This year’s Mr. Skagway was crowned at the Red Onion Saloon. Nugget’s endearing voice and magic tricks won over the judges and the crowd.
Skagway held its 2024 Mr. Skagway Pageant on July 13, and gave the honor to a Florida native.
Christian Monroe, better known as Nugget, is an actor for a local tourist attraction. He entered the pageant in character. Monroe describes his alter ego.
“He’s kind of a rambunctious, old-timey prospector,” Monroe says. It’s hard to describe it if I’m being candid. What’s great about it is that he’s lived through the last 150 years. So he’s all up to date with what’s going on in the planet.”
Mr. Skagway began in 2019 at the Red Onion Saloon. Due to COVID-19, this is the third annual pageant. While it contains a swimsuit, talent and interview portion, it’s not your typical competition.
Red Onion Bar Manager Deb Manager started the contest. She says the most important quality of Skagway is its quirkiness.
“We’re very independent in nature,” Potter says. “So it’s just that kind of, you just don’t fit into any box. And I think this Mr. Skagway competition really allows a platform to highlight how just different and special we all are in Skagway.”
The eight contestants varied greatly in physical size and appearance. They performed talents from gold panning to magic tricks. While the audience reacted enthusiastically to this year’s talents, Potter is partial to a previous year’s act.
“My favorite talent from 2019 was our then gift shop worker, Trent,” Potter says. “He brought up a table and folded T-shirts on that table along to old-timey music. And that was a great one and kind of exactly what I had in mind. And really what fits for Skagway.”
Pageant winner Nugget is fitting well into Skagway. He bought a house in 2023 and got married in town just three days after being crowned.
Because he was so busy, he almost didn’t enter the contest. But Deb Potter gave him a personal invitation and fate stepped in.
“I had a friend who texted me saying that they needed a ride up to the Mr. Skagway thing,” Monroe says. “And I figured, well, well gee. I’m gonna be there anyways, and all my stuff’s already in the car. So I walked in and was like, you know what, I’ll do it. And it became a great experience because of it.”
On the way home, Monroe fell on the slick boardwalk and got a black eye. He reports that his makeup skills were sufficient to cover the bruise for his wedding.
Potter says contestants from this year are already making plans for next year’s pageant.
“So, Mr. Skagway 2025. Put it on your calendar. Who is going to be?”
It is unclear what responsibilities Nugget must fulfill throughout his reign.
