John Henry – A mighty steel-driving African American.Peter Francisco – American Revolutionary War hero.Also known as the King of the Mississippi River Keelboatmen Mike Fink – The toughest boatman on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, and a rival of Davy Crockett.Congressman from Tennessee who later died at the Battle of the Alamo 'Strap' Buckner – An Indian fighter of colonial Texas Daniel Boone – Blazed a trail across Cumberland Gap to found the first English-speaking colonies west of the Appalachian Mountains.He is known for the Bowie knife which he used to disembowel his opponent. Jim Bowie – A Kentuckian frontiersman, Texas Ranger, and land speculator who fought for the Texan cause in the Battle of the Alamo.Johnny Blood – An American football player whose reputation for wild behavior was as well known as his on-field play.Johnny Appleseed – A friendly folk hero who traveled the West planting apple trees because he felt his guardian angel told him to.Some stories are told about exaggerated versions of real people: The comic strip Non Sequitur sometimes features tall tales told by the character Captain Eddie it is left up to the reader to decide if he is telling the truth, exaggerating a real event, or just telling a whopper. The contest does not proceed beyond any participating district in the organization to the international level. The winner proceeds to the next level of competition.

Each and every participating speaker is given three to five minutes to give a short speech of a tall tale nature, and is then judged according to several factors.

The semi-annual speech contests held by Toastmasters International public speaking clubs may include a tall tales contest. The tales of legendary figures of the Old West, some listed below, owe much to the style of tall tales. The tall tale's origins are seen in the bragging contests that often occurred when the rough men of the American frontier gathered. The tall tale is a fundamental element of American folk literature.

Big fish kingdom tales