“Eddie Wawrzonek and Chris Hallal of the Clipper Ship Tea Company team took first place in the 10th Annual Nina’s Pizza Pizza-Eating Contest on Sunday,” according to the Northport Patch.
“The team, named after Eddie’s sister’s company on Main Street, finished off a 30-inch pie in 16 minutes and one second, unseating last year’s winners Phil Kraese and James Finnegan who returned to defend their title.
Wawrzonek, wearing futuristic glasses, fingers covered in pizza sauce, said that eating the huge pie wasn’t as challenging as last year when his team took second place. “It was less doughy, better cooked this year,” he said.
Both members of Team Clipper Ship employed the “dunk and swallow” strategy. Armed with a large plastic cup of water, the pair macerated the pizza slices until they were wet enough to swallow with little or no chewing. “Your jaw can tighten up,” said Wawrzonek.”