No forks, no hands, no manners: Key West holds its 14th key lime pie eating contest on 4th of July

Everybody knows about the famous hot dog eating contest, but the Florida Keys are celebrating Fourth of July the Sunshine State way, with a key lime pie eating contest instead. The catch is that contestants cannot use forks!

Twenty-four competitors competed Saturday at the Southernmost Beach Café in Key West for the annual Key Lime Pie Eating Championship, where they had to eat 9-inch Key lime pies as fast as they can as a crowd of more than a hundred cheering spectators watched. The rules of the contest are that they cannot use their hands, forks, or table manners.

Some contestants opted to wear goggles, which were allowed, as they chowed down and the whipped cream flew.

The Key lime pie originated on the island in the late 19th century. It is made of a blend of sweetened condensed milk, key lime juice, and egg yolks with a graham cracker crust and topped with whipped cream. The pie is said to have originated from settlers to the Keys and was a staple due to its long shelf life and the area's lack of refrigeration. It was so popular that Florida even made it the official state pie in 2006.

"Key lime pie originated in Key West. And so, every year we pay homage to our ancestors by shoving our faces in 9-inch Key lime pies to see who can eat them the fastest," said Liz Love, event co-manager.

Love also said that the event helps beat the summer heat.

"So, this heat wave on the East Coast. We have figured it out. Down here in Key West, we just slam our faces into cold Key lime pies. It's very refreshing. And it's so good for the complexion," Love said.

The winner of this year's title was Kevin Renly from Summerland Key, who is known as "The Key Lime Forkless Wonder." He ate the whole pie in 59.60 seconds, but he doesn't hold the record for the fastest time.

That record goes to a Houston attorney named Trey Bergman, who in 2017 took the title by eating it in just under 52 seconds.

Renly, who moved to the Florida Keys from San Diego and operates Southernmost Bees, has competed in this contest two other times, so the third time really was the charm for him.

He shares what his winning strategy was.

"My advice is to dive right in. Eliminate the whipped cream. Mix up the crumb with the pie and start sipping it up," said Renly.

Now in its 14th year, this Florida Keys tradition is the centerpiece of the annual Key Lime Festival, which runs five days: July 1-5.  

For the full schedule, visit KeyLimeFestival.com.