Published 22 April 2019
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
Kite flying and hotdog eating competitions rock Black Rocks on Good Friday
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, April 21, 2019 (PLP PR Media Inc.) — Organisers of the 2019 edition of the Annual Dr Timothy Harris Constituency Number Seven Kite Flying Competition kept their word and the Black Rocks pasture was on Good Friday, April 19, awash with activities that included the traditional kite flying competition and also saw the introduction of a hotdog eating competition.
The annual event that takes place every Good Friday, which attracted hundreds of residents and also cruise ship tourists who were brought to the pasture by their tour guides, is organised by the Executive of the Peoples Labour Party (PLP) Constituency Number Seven Branch. Apart from flying kites for the competition, many more – both children and adults – came to fly kites for leisure as part the country’s Easter kite flying tradition
Kite flying as usual stole the limelight as hundreds of revellers gazed into the skies as the colourful kites took to the air. Continuity announcer Ms Yvette Bass reminded those present that owner of the biggest kite to take to the skies would return home $1,200 richer, and that for eating the most hotdogs in five minutes would earn the winner $500 – earning $100 per minute to eat!
Competition, predictably, was stiff but no one walked away with $1,200 as there was a tie. Chairman of the PLP Constituency Number Seven Executive Branch Mr Lenworth Harris announced that two kite flying enthusiasts had shared the prize. He noted that none of the two kites was in the air for long but because the kites took off to the skies, the amount was shared by one Brandon from Stoney Grove (Nevis), and Ridnie Liburd.
The next cash prize of $800 for the highest flying kite was grabbed by Nigel Browne, and Antonio Williams had the prettiest kite which was a repeat of a feat that he had accomplished last year which made him take $500. Norris Taylor who was the winner in the oldest person flying a kite category in 2017 came back strong to reclaim the title and the $300 prize money after missing out last year.
A cake was the prize to be won by the youngest person flying a kite, and unlike the cash prize which would be split easily into two in case of a tie, the organisers who did not wish to be caught flatfooted had two cakes just in case there was a tie. And there was a tie! Ms Yvette Bass ensured that each of the two one-year-old contestants Baby Trevion, and Baby Jahmeil Walwyn got a cake.
The event that stole the show ended up being a new entry in terms of competition activities – hotdog eating. Five competitors took the challenge and a tray with 25 hotdogs was placed in front of each of the competitors. Rules of the competition were simple: Eat as many as you are able to eat in five minutes without any wastage.
The five opted to compete (or eat) while standing. They had a bottle of water to flush down the chewed hotdogs, and the highly charged crowd went wild when the signal ‘eat’ was given. At the end of the allotted five minutes, Tarik Bradshaw had managed to eat five and a half hotdogs that guaranteed him a cash prize of $500. Members of the public assisted in finishing off the remaining hotdogs. An official was heard to say: “Next time we will allow them ten minutes.”
As usual, tug-of-war was one the field events that attracts a large following and this year was no exception. After a rowdy great pull of the rope, Rum Drinkers were declared winners in the senior category while Little Guys were declared winners in the junior category. A new category of racing, dizzy race, was won by Shakoi Huggins, while in the traditional sack race, Tonya James and Armani Phipps were the winners.
ENDS
Pix captions:
1: A combo of kite flying activities. Top row are the two kites that won in the biggest kite category, while the bottom row shows some of the competitors preparing for the event.
2: Hotdog eating competition. Winner Tarik Bradshaw is on the right.
3: Members of Constituency Number Seven Kite Flying Competition committee inspect some of the kites before the start of the competition.
4: Kite flying competitors pose for a picture before the competition.
5: Clockwise from top: Huggins Masquerades, sack race competitors in full flight, start of the dizzy race, and eventual tug-of-war senior winners the Rum Drinkers in action.
6: Member of the PLP Constituency Number 7 Youth, Ms Trevlyn Stapleton, presenting prizes to (clockwise): Baby Jahmeil Walwyn, Norris Taylor, Antonio Williams, and Nigel Browne.
