Key West hosts Conch Shell Blowing Contest
KEY WEST, Flor. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - The Conch Shell Blowing Contest in Key West is a tradition that dates back almost 60 years, and people do love it.
People of all ages took part. Some playing excerpts from hit songs, like Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog."
Judges evaluated them on the quality, duration, loudness and novelty of sounds they made.
Brian Cardis of Georgia won the Men's Division Title.
"You sort of have to buzz your lips when you're blowing in. So you're not blowing straight air. You have to make a noise with your lips in order to generate the sound," Cardis described.
The conch shell is a symbol of the keys.
Native-born people call themselves "Conchs," and the island chain is nicknamed the Conch Republic.
