43rd Annual Conch Shell Blowing contest - Key West
Keys Treasures
"Conch Honk," will be held March 19, starting at 1:30 p.m. at the Ocean
Key House's Sunset Pier, Zero Duval Street, Key West, beginning at
1:30. There is no cost to enter or to compete, and no experience is
necessary. Conch shells will be available for those who do not have
their own.
Contestants can register for the event at the Hospitality House on
Mallory Square from 11:30 to 1 p.m. the day of the event, or at the
event itself. For further information, call (305) 294-9501.
Last year's contest was a great success!
On March 20, enthusiastic contestants, from children to seniors,
polished their conch shells, puckered up, and demonstrated their
shell-blowing talents on center stage of Ocean Key House's Sunset
Pier, Zero Duval Street, beginning at 1:30.
This 42nd Annual Conch Shell Blowing Contest, sponsored by the Old
Island Restoration Foundation, once again celebrated the historic
importance of the conch in the Keys, where the far-reaching sounds from
conch shells were used by the Calusa Indians for communication, by
sailors as fog horns, and by early Key Westers to signal salvagers that
a sinking ship was spotted offshore.
The conch itself, a sturdy sea mollusk, is deeply entwined in Key
West's heritage and tradition. As well as savoring conch meat in
fritters and chowder, native-born islanders proudly call themselves
Conchs. Their island home is known as the Conch Republic.
A distinguished panel of judges, including city commissioners Merili
McCoy and Tom Oosterhoudt and former city commissioner Sally Lewis,
brought years of experience and discriminating musical taste to the
daunting task of determining the prize winners in several age
categories: under 5 years, 6 to 11, 12 to 17, over 18 solo, and over 18
group. Entrants were judged on the quality, duration and loudness, and
novelty of the sound they produced. Mercifully, for most contestants,
musical ability is not a requirement in the annual "conch honk."
The winners took home trophies; ribbons were awarded to those who took
second place.
The afternoon included demonstrations of the intricacies of this
ancient and noble art, and conch shells were available for contestants
to purchase. Entertainment was provided by Auwina Weed, widely
acclaimed virtuoso on the conch shell, who for many years has performed
such difficult numbers as the "Grand March from Aida" for the
assembled crowd.
Peter Dillon emceed the contest, gently encouraging the youngest
entrants to keep trying until they got it right. The contest received
wide national and international media coverage.
Keys Treasures
The Associated Press
Posted March 19 2005, 7:02 PM EST
KEY WEST -- A retired real estate developer won the Key West conch
shell blowing contest Saturday, after practicing by blowing signals to
open drawbridges for his sailboat.
Jerry Bashant, 69, of Stuart, said his girlfriend encouraged him to
enter the 43rd edition of the wacky contest. Winners were chosen for
the quality, duration, loudness and novelty of the sounds they made.
``I think I probably blew the clearest and the longest,'' Bashant said.
``I got a lot of practice blowing conch shells on my boat.''
About 40 people participated in the contest, a highlight of the Old
Island Days festival, a three-month event commemorating Key West's
history.
Kyle Stratten, 9, of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, won a children's
division by blowing a conch shell and dancing at the same time. Two Key
West youngsters, called themselves the ``Key West Conchs'' and won the
kids' group division with their rendition of ``Popeye the Sailorman.''
Blowing into the pink-lined mollusk shells has been a Key West
tradition since the island's earliest settlement, when 19th-century
shipwreck salvagers blew blasts to signal that a sinking ship had been
spotted.
Visitors and residents savor conch meat in fritters and chowder, and
native-born islanders proudly call themselves Conchs. The Florida Keys
have been known as the Conch Republic for more than two decades.