Well, I keep coming back to this trying to figure out what kept it from being in top 10 and I think I have it. The purple cap is overbearing, drawing too much attention to an otherwise wonderful photo and contest theme entry. Had this not been a basic ed. contest I bet you would have toned it down a bit.
Nice use of the smoke or steam to create the sense this is coming into the frame. Very Creative and much different than the side entry technique! Bonus points for creativity here!