There's no place for hair in sport.
It would be impossible to imagine Ian Thorpe with an afro, Usain Bolt with a mustache or Cadel Evans sporting dreadlocks.
It would get in the way or the weight and wind resistance could be the difference between first and second. So out comes the razor.
Countdown to Sochi 2014 Winter Games
But Anton Grimus is slashing that notion. The bearded Victorian proving that style and speed are not mutually exclusive.
"I've got a lot of remarks that I look like Ned Kelly. Hopefully I can be the last one standing at the finish line," says Grimus.
It all started as a conversation piece on the slopes, but now it has turned into a good luck charm and there is no chance the 22-year old will be removing it due to team orders.
"I would tell them they were dreaming," insists Grimus.
Since shifting from alpine to ski cross three years ago - the accolades arrived thick and fast for the talented skier. A World Cup bronze medal in 2012 and and a top twelve season finish that same season makes the Victorian a real prospect for Sochi. But Grimus is setting his sites much further than just the rapidly approaching winter Olympics. He wants to be available for Sochi and four years on in South Korea too.
"Firstly I want to get there and gain experience that I can take into the next World Cups and Olympics."
At almost two metres tall and tipping the scales at over 100 kilograms Grimus makes an impression on the slopes - even without his powerful beard. He needs all that power and pace in the rough and tumble of ski cross.
"It does get hairy at the start. There's no harm in it.. We are all in it to win and be fair. Just like we have grown up in Australia being fair sportspeople,' reflects Grimus.
The adrenaline rush of ski cross has Grimus hooked and he says his competitors should be ready to fear the beard in Russia.
Athlete Bio
Name: Anton Grimus
Age: 22
Olympic Campaigns: One (Sochi)
Event: Freestyle skiing (Ski Cross men)
Lives: Victoria
Twitter: @antongrimus
