All hail Jimmy Peng, who won Flancer’s annual charity pizza-eating contest and the $500 first-place prize for the second year in a row and third time in four years Sunday.
The slightly built Scottsdale man crammed down 18-and-a-half slices – nearly the equivalent of two-and-a-half extra-large pizzas – in the 15-minute competition.
Peng (pictured above with Gilbert mayor John Lewis, Miss Arizona Jennifer Sedler, and owner Jeff Flancer) easily broke the previous record of 16-and-a-quarter slices that he set last year.
Annual contender Gus Beisel of Tempe also broke the old record by eating 17-and-a-half slices but had to settle for second place for the second year in a row.
The only other competitor to reach double digits was 2004 champ Matt Heistandt of Scottsdale, who finished third with 10 slices.
The contest, which the Gilbert restaurant started in 2001, has grown into a monthlong series of events to raise money for Warfighter Sports, which rehabilitates wounded soldiers through sports.
Some more photos from Sunday:
Competitors relax just before the start of Sunday’s contest.
Owner Jeff Flancer shows how one competitor prepared his slices.
And they’re off! Diners inside the restaurant enjoy a front-row seat.
The competitors cover a range of ages. The youngest is just 10.
Flancer’s servers stand by with additional slices and drinks.
Peng prepares to eat one of his record 18-and-a-half slices.
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