A Florida resident has captured the title at the World Famous Key Lime Pie Eating Championship by tackling the biggest challenge first: the whipped cream.
Kevin Renly, 62, from the Florida Keys, emerged victorious at the annual Fourth of July event in Key West. He devoured a 9-inch Key lime pie topped with whipped cream in 59.6 seconds, all without using his hands. Participants in this event were required to eat pies without using their hands, but they were allowed to wear goggles and dive masks.
After finishing second in 2024 and 2025, Renly refined his strategy for this year’s competition. “You didn’t have to eat the cream. I figured, ‘How do I remove the cream quickly?'” Renly explained. “So, I took off my shirt, dived in, and got the whipped cream on my chest.”
Once the topping was cleared, he turned the pie upside down to handle the crust. “Eating the crust is the hardest part because it’s so dry,” he said. “No problem. I’ll just flip it upside down and eat from there.”
The championship was part of the Key Lime Festival’s five-day event, offering a tropical version of Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest. It attracted hundreds of spectators, with 25 contestants diving face-first into cream-covered pies.
Renly, who co-owns Southernmost Bees with his wife, Julie, remarked that the “third time’s the charm” after his win. He had humorously called himself the “first loser” following his previous second-place finishes. The win was especially significant for Renly, as the contest coincided with his wedding anniversary. “I didn’t want to tell her I’d lost again,” he shared.
Renly’s motivation went beyond personal pride. He aimed to keep the trophy in the Florida Keys. “Watching all these out-of-town people take the trophy home made me think it should stay here locally,” Renly told Fox News Digital.
Key lime pie has been Florida’s official pie since 2006. Traditionally, it includes Key lime juice, sweetened condensed milk, and egg yolks in a graham cracker crust, topped with whipped cream or meringue.
Now that he’s a champion, Renly is determined to make history by becoming the first person to win consecutive titles. “No one’s ever won twice in a row,” he stated. “That’s my next goal.”
Peter Burke, a lifestyle editor at Fox News Digital, reports on various lifestyle topics, focusing on food and drink.
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