A crowd of thousands packed the Third and Walnut street intersection to capacity Saturday afternoon for the crowning of the Pancake Queen and naming of a new world champion pancake eater
Miss Ruth Fakler, selected Miss Winona last spring, was crowned Pancake Queen, and Adolf Bouska (Eskimo Pete) of Marshland, Wis., won the pancake eater's title by downing 44 flapjacks during the 30-minute time limit.
The defending champion, Al Tropple, put up a gallant fight but finished sixth in the fast company among the 13 trenchermen who ranged around the board and melted down the stacks of wheats with two-fisted attacks.
Rotund Sam Kirk of Houston, runner-up last year, finished with the same honors this season, with 43 cakes consumed.
W.W. Everson, husky Bosemont, N.D., contestant, placed third with 42 cakes under his belt, but, after the contest was over, he ate half a dozen more for good measure.
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Fourth place went to Mike Siebir of Saint Mary’s College who was accompanied by a collegiate rooting section. He consumed 40 cakes, two more than the best effort of Walter Ramezyk of Winona, a small man but not without honor in his home city for previous gastronomic feates. Former champion Al Tropple ranked next with 35.
More than 15,000 people were downtown Saturday for the free pancakes, free acts and other entertainment.
Throughout the afternoon and evening, bands entertained the crowd as long lines – reaching as far as Third Street and steadily increasing in number – kept the 24 pancake chefs at the stand at Main and second Street busy all day.
Festival consumption statistics revealed that more than a ton and a half of flour was used in the 60,000 pancakes served at Main and Second streets; 300 pounds of coffee were used to make 325 gallons of the brew, which was distributed in approximately 11,250 cupfuls. The pancakes were lubricated with three barrels, or 156 gallons, of syrup, and between 350 and 400 gallons of milk were used in the preparation of the cakes.
Elaborate preparations were made for the pancake eating contest, but even the full staff assigned to attend the needs of the contestants was inadequate before the battle was finished -- so the pancake queen and her attendants volunteered to assist.
Tray loads of steaming cakes, were rushed to the scene of the conflict by the fire department in its new enclosed truck from the pancake production headquarters at Main and Second Street for distribution to the steadily chewing trencherman.
A rapid fire running account was broadcast over the public address system from reports received from Bob Shannon, head scorer. Time was kept by County Attorney E.D. Libera, and judges were Mayor A.H. Maze, Police Chief H.C. Riebau, and Municipal Judge Leo F. Murphy.
The contestants were served by a bevy of young girls, one girl to each man, and the cakes came in consignments of five until near the close of the contest, when deliveries were reduced to two and finally do one at a time. Coffee was also served and there were special coffee checkers.
From the onset of the contest Eskimo Pete set a steady pace, which though not spectacular, ate up pancake yardage with surprising dispatch. Like most of the contestants the champion passed up the use of a fork and took his pancakes as they came, but without the benefit of syrup.
Tanned a healthy bronze and filled out in the spots where does the most good, Eskimo Pete looked every inch a champion as he accepted the loving cup, emblematic of his pancake eating supremacy and posed for photographers with the triumphant finger pointing to the number 44 on the official scoreboard. Eskimo Pete is likewise 44 years old, he told the judges.
The new champion displayed a refreshing modesty in his conversation with the undefeated champion before the contest began. Eskimo Pete agreed with Tropple that the contest would be close but deprecated his chances are those of Tropple. “There's lots bigger hogs in the world than you or I,” he declared.
Judge Murphy dealt with Tropple once again on Monday, albeit in a more formal capacity.
After drowning his disappointment over his defeat, Tropple ran afoul of the law when he drove his car into a parked automobile at 1:10 a.m. Sunday and was arrested by Sgt. Albert Lila and Patrolman John Malosh.
Tropple will be eating at Sheriff Fred Seeing’s table for the next 60 days, complements of the sentence imposed by Judge Murphy after Tropple’s guilty plea two charges of drunken driving.
