Thar she blows! Canadian woman wins Key West conch contest

A Canadian woman and a pediatric cardiologist from Georgia are winners in Key West’s annual Conch Shell Blowing Contest. Brian Cardis of Macon, Georgia, performed the Jimmy Buffett song “Fins” on a a pink-lined conch shell with holes so it can be played like a flute to win the men’s contest Saturday. Carol Whiteley of Ontario, Canada, blew a long, loud blast with her shell to win the women’s division. Cardis says he began blowing the marine mollusk shell about 10 years ago during a visit to Key West, adapting techniques he learned playing the trumpet. Whiteley says she plays the shell at her riverside home to celebrate sunsets.