Chris Dutton, a 39-year-old lawyer from Tampa, took first place with the dark hair and mustache that distinguished Hemingway in his youth.
He thus became the first "young Hemingway" to win the contest and the youngest winner in its 45-year history. This time, the competition managed to gather about 130 imitators of the famous novelist.
The victory came in her seventh participation, after six unsuccessful attempts, adding a story of perseverance to her triumph.
The contest was part of the Hemingway Days festival, held from July 21 to 26 in Key West, coinciding with the 127th anniversary of the writer's birth.
The contest was founded in 1981 at the initiative of Michael Whalton, who was then the manager of Sloppy Joe’s.
The first edition brought together 36 participants and among its judges was Leicester Hemingway, the brother of the novelist.
The Guinness World Records recognizes it as the longest-running Hemingway doubles competition.
Hemingway arrived in Key West in 1928 from Havana. During that first stay, he finished A Farewell to Arms and in 1931 settled in the house on Whitehead Street, where he lived for much of the decade and wrote works related to the city, such as
In 1939, he moved to Cuba, where he stayed until 1960.
In Finca Vigía near Havana for over twenty years and wrote, among other works, The Old Man and the Sea.
In December 2023, a group of Hemingway look-alikes visited Cuba as part of cultural activities related to the writer, strengthening the historical connection between the competition and the island.
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