THE BEEHIVE HAIRDO : Hair Spray to Heaven

Several shopping malls have been redolent of hair spray for two weekends as a beehive-hairdo contest moves toward next weekend’s finals in, where else, the Sherman Oaks Galleria.

Saturday’s semifinal contest was at Topanga Plaza in Canoga Park. Another will be at 2 p.m. today in the Sherman Oaks center, which is also the scene of the finals Saturday.

All You Need to Know

* Putative father of the beehive: Alexandre Louis de Raimon of France.

* Years of beehive hairdos: 1955-1965.

* Beehive quote from an ex-beehive stylist (Allen Edwards of Encino): “It was the most disgusting era of hairdressing. You turned your hair into hard, untouchable material. It became a separate part of the body.” How hard? How separate? “I did a beehive so high that it stood three inches above a convertible windshield line. It was so stiff that the wind could not move it and I thought it was fabulous.”

* Most famous person to wear a beehive: Jackie Kennedy.

* Cans of hair spray per beehive Saturday: half a can on the average.

* Most cans of hair spray used in one beehive: four.

* Weight of the heaviest fully erect and sprayed beehive: 10 pounds (estimated).

* Alternative name to beehive: spiders’ nest. Edwards says he once found spiders in the beehive of a woman who left it in place about a month. Women often left them alone for days, even weeks.

* Tabrllest beehive in Saturday’s contest: 3 feet, 11 inches.

* Most time required to build a single beehive: one week.

* Average time required to build beehives: 1 1/2 hours.

* Most commonly used decorative motif: felt bumblebees.

* Average number of bobby pins used: 15.

* Most bobby pins used: 64.

* Youngest contestant: 7 years old.

* Beehive quote overheard at the contest: “Mom, can I get one of those?”