Canada has an annual hair freezing contest – and the pictures are amazing

Visitors to the Takhini Hot Springs in Yukon Province, Canada, have found an inventive way of letting their hair down, or, to be more accurate, putting it up.

Exactly what it sounds like, the annual Hair Freezing Contest sees contestants compete by sculpting their hair into a host of painstaking poses, freezing it into place with the wintry air.

This year a total of 288 entries are vying for victory in five separate categories – male, female, group, creative, and people’s choice. The winners – and to be clear, this is a real and genuine competition – will be announced on April 1, and scoop $2,000 in prize money.

The shortlist for the people’s choice award was decided by an online vote. Here are the final five…

For the frostiest follicles the air temperature needs to be -20°C or lower, and organisers suggest dipping your ears regularly below the water to avoid feeling the chill. When ready, visitors can call over a member of staff, who will snap a shot for submission.

This year has yielded an unusually strong field, and there were plenty of pics putting up stiff competition. Here’s the best of the rest…