Competitive eater scarfs record-breaking 109 pistachios in Santa Monica competition
The Wonderful Pistachios Get Crackin' Eating Championship in on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023 in Santa Monica, Calif. (Jeff Lewis for Wonderful® Pistachios)
SANTA MONICA, Calif. - Major League Eating brought the first ever competitive pistachio eating competition to the Pier Sunday on World Pistachio Day, with the winner setting a world record in the process.
Nick Wehry took home the title at Sunday's Wonderful Pistachios Get Crackin' Eating Championship, scarfing down a world record 109 pistachios in just eight minutes.
"Nick Wehry has set a new high watermark for global pistachio consumption, while demonstrating superior dexterity and shell handling skills," said Major League Eating Emcee Sam Barclay.
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Unlike many other competitive eating competitions, Sunday's pistachio eating contest required more than just eating skills. The eaters not only had to consume as many pistachios as possible, they had to break them out of their shells, without damaging the kernel, before they could move on to the next nut.
Nick Wehry wins the Wonder Pistachios Get Crackin' Eating Championship on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023 in Santa Monica, Calif. (Jeff Lewis for Wonderful® Pistachios)
Wehry beat the world's No. 1 ranked competitive eater, Joey Chestnut, by nearly 40 nuts. The victory was Wehry's first ever Major League Eating win. Adrian Morgan came in second with 102 pistachios, and Miko Sudo, the world's No. 1-ranked female competitive eater, took third with an even 100 pistachios.