This year's Pickle Fest winner won by eating the most pickles in 10 minutes and answering a pickle-themed trivia question.
A row of tables lined the right-hand wall at the entrance of Bagel Street Deli, with eager participants on one side, their designated counters on the other.
A crowd gathered to watch competitors display their love for pickles in the restaurant’s annual Pickle Fest.
The premise for the event, which has taken place since 1999, is simple: participants must eat as many pickles as they can in just 10 minutes. The entry fee is $5 and the champion is able to donate the collected total, matched by Bagel Street, to a local charity of their choice.
The winner is also able to create and name a new sandwich that Bagel Street will put in the special board rotation.
At 4:10 p.m., with the blow of the Pickle Fest horn, the competitors dug in.
Friends and strangers cheered them on and chanted encouragements as amicable bets were placed amid the crunch of thick pickles, which neared six inches in length.
As round one came to a close, a three-way tie was declared for first place.
One of the winners, Natalie Stepp, a junior double majoring in accounting and psychology, ate five pickles and said she felt “perfectly normal.”
“I didn’t originally want to (sign up), but my friend challenged me,” Stepp said, “So as long as I beat her I’m happy.”
Friendly rivalry seeped into the second round as friends and Ohio University graduate students Matt Saintsing and Ron Hedrick waited in line.
“I think I could realistically eat four pickles, but I’m going for as many as I can,” said Saintsing.
“Well then, I’m shooting for five,” Hedrick replied.
Both however, said they were participating because of the laughs and the good cause that the money was going towards.
“And the love of the pickle,” added Saintsing.
The love of the pickle burned strongly in two people in particular and carried them to the finals: Keaton Vagedes, a sophomore studying music production and Jacob Pratt, a sophomore majoring in special education at the University of Cincinnati, who both ate eight pickles.
After some brief deliberation, it was decided that a round of pickle trivia would choose the Pickle Fest Master.
And with the knowledge that Tierra del Fuego is in Chile, Pratt took the title.
Vagedes, who participated last year as well, said that he would definitely be doing it again next year, and hopefully winning as well.
Bagel Street Deli owner Megan Meyer said the event raised $160 through entry fees, which would be matched by the restaurant and sent to the Timothy House, Pratt’s charity of choice.
Pratt, who grew up in Athens, remembers donating to The Timothy House when he was a kid and thought they would appreciate it.
Pratt’s victory was not complete, however, till he created his own sandwich.
The Caruso Prattzel — egg, cheddar, bacon, spicy cream cheese and onion on a pretzel bun — is now on the specials board at Bagel Street Deli.
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