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Six win in Taste of Marianas pie-eating contest
More than 16 individuals signed up to chomp down on full-sized pies in Saturday’s 2015 Taste of Marianas Food Festival and Beer Garden pie-eating competition. In the end, only six emerged victorious in the two-heat competition.
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- Tourists look at local arts and craft vendors at the 17th Annual Taste of the Marianas. (Jayson Camacho)
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- Marianas Visitors Authority staff smile for Saipan Tribune at the token booth during the 17th Annual Taste of Marianas. (Jayson Camacho)
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- Candidates for the 2015 Miss Marianas laugh and smile while checking out the arts and craft booths. (Jayson Camacho)
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- Two young sisters join the pie-eating contest against older participants. (Jayson Camacho)
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- The boys under the 17 and below category try to finish their pie as fast as the other participants. (Jayson Camacho)
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- First heat winners in the pie-eating contest, from left to right, are Erick Enriquez, Joel Fruit, and Conall Hartig. (Jayson Camacho)
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- Second heat winners in the pie-eating contest, from left to right, are MVA marketing manager Bruce Bateman, third place winner John Lewis, first place winner Simon Necesito, second place winner Ray Emul, and MVA’s Ryan Calvo. (Jayson Camacho)
The first heat started out with competitors in the 17-and-below age category vying for the first three places. Compared to last year’s, this year’s competitors were allowed to use their hands to hold their plates. However, no one can lift the plate off the table.
One highlight of the category was a 6-year-old girl who joined the competition, drawing attention and cheers despite not winning the heat.
Emerging victorious with faces and fingers full of pie were Erick Enriquez, Joel Fruit, and Conall Hartig.
The second heat included 10 competitors. Finishing first was Simon Necesito, who also won the hotdog-eating competition last week. Raymond Emul came in second place this time, after coming in third in last week’s hotdog-eating competition, while John Lewis came in third.
Both competitions had prizes for first place, which was $50 worth of Taste of the Marianas tokens, $30 for second, and $20 for third. The organizing Marianas Visitors Authority said the tokens were prizes and could not be exchanged for cash.
Enriquez and Conall said they both joined because they thought the tokens could be exchanged for cash. However, MVA’s Ryan Calvo informed them that it was just tokens that they could use for the remaining events of the Taste of the Marianas.
Necesito was happy, saying that this time he came to win first place.
MVA’s Bruce Bateman noted the public’s interest in joining the competition, saying they didn’t have to announce the opening of entries for the competition as it was already full.
“I didn’t even have to announce it, but all slots were filled before 8pm,” Bateman said. “So far we’ve had great participants for the competition and next week we will have a magic show.”
MVA Community Projects manager Martin Duenas noted that this time they had additional vendors. Tourists and community members got to enjoy local arts and crafts, necklaces, local jewelry, and many more.
