Saturday, Sept. 26, 10 competitive eaters, including 18-time world hot dog-eating champion Joey Chestnut, came to Williamsburg to compete in the Second Annual World Pancake Eating Championship at the Williamsburg Pancake Festival.
The crowd was electric, with children perched atop their parents’ shoulders, college students sitting in a tree outside The Cheese Shop for a better view and audience members capturing the moment on camera — all searching for the best view of the competition.. It was like the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest of New York had worked its way into the small historical town of Williamsburg.
When the 10-minute timer began, the 10 competitors — including the undefeated men’s and women’s Nathan’s Hot Dog Contest eaters Chestnut and Miki Sudo and the No. 5 eater, Nick Wehry, according to Major League Eating — raced to eat as many pancakes as possible.
Within the first two minutes, the crowd started to let out thunderous cheers, shouting Chestnut’s name. Not an empty space was to be found in Merchant’s Square on Duke of Gloucester Street.
As the competitors entered the last minute, Chestnut held a clear lead with 30 pancakes in nine minutes. Yet, it was neck and neck for second place, between Wehry and the No. 1 competitive eater from the U.K., Max Stanford. Tension filled the air as the judges totaled the final score.
The Williamsburg Fifes and Drums, decked out in full regalia, played a march in front of the tent while the judges deliberated intensely.
Eating 28 pancakes, Stanford placed second; Wehry placed third with 27.
Finally, the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived.
Holding Chestnut’s hand, the judge announced Chestnut’s new world record of 40 pancakes in 10 minutes. Chestnut received a commemorative pancake portrait of himself made by a local Williamsburg artisan baker.
The College of William and Mary students who witnessed the event and noted the unique opportunity to watch the World Pancake Eating Championship in Williamsburg during their college careers.
“I would say this a very twampy experience,” Alexis Paraschiv ’29 said.
Lucas Mendes Martinez ’29 also remarked on the sheer magnitude of the event’s atmosphere.
“The crowd had more electricity than one of the football games,” he said.
For Mendes Martinez, watching Chestnut eat competitively fulfilled a life long dream.
“I’ve been following Joey Chestnut for years. Every year, my family watches him for the Fourth of July,” Mendes Martinez said. “So to see him in person — that was incredible.”
Mendes Martinez commented on his surprise that something as trivial as pancake eating could bring people together.
“I felt very unified right now within the William and Mary community through watching this pancake eating contest, and I think a lot of other people do as well,” he said.
People came from all around Virginia to witness the competition, including Michael Cook. Cook and his wife traveled to Williamsburg from Portsmouth, Virginia just to get a glimpse of the World Pancake Eating Championship.
“It was an incredible experience,” he said.
Cook commented on the quirkiness of Williamsburg as a historical town and Pancake Capital of the World.
“Williamsburg always has unique things going on, and it was really fun to get to do this,” Cook said.
After the competition, the crowd wandered the rest of the festival’s activities, including free face painting, buying pancake merchandise and taking photos with the champion pancake eater, Joey Chestnut.
