How to win a gurning competition

• A. Scotland
• B. Cumbria, England ✓
• C. Wales
• D. Ireland

Why: Gurning is most closely associated with Cumbria in northern England, where the famous Egremont Crab Fair has hosted gurning competitions for centuries.

• A. To sing the most accurate song
• B. To pull the ugliest or most grotesque facial expression
• C. To balance the longest object on their head
• D. To eat the most food in a set time

Why: Gurning is a face-pulling contest where participants contort their faces through a head-restraining frame, and judges award the winner for the most extreme and entertaining expression.

• A. A wooden yoke
• B. A horse collar
• C. A gurning horse
• D. A head restraint frame called a gurning arch ✓

Why: Competitors place their heads through a wooden frame, often called a gurning arch or gurning frame, which prevents them from moving their heads so the focus stays on facial contortions.

• A. The Egremont Crab Fair ✓
• B. The Highland Games
• C. The Cheese Rolling festival
• D. The Burns Night supper

Why: The Egremont Crab Fair in Cumbria hosts the World Gurning Championships, making it the most prominent event in the sport's calendar.

• A. Using the hands to pull the face ✓
• B. Pulling funny faces
• C. Wearing a costume
• D. Making eye contact with the judges

Why: Competitors must keep their hands off their faces; the contortions must come from facial muscles alone, which is central to the fairness and tradition of the sport.

• A. To sing the loudest song while making a funny face
• B. To pull the ugliest or most grotesque facial expression while squeezing your face through a horse collar ✓
• C. To balance the most objects on your forehead
• D. To hold your breath underwater the longest

Why: Gurning is a traditional British competition, most famously held at the Egremont Crab Fair in Cumbria, in which contestants pull the most extreme face possible while their head is pushed through a horse collar, and judges award the winner for the most convincing and inventive expression.

• A. Symmetry and attractiveness
• B. Speed of the expression
• C. Originality, intensity, and commitment to the expression ✓
• D. The use of makeup or prosthetics

Why: Judges generally reward a gurn that is distinctive, fully committed, and held with intensity. Makeup and prosthetics are usually prohibited, so success depends on natural facial mobility and conviction.

• A. Because gurning is forbidden without a warm-up certificate
• B. To increase the range of motion and make extreme expressions easier to hold ✓
• C. To reduce the amount of air in the lungs
• D. To improve their ability to smell the judges

Why: Facial stretching, such as opening the mouth wide, puffing the cheeks, and moving the jaw in different directions, increases muscle flexibility and range of motion, allowing more dramatic and sustainable expressions during the competition.

• A. Applying heavy cream to make the skin slippery so it stretches more easily
• B. Practicing expressions in front of a mirror to learn which ones look most striking on your particular face ✓
• C. Avoiding all sleep for a week so your muscles feel looser
• D. Shaving your eyebrows completely to change your natural features

Why: Mirror practice helps you discover which of your facial features and muscle movements produce the most striking expressions, allowing you to build a signature gurn suited to your natural face rather than relying on gimmicks.

• A. Avoid any movement of the jaw entirely
• B. Stop immediately if you feel sharp pain, dizziness, or jaw strain, and never force a hold beyond comfort ✓
• C. Hold the expression as long as possible regardless of how you feel
• D. Drink large amounts of water just before the competition

Why: Gurning places real strain on the jaw, neck, and facial muscles. Responsible gurners respect pain signals, avoid pushing into injury, and recognize that a sustainable expression is better than one that causes lasting harm.

• A. To create the most attractive facial expression
• B. To contort the face into the most outrageous shape possible while keeping the head through a horse collar
• C. To mimic famous actors' expressions on stage
• D. To hold a smile for the longest possible time

Why: Gurning is judged on creating the most grotesque face, traditionally performed with the head pushed through a horse collar, and the goal is to produce the most outrageous contortion.

• A. The frontalis muscle of the forehead
• B. The orbicularis oris and zygomaticus muscles
• C. The masseter muscle of the jaw
• D. The platysma muscle of the neck

Why: The orbicularis oris controls lip movement and the zygomaticus pulls the corners of the mouth, so both are central to wide, distorted mouth shapes common in gurning.

