Key West 'Drag Race' Stars High-Heeled Female Impersonators
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KEY WEST (CBSMiami) -- Drag racers don't usually wear short pink dresses or high heels -- unless they're contestants at Key West's Great Conch (pronounced konk) Republic Drag Race.
That's because the rowdy race wasn't designed for high-octane dragsters, but for high-heeled drag stars -- female impersonators strutting their stuff complete with big hair, pancake makeup, false eyelashes and dresses or stylish sporting attire.
Contestants in the offbeat challenge raced on foot Saturday afternoon down a portion of Duval Street, Key West's aptly nicknamed "main drag."
Entrants were judged on their speed and handicapped based on the height of their heels above the regulation minimum three inches.
The lively lovelies sprinted down a course that included a tire obstacle path and even pushed shopping carts as part of the competition.
The wacky drag challenge was part of Key West's annual Conch Republic Independence Celebration that began Friday, April 17, and celebrates the Florida Keys' 1982 "secession" from the United States -- an action prompted by an unannounced U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint erected at the head of the island chain.
The 2015 celebration continues through next Sunday, April 26, with a full schedule of events showcasing the Keys' independent and eccentric spirit.
(©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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.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.)
