Sweat, tears and hot chillies
Seven of Manawatu’s bravest souls wiped sodden foreheads and blinked through watery eyes, as they fought for a spot in a national chilli eating competition.
Some of the world’s hottest chillies, from countries such as Africa, India, Mexico, and Spain, were chewed by competitors during a regional heat of the NZ Chilli Eating Champs in Palmerston North on Thursday.
As their mouths burned and their faces went numb, the competitors were cheered by the crowd that packed into the Rose and Crown pub.
The region’s top chilli eating champ, Rob Kent, took out the heat for the second year in a row.
Kent, from Apiti, said he first competed last year because his friends said they would buy him a beer if he took part.
Ben Tippins ran the event and said all the competitors did well, especially considering this year’s chillies were hotter.
The champs require competitors to go through about 11 rounds of chewing a chilli for 30 seconds before swallowing it.
The chillies get hotter each round and competitors lose when they either throw up or start sculling milk or beer.
Despite having ‘‘nerves all day’’, Kent said he was pleased to win.
After trying 10 different chillies, his face was numb, his nose was dripping, and he could no longer feel his uvula in his throat, he said.
After eating 21 chillies last year, Kent said his ‘‘guts turned to knots’’ at about 2am the following morning.
He went on to represent the region at last year’s national competition in Auckland and will be returning there to compete in May.
In second place was Aidan Ashmore who said he had never felt heat like it before. It was the final dried Bhut Jolokia chilli that tipped Ashmore over the edge. He ended up throwing the chilli back up in a bucket. ‘‘I didn’t actually know that hot was possible. That was insane,’’ he said.
His friend, Shane Tooley, came third. Tooley had taken part in a speed eating competition before, but said the chillies were on a whole new level.
Alice Carroll, the only female to take part, finished in fifth place.
The NZ Chilli Eating Championship will be held on May 20.