• A. To check that their hair looks neat
• B. To observe which muscle movements produce the most striking distortions and refine them
• C. To memorize the judges' faces
• D. To avoid getting dizzy while performing

Why: A mirror lets a gurner see exactly how each muscle change looks, helping them isolate and strengthen the expressions that work best.

• A. Hold extreme expressions for long periods without rest
• B. Practice individual muscle movements slowly, then combine them, resting between sessions
• C. Only practice right before the competition
• D. Avoid all facial exercises to prevent wrinkles

Why: Isolating movements slowly and combining them builds control gradually, while rest prevents strain on facial muscles and reduces the risk of overuse.

• A. The speed of the contestant's movements
• B. The overall grotesqueness and originality of the face, as judged by the crowd's reaction
• C. The contestant's costume and accessories
• D. The length of the contestant's speech

Why: Gurning winners are chosen for the most grotesque and original expression, with crowd reaction often playing a large role in the final decision.

• A. To sing the loudest folk song
• B. To pull the most grotesque facial expression through a head-hole in a frame ✓
• C. To balance the most objects on your head
• D. To hold your breath underwater the longest

Why: Gurning is a British folk tradition in which competitors pull the ugliest possible face while their head is pushed through a wooden frame called a gurning arch. Judges award the title to the most extreme and creative expression.

• A. Ambleside in the Lake District
• B. Egremont in Cumbria, at its Crab Fair ✓
• C. Stonehenge in Wiltshire
• D. Edinburgh during the Fringe Festival

Why: The World Gurning Championship takes place at the Egremont Crab Fair in Cumbria, England, a tradition dating back centuries and held every September.

• A. Keeping your eyes perfectly open and calm
• B. Committing fully to exaggerated muscle movement across the whole face ✓
• C. Smiling warmly to win over the judges
• D. Speaking to the audience between each pull

Why: A memorable gurn comes from total facial commitment, using every muscle to create a distinctive, exaggerated shape. Half-hearted expressions rarely impress judges, who reward bold, full-face distortion.

• A. It helps you memorize the rules of the competition
• B. It lets you see which expressions look striking and repeat them consistently ✓
• C. It improves your breath control for holding poses
• D. It shows you how the judges will score you

Why: A mirror gives you visual feedback so you can identify which distortions are most dramatic and refine them into a repeatable signature look that you can reproduce on competition day.

• A. An expression copied exactly from a famous gurner
• B. A distinctive, repeatable face that makes them instantly recognizable ✓
• C. The same expression every competitor uses to play it safe
• D. A random face changed each time to confuse the judges

Why: A signature gurn is one that is uniquely yours and can be reproduced reliably. Originality and consistency help you stand out to judges and the crowd, which is why copying others or changing randomly tends to work less well.

• A. Holding your breath for as long as possible before each attempt
• B. Gradually increasing the time you hold a face while keeping your breathing steady ✓
• C. Practicing for several hours a day without any rest periods
• D. Forcing the facial muscles into maximum tension from the very first session

Why: Stamina grows through gradual, controlled increases in hold time. Steady breathing keeps the body relaxed and prevents dizziness, while forced tension from the start leads to fatigue and strain.

• A. Steady breathing makes the face look more relaxed to judges
• B. Steady breathing prevents oxygen deprivation and reduces facial tension ✓
• C. Steady breathing is required by competition rules
• D. Steady breathing allows the gurner to speak during the hold

Why: Controlled breathing supplies oxygen to the muscles and avoids the lightheadedness that comes from breath-holding. It also helps prevent the unnecessary tension that can cause cramping.

• A. Sudden, intense contortions of the face repeated rapidly
• B. Gentle stretches and slow, controlled movements of the jaw, cheeks, and lips ✓
• C. Holding a maximum pose for as long as possible without any preparation
• D. Skipping warm-ups so the muscles are fresh for the competition

Why: Gentle stretching and slow movements increase blood flow and flexibility in the facial muscles, reducing the risk of strain. Sudden intense movements without warm-up can cause injury.

