For the first time in 19 years, there was a tie at the Pete’s Grille Annual Pancake Eating Contest.
On Friday, Nov. 22 at 7 a.m., 27 contestants competed in the 22nd annual contest for a $500 cash prize.
In the women’s division, which had 10 contestants, Carolyn Bozman, a Charles Village local and recent graduate of Stevenson University, tied for first place with Hopkins seniors Jessica O’Neil and Catherine Bernstein. Each female contestant consumed nine pancakes.
In the men’s division, which had 17 contestants, Nick Farano and Andy Thompson tied with 14 pancakes. Farano, another recent graduate of Stevenson University, now works for the American Cancer Society in Baltimore. Thompson, who is also a Baltimore local, graduated from Davidson College in 2010. The cash prize was split among the winners in each division.
“The whole process just seemed hilarious. Plus I’ve been going to Pete’s since freshman year so it seemed like a nice capstone for my senior year,” O’Neil wrote in an email to The News-Letter.
O’Neil prepared for the competition by eating large servings of cabbage and lettuce for dinner.
22 year-old Farano, who has attended the pancake eating competition for the past two years to support his friend and three-year consecutive champion Bozman, had less preparation.
“I didn’t really prepare,” Farano wrote in an email to The News-Letter. “I knew that you have to eat a decent dinner the night before so I did just that. Other [than] that I pretty much winged it!”
No records were set, however, at this year’s contest. The all-time record in the men’s division is 18 pancakes, and the all-time female record is 12. But even so, the event attracted a large crowd of Baltimoreans.
“There were cameras, reporters, and a cheering section . . . my favorite part is giving the contestants the money. It’s really exciting to see what they do with it,” Dave Stahl, the owner of Pete’s Grille, said.
Bernstein, who is applying to lead wilderness therapy trips once she graduates, plans to spend the prize money on a warm jacket. O’ Neil is using her share of the winnings to help pay for her flight home for winter break. Farano will use the money to pay for a parking ticket.
“Both [the other male winner, Andy, and I] had our cars towed by the city of Baltimore. It cost us $282 each to get our cars out. Another male participant also had his car towed. It was very frustrating and disappointing. So we actually lost money. I won $250 and I spent $282 to reclaim my car from the city in [addition] to the $20 entrance fee. In fact, I am in the hole $52!” Farano wrote in an email to The News-Letter.
Several television stations featured the contest. Fox 45 had live coverage and WMAR TV aired a segment on their 30-minute show “The List,” which aired at 7 p.m. the following Thursday evening.
O’Neil stated that she does not plan to enter a pancake eating contest anytime soon, but Bernstein felt differently.
“I’d do it again, although I don’t think I’ve ever felt so bad in my life after. . .I’m a fairly competitive person so I’d probably do it again. Just maybe not with pancakes,” Bernstein wrote in an email to The News-Letter.
