Bald Men Take A Shine to Speed Dating

By Lisa Bonarrigo

When Spring Jones’ good friend Christopher Toner suggested the two go to a speed dating event together, she was initially hesitant. It wasn’t until he told her the event was exclusive to bald men that she cheerily replied, “I’m there!”

The event to which Toner was referring was aptly titled “Speed Dating for Bald Men,” and was hosted by HurryDate, a speed and online dating company. Although speed dating can seem like a daunting practice, some find the events put on by companies like HurryDate to be just another night out. For both seasoned speed daters and beginners to the practice, in some cases it can alleviate the pressure that comes with regular dating – and in this case, dating bald men in particular.

HurryDate offers specific speed dating events based on factors such as ethnicity, height, and religious affiliation. For HurryDate’s exclusive night of dating for bald men, HeadBlade, a company that creates and distributes razors specifically designed for shaving heads, took the opportunity to sponsor the event.

A first-time speed dater, Heidi Sadowski, 39, admitted she was a little nervous, but liked the new perspective on dating. “I’ve done internet dating before, but this is another route, an alternative,” Sadowski said. A resident of Manhattan, she also added that meeting and dating people in the city can be tough. “It’s always nice to talk to new people, in whatever capacity,” she said.

In addition to her curiosity in trying speed dating, Sadowski said she was mainly interested in the bald factor. “There was a real hook in it being strictly bald men. My past two boyfriends were bald,” she said.

Kaiser Mojica, 23, also speed dating for the first time, agreed with Sadowski, saying that it’s hard to find a date in the city. A friend introduced him to the event in light of his bald head, and Mojica had a carefree attitude about the experience. “It was something to do. I shave my head anyway, so I figured, why not?” he said.

Jones, 40, admitted to being nervous as well. This was her first speed dating experience, and like Sadowski, what drew her in was the fact that it was exclusive to bald men. “I love bald men,” Jones said.

Toner, 39, is a HurryDate member, and said he’s been speed dating “about five times, give or take a couple.” He said that the experience is generally fun, and that he wasn’t really nervous. He compared speed dating to a “no-huddle offense” in a football game, saying that you can’t really plan anything going into it, it just happens.

Peter Anderson, 41, is also a HurryDate member. He said that he goes to the company’s speed dating events “two or three times a year, depending on if it’s a success or not.” He said he enjoys speed dating because it takes a lot of the pressure off, and this event attracted him for the simple reason that it was for bald men. “I’m one of the least shy people – except I guess when it comes to people I’m interested in romantically. Speed dating breaks the ice a little bit,” Anderson said.

Anderson, a marine biologist, also mentioned that although speed dating is enjoyable, not all encounters meet expectations. “It’s a two-fold thing. Sometimes the expectations of others are too high. It seems like everyone wants ‘Mr. Big’ from “Sex And The City.” But not everyone is ‘Mr. Big.’” Despite this, he said speed dating makes the prospects more legitimate. “At a bar, you don’t know if the person you’re speaking to is eligible, so to speak,” he said.

Dan Perlowitz, spokesperson for HeadBlade, a company that creates and distributes razors specifically designed for shaving heads which sponsored the event, said that the event fell right into place with the recent trends in exclusivity of speed dating. He mentioned a recent event in which “cougars,” older women who date younger men, were paired with attractive young men.

Mojica said he’d like to see HurryDate put together an event for both men and women with shaved heads, just to “shake it up.”

Perlowitz thought the event was quite a success. “Anytime you see your brand associated with an environment of social activity, especially with men that are bald or shave their heads, you’re building awareness and creating recognition for the participants in the form of a gift bag.

Toner was just as pleased with the event. “It’s a nice night out on a nice evening,” he said.