GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) - Over 9,500 registered cruisers took to South Mississippi on Tuesday, and plenty of them gathered at the Island View Casino in Gulfport, where one event brings the heat with an iconic tradition.

It’s loud, it’s bright, and it’s hot — the 13th annual Flame Throwing Contest brought out a big crowd and big rigs.

“We do it for the kids, man,” explained 2024 contest winner Kendal Bordeaux. “The kids getting entertainment, that’s what we do it for. We do it for the people a lot, you know. They have fun. They enjoy it.

“We started off with little two-foot flames, and it just graduated more and more,” explained flame thrower James Bevins. “Over seven years, we’re pushing some pretty good stuff. I’m not going to reveal how high we’re going yet, but let’s just say tonight,

See Full Page