Houston Man Wins Popular Hemingway Look-Alike Contest

HOUSTON, TX — A Houston man rented a boat eight days ago and sailed from Texas to Key West, Florida, with a three-man crew to help launch himself to become the newest Hemingway Look-Alike winner. Richard Filip, 71, earned the title of "Papa" after finishing runner-up the previous six years.

Filip is a real estate executive who joined 152 other entrants last Thursday for the first night of the contest at Sloppy Joe's Bar, a watering hole that was often frequented by Ernest Hemingway himself when he lived in Key West during the 1930's. Most competitors wore outfits that resembled the life and times of Hemingway.

There was also a simulated running of the bulls, in which the contestants wore white shirts and pants with red caps, belts and scarves. Hemingway gained a fascination with bullfighting when he lived in Spain, and the famed author wrote about the sport.

Before cruising to Key West, Filip rented a boat that's a replica to Hemingway's boat Pilar. The crew sailed from Texas to Miami, and then made the final trek to Key West last Tuesday for the Hemingway look-alike contest.

The contest was judged by past winners and, and the annual event runs in conjunction with the city's Hemingway Days, which are to celebrate the birthday of Hemingway.

Caption: A line of Ernest Hemingways take the Temple Theatre stage during a Hemingway look-alike contest at "A Night With the Hemingways" at the Temple Theatre in Saginaw Tuesday night April 29, 2008.

AP Photo by JEFF SCHRIER/The Saginaw News