Chasing record, 'Star Trek' fans giving it all they've got

By 11 a.m., the parking lot of the Doubletree hotel was so hot even the Vulcans were sweating.

The organizers of Tampa's three-day "Star Trek" festival herded festival-goers to a shady spot for a group photo. They aimed to verify a potential world record for the most people in costume at a "Star Trek" convention.

It wasn't an easy task, especially once the Klingons showed up armed with oversized blades and a flaming battle ax.

Master of ceremonies Marc B. Lee tried to keep everyone together while organizers scratched up the last few people needed to break the 99-person record set in England in February.

"After this is all over," Lee said through his bullhorn, "the drinks are on the Klingons!"

Everybody cheered, even the Andorian.

In the end, 110 people signed the registration sheet. The count still must be verified by the Guinness Book of World Records.

With so many people decked out as Klingons, Bajorans and several decades-worth of Starfleet officers, it looked like a rift in the space-time continuum had opened right there in the parking lot of the West Shore-area hotel.

Laura, Bill and Kyle Brownlee sat on the curb a few yards away, watching the party. The Tampa family came for the convention but passed on the costumes.

"I've always wanted to see this in person," Laura Brownlee said. "I really give them a lot of credit for dressing up."

Costumed conventioneers were a small but very visible portion of the 600 or so people who attended today's events. The conference included workshops on costume making, autograph sessions with science-fiction celebrities and panels discussing the arcana of the sci-fi world.

"It's like a mini-vacation," said Ray Schulthess of Sanford, who brought his father, Bill, with him. Schulthess, a sixth-grade math teacher, came for the autographs, not for the costumes.

"Star Trek" has drawn generations of fans since the original series went on the air in the 1960s. The latest spinoff left the airwaves in 2005.

Over nearly 50 years, the franchise created by Gene Roddenberry has addressed issues of race, gender and technology. It also gave life to countless other sci-fi series and movies.

"It was way ahead of its time," said G.J. Minardi of Tampa, comptroller for Yellow Cab Co.

Like many at today's gathering, Minardi wore his "Star Trek" costume with pride.

"I'm not ashamed at all," he said. "I think it's a fantastic thing to be proud of."