Conch Blowers Hope To Beat World Record
KEY LARGO - (CBSMiami.com) - Pucker up. As in pucker up and press your lips against conch shells and blow.
Exactly 142 conch shell blowers did just that Friday afternoon in the Florida Keys in an attempt to beat the world record of the most number of people simultaneously blowing a conch shell.
The previous record was set in 2009 when 127 people simultaneously honked the conch. It's an event sanctioned by the World Records Academy, which is one of several organizations that certifies world records.
Even if there are more participants this year, the record won't be confirmed until the organization certifies it.
The event was part of the weekend's Key Largo Conch Republic Days commemorating the mock secession of the Keys from the U.S.
The conch shell has been a symbol of the Florida Keys and the blowing tradition has been in place since the early 1800s when settlers used it as a signaling device.
(©2011 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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.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.)
