Amid hoots and whistles, the first batch of eaters took their places behind a table decked out in seemingly endless trays of raw oysters and bottomless bowls brimming with cocktail sauce and lemons.
By Charley Falkenburg, Special to the Packet
Amid hoots and whistles, the first batch of eaters took their places behind a table decked out in seemingly endless trays of raw oysters and bottomless bowls brimming with cocktail sauce and lemons.
With moments to go, each quickly doused, squirted and spread their impending seafood conquests with the available fixings. And then, oyster mayhem ensued.
Arms and hands moved methodically as the contestants chain-slurped oyster after oyster. A melody of clunks and pings rose up as a continuous succession of empty shells flew into tin pails. Sauce and juice dribbled down chins, cheeks bulged and throats gulped. A mixture of laughter, groans and applause emanated from the spectators who watched with looks of awe, amusement and disgust.
Hundreds of people came out before the big game on Super Bowl Sunday for Blue Point Grill’s 2014 Oyster Bowl XV, an annual raw oyster eating, or slurping, contest held to benefit the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Central and South Jersey. Pine Street off Naussau and the sidewalk outside Blue Point were packed that afternoon with people of all ages ready to watch about 100 competitors decimate 7,000 shucked oysters in hopes of curing breast cancer, nabbing bragging rights and winning prizes.
There were many familiar faces as returning and former champions got ready to once again inhale as many oysters as possible in two minutes. Others, like Hamiltonian Adam Ritter, were brand new. However, Mr. Ritter, who was competing with corporate team Media Works, came with a strategy.
”The trick is, you don’t pick up the shell — it wastes time. You pick up two at a time and swallow,” divulged Mr. Ritter, as he watched his daughter Camille, 6, get a Denver Broncos-inspired football painted on her cheek. “It’s like the game Hungry Hungry Hippos, but with oysters.”
But once the dust, or in this case, juice, settled, it looked like Mr. Ritter’s tactic did not work in his favor. Instead, each division’s champ from 2013 prevailed again, allowing them to retain their reputations as the Oyster Bowl’s most formidable slurpers.
Just one shy of last year’s total, David Wittenburg consumed 92 oysters in two minutes. He not only earned the overall Oyster Bowl victory, but also a four-night trip for two to Punta Cana. Close behind, were Chris LaFlamme with 89 and Trevor Lamb with 88 — the same amount Mr. Lamb had eaten last year.
Lizzy McDaniel retained her title as No. 1 in the Women’s Division by slurping a total of 79 oysters — 11 less than last year. Trailing by three, was runner up and former champion Theza Friedman with 76.
Mr. Wittenburg enjoyed another victory when his corporate team, Mathematica, won first place in the Corporate Team Division for its fourth consecutive year after putting away 260 oysters collectively. Brothers International 1 and B & H Consulting followed with 240 and 195 respectively.
A contender has yet to best the all-time record of 102 oysters in two minutes, which was set by Chris Stevens back in 2009.
”It’s just crazy; the sponsorship has been remarkable,” said Blue Point Grill owner Jack Morrison when asked to reflect on the Oyster Bowl’s 15th milestone. “We broke our goal of a quarter million dollars and this is a great community sport. It’s wonderful.”
By that afternoon, they had raised $260,000 to date for Susan G. Komen. Seventy-five percent of proceeds to Susan G. Komen supports local programs while the rest support innovative national breast cancer research programs.
”This event supports a great cause and it’s a great community event for people to get together,” said Peter Crowley, the president of the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce. “This is a phenomenal approach to solve a horrible disease.”
When asked why he wasn’t participating, Mr. Crowley paused.
”I’m a good watcher — I watch it very well,” he said with a laugh.