MARATHON, Fla. (AP) — A new stone crab eating champion has been crowned in the Florida Keys.
Christian Gatti of Big Pine Key, Florida, used an ice cream scoop to crack and then consume 25 stone crab claws in 15 minutes and 57 seconds Saturday at the Keys Fisheries Stone Crab Eating Contest. He beat 24 rivals including twice-past champion Juan Mallen of Miami.
Marathon, Florida, residents Greg D'Agostino and Ryan Beckett claimed their fourth consecutive team championship with a record-breaking time of 6:21.
The Keys are Florida's top regional supplier of stone crab claws, contributing an estimated 40 percent of the state's harvest. Stone crabs are considered a renewable resource because of their ability to re-grow harvested claws.