In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, David Johnson, right, hoists his first-place trophy after he beat 24 other contestants at the Mile-High Key Lime Pie Eatin' Contest Thursday, July 4, 2019, in Key West, Fla. Johnson consumed a 9-inch Key lime pie in 58.2 seconds. The competition, billed as a sweeter alternative to New York's July 4th hotdog-eating clash, kicked off Key West's Key Lime Festival that continues through Sunday, July 7. (Rob O'Neal/Florida Keys News Bureau via AP)KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) - A Key West man has won the Mile-High Key Lime Pie Eatin' Contest on the subtropical island where the pie originated.
David Johnson plunged face-first into a 9-inch (23-centimeter) pie smothered with whipped cream during Thursday's challenge. The rules forbid contestants from using their hands.
He consumed it in 58.2 seconds, besting 24 rivals in the kickoff of the annual Key Lime Festival.
In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, Steffany Stoeffler, right, competes with 24 other contestants at the Mile-High Key Lime Pie Eatin' Contest Thursday, July 4, 2019, in Key West, Fla. The competition, billed as a sweeter alternative to New York's July 4th hotdog-eating clash, kicked off Key West's Key Lime Festival that continues through Sunday, July 7. (Rob O'Neal/Florida Keys News Bureau via AP)Key lime pie was designated Florida's official pie in 2006 by the state legislature. Ingredients are condensed milk, egg yolks and the juice of tiny yellow Key limes, typically with a graham cracker crust and whipped cream or meringue topping.
The festival ends Sunday after events including tasting strolls and an offbeat Key Lime Pie Drop.