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Key West man crowned Key lime pie-eating champion

Chris Shultz devours 9-inch pie in 1 minute, 14 seconds
Chris Shultz holds victory belt after winning Key Lime Pie Eating Championship in Key West, July 4, 2022
Posted at 5:44 PM, Jul 04, 2022
and last updated 2022-07-04 17:48:35-04

KEY WEST, Fla. — A Key West man downed a whole 9-inch Key lime pie topped with whipped cream in 1 minute and 14 seconds Monday to win the annual Key Lime Pie Eating Championship in the U.S.'s southernmost city.

Chris Shultz defeated 24 other entrants in the Key West competition that has become an Independence Day tradition.

Shultz devoured the pie by stuffing his face into the sweet treat. Per competition rules, contestants were not allowed to use forks, spoons or their hands.

Chris Shultz wins Key Lime Pie Eating Championship in Key West, July 4, 2022
In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, Chris Shultz, second from right, raises his hands to signify he has won the annual Key Lime Pie Eating Championship, Monday, July 4, 2022, in Key West, Fla. A Key West resident, Schultz devoured a 9-inch Key Lime Pie in 1 minute, 14 seconds without using utensils or his hands, per contest rules. Starring the Florida Keys' signature dessert, the quirky consumption challenge was staged as an alternative to New York City's traditional July 4 hot dog-eating contest.

"I plunged face-first into my pie and wiggled my face around and ate as much as possible," Shultz told the Florida Keys News Bureau after notching the victory.

Key lime pie was designated by the Florida Legislature as the official state pie in 2006, but it now has some competition when it comes to desserts. Strawberry shortcake was recently designated as the official state dessert and signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this year.