Midway Moments: Munching contest goes from marshmallows to watermelons
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Editor’s note: Midway Moments is a column that looks at funny, unusual, inspiring — even embarrassing — moments at the 2016 Orange County Fair.
At some point before Friday night’s scheduled Get Your Fair Face On! Marshmallow Contest at the Orange County Fair, event organizers concluded that stuffing too many marshmallows in one’s mouth was a potentially bad idea.
It could be a choking hazard, they determined.
So instead of a marshmallow-gorging competition, organizers decided participants could chomp ferociously on watermelons. Presumably, they’re more difficult to choke on and, in the end, the contest would still accomplish the fair’s goal of good, zany fun.
Thus came a new challenge: Devour, hands-free, as much watermelon as possible in one minute. The winner would receive a $20 gift card for Vons or Safeway.
Just before 7 p.m. Friday in the OC Promenade building at the Costa Mesa fairgrounds, 10 watermelon slices were placed on a table. Each was roughly the same size — large enough to plow a face into. They were cut from a whole watermelon with the rinds still on.
Placing an entire face into a watermelon wedge is messy. So the OC Fair distributed bibs for the contestants to wear. Only they weren’t actually bibs; they were trash bags. Some contestants wore them so tightly that they looked like straitjackets.
“Once everyone gets their trash bags on, they’ll be ready to eat,” the judge announced as the whistling main theme from “A Fistful of Dollars,” the spaghetti Western that helped make Clint Eastwood a legend, played quietly in the background.
As the 10 contestants made their way onstage, the judge asked them about their favorite fair foods. Some answered deep-fried Oreos and Blooming Onions. None said watermelon.
One contestant was introduced as Gary, “the man, the myth, the legend.” No reason was given.
Once all were onstage, they stood above the watermelons on the table and drooped their heads toward them, waiting for the signal to start.
When it came, the table quickly got messy as watermelon juice splashed about. The contestants’ teeth viciously bit into the fruit.
“Don’t breathe! Just eat!” the judge exclaimed before the hundred or so spectators catching the action.
Once the minute was over, the judge strolled down the line, quickly glancing at each contestant’s progress. Unfortunately for the mythical Gary, he was the first eliminated.
When the judge approached the far edge of the table, it was clear that Katryna Luchembe, a 17-year-old from Perris, had nailed it. Most of the red stuff had been scraped off.
In an interview after receiving her gift card, Katryna said her winning strategy was pretty straightforward.
She makes her mind go blank to focus, then shoves her face in “just to get it in any way possible,” she said with a smile and a quiet laugh. She noted that Friday was the second time she’s won a watermelon-eating contest.
The first time, she was 13 years old and “she beat out six boys,” one of her family members said.
“Six men,” another member clarified.
Katryna wasn’t sure how she’ll spend her $20, but it won’t be on watermelon.
“I don’t even like watermelon,” she said.
Twitter: @BradleyZint
