We at Allure love a good underdog story, which is part of what makes the resurgence of mullets so much fun. The humble mullet, once the hairstyle of choice for hair metal bands and hockey players, has now become a capital-T trend. We’ve seen it on the rarefied heads of celebs like Billie Eilish, Zendaya, and Miley Cyrus. But you should never forget your roots, and that’s why we’re cheering for our new favorite elite athletes: the finalists of the 2022 USA Kids Mullet Championships.

Yes, sometimes we can have nice things, and this is one of them. And also yes, feel free to stop reading the rest of this article and just scroll down to see the beyond-adorable photos of these finalists, who exude both totally endearing and somewhat intimidating vibes. My hair certainly didn’t look this good at their age — it still doesn’t. 

The annual mud-flap-judging competition began in Michigan in 2020, but it’s gone nationwide since killer neck warmers do not recognize state borders. As NPR noted, it only takes $10 to enter the competition (which goes to the Michigan Wig Foundation, a non-profit providing wigs for children experiencing hair loss), but one hopeful will take home $2,500. 

People have voted all week for their favorite Kentucky waterfall (thank you, internet, for teaching me more mullet synonyms than I ever needed to know). As of the last day of voting, Friday, August 29, here are the top five contenders.