• A. Immediately starting the next hold to keep the muscles tense
• B. Taking short recovery breaks that allow the muscles to relax fully ✓
• C. Avoiding rest entirely to build maximum endurance
• D. Resting only after completing a full hour of continuous practice

Why: Short recovery breaks let muscles relax and recover between efforts, which supports safe long-term progress. Continuous work without rest raises the risk of fatigue and strain.

• A. Push through the pain to build mental toughness
• B. Release the pose immediately, relax, and breathe normally ✓
• C. Increase the intensity of the pose to distract from the discomfort
• D. Hold the pose until a judge signals to stop

Why: Sharp pain, cramping, or dizziness are warning signs of strain or oxygen deprivation. Releasing the pose and recovering protects both the muscles and overall health, and stamina is built safely over time.

• A. Physical strength and endurance
• B. The most extreme and imaginative facial contortion ✓
• C. Speed of response to a question
• D. Costume and stage presence

Why: Gurning is judged on the creativity, extremity, and grotesque quality of the face pulled, so the most striking and imaginative contortion typically wins.

• A. To learn the exact time limit for each round
• B. To identify which features or expressions they seem to reward or react to most strongly ✓
• C. To check whether they are wearing official badges
• D. To determine which competitor has the strongest voice

Why: Watching how judges react to earlier gurners helps you understand their preferences, such as a particular style of contortion, so you can tailor your performance to what is likely to impress them.

• A. Repeating the same face used by previous winners
• B. Holding a unique, memorable expression that is clearly different from others ✓
• C. Making quick, subtle expressions that are hard to see
• D. Waiting until the very end to perform

Why: Distinctiveness helps judges remember you and differentiates your performance, while copying others or being too subtle tends to blend in or go unnoticed.

• A. Pulling your maximum face in the first round and conserving nothing afterward
• B. Pacing your intensity so you can maintain a strong expression through later rounds ✓
• C. Skipping early rounds to save energy for the final
• D. Alternating between a very serious face and a smile

Why: Gurning can be physically taxing, so pacing your effort helps you sustain a strong, consistent performance through the full competition rather than fading before the final rounds.

• A. Stop performing and leave the competition
• B. Keep the same expression unchanged regardless of feedback
• C. Observe what others are doing well and consider adjusting to a more extreme or distinctive style while staying safe ✓
• D. Argue with the judges about their scoring

Why: Learning from observation and adapting your style, while keeping performance safe and within the rules, is a constructive way to improve and stay competitive.

• A. To sing the loudest song without stopping
• B. To pull the most extreme and grotesque face through the bars of a head clamp ✓
• C. To balance the most objects on your head while walking
• D. To hold your breath underwater the longest

Why: Gurning is a folk competition, most famously held at Egremont in Cumbria, where contestants poke their heads through a horse collar or wooden frame and pull the ugliest face they can. Judges reward the most exaggerated and creative expression.

• A. Keeping your eyes fully closed the whole time
• B. Committing fully to the expression with exaggerated facial muscle engagement ✓
• C. Smiling warmly at the crowd to appear friendly
• D. Speaking loudly to explain your face to the judges

Why: Judges look for commitment and conviction. A half-hearted expression rarely impresses, while a full, muscular, sustained gurn that uses the whole face shows the dedication the competition rewards.

• A. To check their hairstyle before the event
• B. To refine their expressions and see which angles and features look most dramatic ✓
• C. To memorize the rules of the competition
• D. To ensure they are not sweating too much

Why: A mirror lets a competitor see how an expression reads visually, helping them adjust brow position, lip shape, and eye placement to create the most striking and memorable gurn for judges and spectators.

• A. Gurning too expressively and too confidently
• B. Holding back and giving a tentative expression that lacks energy ✓
• C. Arriving at the venue too early
• D. Wearing comfortable clothing

Why: Beginners often hesitate and under-commit to the face, which makes the gurn look weak. Bold, sustained expression with clear facial tension tends to stand out far more in front of judges and crowds.

• A. Gurn at full intensity every time without any rest
• B. Save their most extreme expression for the final round while maintaining consistent effort ✓
• C. Skip the early rounds entirely
• D. Gurn quietly so the judges focus on other contestants

Why: Strategic pacing helps maintain facial stamina and lets a competitor build toward a memorable finale. Holding back a signature expression for the decisive round can make a lasting impression on the judges.