The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
FESTIVAL OPENS WITH A SURPRISE
Sheffield resident wins shortcake-eating contest
The perennial party held on Kirtland Schools’ campus opened June 15 with some classic edge-of-your-seat excitement.
No — we’re not talking horses, cars, motorcycles or mixed martial arts. This was a close encounter of the stawberry-shortcake kind and the hopefuls who brave the sticky stuff each year to claim bragging rights as the most prolific eater inside of two minutes.
For the past four years, it’s been Kirtland’s own Nick Gordish, who had his eyes on the prize and claimed it, thanks to his stomach being the same size as his eyes. But this year was a surprise, thanks to a guy from the west side.
Out of nowhere, 19-year-old Sheffield resident Ivan “The Avocado” Mendoza swept in and scarfed up six strawberry shortcakes in the Kirtland Kiwanis’ Strawberry Festival’s signature start-up event.
“Man — six is a lot!” said Nick Gordish, last year’s champ, who also won the title the three
“Six. That’s pretty impressive, man.” — Nick Gordish, last year’s champ, on Sheffield resident Ivan “The Avocado” Mendoza winning the contest
previous years.
“I’m humbled, man,” Gordish said. “I mean, I don’t know of anyone who’s ever eaten six. Hats off to him, man. I mean, that’s really something.”
Gordish said he was unsure of the new champ’s abilities when he approached the competition table, what with Mendoza having a GoPro camera all set up and wearing a clean, button-down dress shirt.
“I didn’t know what to think,” Gordish said. “I mean, that was my first impression, like, ‘what’s this guy up to?’ and I thought he was either just joking around or he was just the opposite — really serious.”
Well, it turns out Mendoza was really serious. After the contest, he said he started being a serious competitive eater earlier this year and he takes it very seriously.
And that’s no joke. For breakfast June 15, he took on a challenge at the Rise & Dine Café in Chester Township, which consisted of a 14-egg omelette, complete with potatoes and all the fixin’s. And he won that, too. Asked if that feast might have hampered his abilities in the strawberry shortcake-eating arena, he admitted it might have.
“I probably could’ve eaten another two shortcakes, had I not accepted the earlier challenge,” he said, adding that he cut the time limit for that breakfast race in half.
“You get a half-hour to finish it,” he said. “I ate it all in 15 minutes.”
A full-on competitive eater who ironically maintains an otherwise healthy diet and makes sure to only indulge incredible amounts for competition, Mendoza said he’s won 24 competitive eating contests since he started and, at 19, has already surpassed the be-al, end-all of teen-eating contests by winning 20 before turning 20.
He said his last triumph occurred at the Cleveland Asian Festival, during which he took top honors in an egg roll-eating match, consuming 10 in three minutes and 34 seconds.
Even after hearing that, Gordish was still amazed at Mendoza’s success in the shortcake-eating arena.
“Six,” he said thoughtfully. “That’s pretty impressive, man.”
Contest announcer Stan Nerderman said this year’s Strawberry Festival includes a second strawberry shortcake-eating contest June 17. It features the same rules and is identical to the June 15 competition, he said, adding that he wouldn’t mind seeing Gordish and Mendoza go bowl-to-bowl again.
Whether they do, he said, the contest is always a great way to kick off the four-day event and it seems to bring people together to help make for a great start to a great, hometown festival.
“(Mendoza) was the first guy to sign up (for the contest) today,” Nerderman said. “I mean, I got here about 4 and he was looking for me so he could sign up. He was clearly on a mission. So I wouldn’t be surprised if he competed again on Saturday. I mean, six is a lot of shortcakes.”
Whether a GordishMendoza rematch will occur, the 58th annual Kirtland Kiwanis Strawberry Festival will continue through 6 p.m. June 18. Visit its website and/or Facebook Page.