopt the do in 2020, after admiring one on a school mate. Now, everything that once was old is new again.

Jaxon Johnson, 13, was in a hair tie for third.

Aiden Thom was a red hot shot for third.

“There’s probably about 15 kids at his school who have one now and quite a few in his footy team as well,” Ryder’s dad Rob Bushell said.

“It’s never been an issue at school or anything. They actually shared the story from The Advertiser and were getting people to vote for Ryder.”

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Of course, celebrity mullets like that sported by AFL player Bailey Smith have also been a huge influence.

“We’ve had heaps of kids in here wanting a mullet – most of them coming in with unhappy parents who can’t believe it’s back in style,” Mr Jamal said.

For those wanting to grow their own award-winning mullet, Mr Jamal said less was more as far as trimming goes.

“Some barbers chip in to it but the best thing you can do is not touch it. The longer the better,” he said.

Thrilled with his win but promising not to let the new-found fame go to his head (it would probably mess up the mullet if it did), Ryder said he would be putting his trophy in his cabinet next to his footy and speedway trophies.

Long and short of it: Kid Mullet Cup hopefuls

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Let’s split hairs: Meet the Kid Mullet Cup contenders

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