Olympics of oyster shucking
Tyne Valley Canadian Oyster Shucking Championships offers a ‘sea’ of opportunity
Under the dimmed lights thousands watched with anticipation as 33 shuckers took to the stage in groups of three to compete and be crowned the 2018 Oyster Shucking Champion at the rink in Tyne Valley on Friday evening. “The Canadian Oyster Shucking Championships is the signature event of the festival,” remarked Adam MacLennan, vice chairman of the Tyne Valley Oyster Festival. “More than 15,000 oysters are being shucked and they are all donated from local P.E.I. farms, which helps makes this event successful.” Competitors came from across the country — from Ontario, Alberta and Quebec — for a chance to showcase their oyster shucking skills and take home the Shuck Cup. “We always draw around 300 or 400 people from away, and just walking through the crowd I’ve met people from New Jersey, Pittsburgh, New York ...” listed off MacLennan. Last year Eamon Clark took home the trophy to Toronto, and he returned this year to defend his title. “The competition is set up with 10 heats, and three people per heat. Eamon will be the last person shucking, so there’s a lot of pressure on him as he will be on stage by himself to see if he can defend his title,” explained MacLennan. The winner of the competition gets to represent Canada at the World Oyster Opening Competition in Galway, Ireland. “This is like the Olympics for oyster shuckers. Being able to go back to your oyster bar and have that huge trophy is quite a showcase, and the whole event creates stories,” noted MacLennan. Peter Quigley, from Kamloops, B.C., came to crack open oysters for the very first time while on stage in front of thousands of spectators and live television broadcasting. “My goodness was there pressure on that stage, I could see my dad sitting in the stands, too. But it was so much fun and one of the best times I’ve had on the Island. Everyone here is having a great time, from the moment you walk through the doors the feel-good vibe hits you,” said Quigley. Lannia Pan MacAleer, vicepresident of Hanington Foods Inc., says it takes special skills to shuck open an oyster. “P.E.I. oysters have a very hard shell, so we need to shuck from the hinge. You wiggle the knife until you can’t wiggle any more, like using a key to open a lock. You then hold the top shell so it’s one finger distance away from the meat and then you use your knife to separate the meat,” she explained. Her husband Darren MacAleer added, “It’s technique, speed, and hand and eye co-ordination. It’s also about doing the right thing over and over again.” Lannia competed in China’s first international Oyster Shucking Championship in Shanghai. The event took place on the Great Wall. “Lannia met all the top shuckers in the world and this inspired her to strive to become one of the top female shuckers in Canada,” said Darren. “Together we’ve studied the top shuckers, how they do it and what type of knife they use, to improve her time in the competition.” Since 1973, Tyne Valley has hosted the Canadian Oyster Shucking Championships where the best shucker in the country is crowned, and local fishers and growers unite. Clark managed to crack his competition and defend his title. As a result, not only will he take home the Shuck Cup, but he will travel to Galway in Ireland to represent Canada at the World Oyster Opening Competition in September. The Tyne Valley Oyster Festival is a major fundraiser, and last year paid off the mortgage for the community rink. MacLennan ended with, “We have one of the top Island festivals, and we are very fortunate for all the support from the community and local businesses, including the volunteers.” More than 500 volunteers dedicated their time to ensure the events throughout the week flowed smoothly. For more information visit, www.tvoysterfest.ca.