A Florida man claimed the title at the World Famous Key Lime Pie Eating Championship by eliminating the biggest obstacle first: the whipped cream. Kevin Renly, a resident of the Florida Keys, won at the annual Fourth of July competition in Key West. He devoured a whipped cream-topped 9-inch Key lime pie in 59.6 seconds without using his hands.
Participants had to eat the pies hands-free, although goggles and dive masks were permitted. Renly had finished as a runner-up in previous years, motivating him to refine his strategy for this year’s event.
“You didn’t have to eat the cream,” Renly told Fox News Digital. “So, I figured, ‘How am I going to get rid of the cream real fast?'” He used a unique technique by diving into the pie with his chest, removing the whipped cream effectively.
Once the whipped cream was removed, Renly flipped the pie upside down to manage the challenging crust. Renly said, “How are you going to eat the crust? That’s the worst part, because it was just so dry. No problem. We’ll just flip it upside down and eat it that way.”
The competition is part of the five-day Key Lime Festival and rivals Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest. It attracted hundreds of spectators, with 25 participants diving into whipped cream-covered pies.
Renly, who co-owns Southernmost Bees with his wife Julie, celebrated a significant victory this year. Previously known as the “first loser,” Renly joked that the “third time’s the charm.” Winning on his wedding anniversary made the victory even more special for him.
Renly’s motivation extended beyond personal achievement. He wanted to keep the trophy in the Florida Keys. As he told Fox News Digital, “This trophy needs to stay here locally, so some locals have got to keep it here.” Renly devoured a 9-inch Key lime pie in 59.6 seconds to win the Key lime championship belt.
Key lime pie, Florida’s official pie since 2006, is traditionally made with Key lime juice, sweetened condensed milk, and egg yolks in a graham cracker crust with whipped cream or meringue topping. Renly eyes a new goal of being the first to win consecutively.
Peter Burke, Fox News Digital lifestyle editor, covers lifestyle topics, focusing on food and drink.