FAIRMONT, W. Va. – The ninth annual Three Rivers Festival Pepperoni Roll-Eating World Championship at Palatine Park in Downtown Fairmont. Spokesman Sam Barclay said eaters will have 10 minutes to eat as many pepperoni rolls as possible for $5,000 in cash prizes.
“The world’s greatest eaters will descend on Palatine Park. We’ve got an 8 p.m. kickoff,” Barclay said. “It’s going to be an amazing display of power eating and jaw strength.”
Notable competitive eater Joey Chestnut set the Three Rivers Festival record in 2019 by eating 43 pepperoni rolls in ten minutes. Chestnut is reportedly taking a break from all competition until July 4.
According to Barclay, Geoffrey Esper, 46, of Oxford, Massachusetts, is the representative from Major League Eating.
“He’s got all the physical tools and the mental tools to dominate the competition,” Barclay said. “He’s the former pepperoni roll eating champion of the world.”
According to Major League Eating, Esper was the Hooters wing-eating champion in 2017 and 2018.
“Eighty-three slices of pizza in ten minutes, 281 Hooters chicken wings in ten minutes, over nine pounds of spam in eight minutes,” Barclay said. “He’s a power eater, he’s a capacity eater and enters Saturday’s competition as a firm favorite.”