A Florida man who finally captured the title at the World Famous Key Lime Pie Eating Championship said his winning strategy came down to eliminating the biggest obstacle first: the whipped cream.Florida Keys resident Kevin Renly, 62, claimed victory at the annual Fourth of July competition in Key West after devouring a whipped cream-topped 9-inch Key lime pie in 59.6 seconds — all without using his hands. Contestants were required to eat the pies without using their hands, though goggles and dive masks were allowed.AMERICA'S MOST-SEARCHED ICE CREAM BRAND MAY SURPRISE YOU — AND THERE'S A HEALTHY REASON WHYAfter finishing runner-up in 2024 and 2025, Renly said he spent time refining his approach before this year's competition."You didn't have to eat the cream.So, I figured, 'How am I going to get rid of the cream real fast?'" Renly told Fox News Digital.
"So that's what I figured out.I take my shirt off and dive into it, pull up and the whipped cream is on my chest."Referee Landon Bradbary points to Kevin Renly as he rises from the remains of his pie, whipped cream dripping from his beard, during the World Famous Key Lime Pie Championship in Key West, Florida.
(Carol Tedesco/Key Lime Festival)Once the topping was out of the way, Renly flipped the pie upside down to tackle what he considered the toughest part."How are you going to eat the crust? That's the worst part, because it was just so dry," he said."No problem.
We'll just flip it upside down and eat it that way."CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTERHeld as part of the five-day Key Lime Festival, the competition is Key West's tropical twist on Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest and drew hundreds of spectators as 25 contestants plunged face-first into whipped cream-covered pies.Renly, who co-owns Southernmost Bees with his wife, Julie, joked after this year's victory that the "third time's the charm." He had previously referred to himself as the "first loser" after consecutiv...