Pucker Pros Star in Key West's Conch Shell Blowing Contest
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KEY WEST (FKNB) -- Fans of the fluted, pink-lined conch shell displayed their pucker power Saturday afternoon during the 53rd annual Conch Shell Blowing Contest in Key West. And among those who did it best was 64-year-old Key West resident Eddie Webb.
Webb, who said he's been playing the conch shell for more than 35 years, took first place in the men's division of the contest that's often nicknamed the "conch honk."
The tradition of blowing a conch shell in the Keys began centuries ago. In the 1800s, when the local economy was largely based on salvaging shipwreck cargoes, sailors attracted attention by blowing piercing blasts on the shell.
Several dozen kids and adults competed in the 2015 contest, with winners chosen for the quality, duration, loudness and novelty of the sounds they made.
"To be a good conch shell sounder, you've got to have good strength in your lips to get a high-pitched 'pffft' sort of thing while pressing against the hole," Webb said after his victory.
Other winners included Key West's Kyla Bender, 11, who wore an elaborate tiara while blowing an excerpt from composer Aram Khachaturian's "Sabre Dance."
Among the group entrants were six visitors from Ohio calling themselves "The Infamous Ohio State Conch Marching Band."
The contest was presented by the Old Island Restoration Foundation, founded in 1960 to advocate preservation of Key West's culture and historic buildings.
Temperature in Key West during the contest was in the mid 70s and most entrants were adorned in shorts and short sleeve shirts.
(©2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Florida Keys News Bureau contributed to this report.)
