Mullet With a Mission 

Seven-year-old Slade Smith means business—in the front, that is. The back, however, is now a nationally recognized party after the Edmond second-grader was named runner-up in the USA Mullet Championships Kids Division.

Slade’s signature style began years ago in Pre-K with a mohawk haircut. After seeing an old photo of his dad as a kid with a mullet, Slade challenged himself to “grow a better one.” His mom, Kindall, said, “He never wanted to cut it. We just kept growing it.” Eventually, the mohawk haircut turned into a full-fledged mullet, and when Kindall saw the contest on Facebook, the next natural step was to enter. 

“He did so well, it really took us all by surprise,” Kindall said. “It was a lot of hard work, a lot of posting and rallying people to get votes and donations.” The hard work paid off, as Slade finished second out of 141 kids in his category.

While the contest focused on hair, it was driven by heart. Contestants raised money for Jared Allen’s Homes for Wounded Warriors, a nonprofit that builds mortgage-free homes for wounded veterans. “We’ve got some vets in our family,” Kindall said. “But really, Slade just loves to help people. He has such a giving spirit, and it made the whole thing even more meaningful.”

The Smith family went all out to drum up votes. “We organized fundraisers, held a raffle, baked cookies to sell, and created flyers and business cards,” Kindall said, “We did everything we could to get people involved and voting.” The community rallied around Slade, especially when his “Little Dirt” theme—an ode to the movie Joe Dirt, of course—made its debut.

Slade’s signature look has made waves in Edmond and beyond. He’s been featured on the news, spotted around town, and even recognized by strangers. But more important to the seven-year-old than a headline on Yahoo! is the resounding peer review: “The mullet is really cool.” When asked whether he plans to cut it anytime soon, Slade’s answer was a firm “No.” He went on to say, “I’ll grow it ’til I step on it.” 

With his sights now set on winning the 2026 USA Mullet Championships, it’s clear that Slade Smith is just getting started. Follow him on his Facebook fan page: Slade Smith- “A Little Dirt.”