Chili lovers by the Thousands Flock to Owasso Chili Cook-Off
Thousands of chili lovers were lining up from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday at the Owasso Harvest Festival Chili Cook-Off to taste some of the best chili and salsa in the U.S.
“The turn-out was amazing,” said cook-off chairman ChiliJohn Fenrich who said estimates of the crowd ranged from 3,000 to 5,000. “Everything just clicked this year – the weather, the local People’s Choice chili teams, the International Chili Society cooks and our hardworking volunteers.”
Fenrich said ICS cooks from as far away as West Virginia, Ohio and Illinois traveled to Owasso to compete in the International Chili Society Oklahoma Championship Chili Cook-Off which was part of the Harvest Festival Cook-Off.
When the judging in the ICS competition was over, Owasso veteran chili cook Mike Mayenschein was declared the Oklahoma champion in the red chili competition. He will represent the state at the 2012 World Chili Championship Cook-Off to be held in Charleston, West Virginia. Also representing Oklahoma at the World Championship will be Tulsan Bob Alexander with his salsa and chili verde champion Wes Carlson from Illinois.
Nearly 30 local chili teams competed for People’s Choice chili and salsa honors as well as the popular Best Booth/Showmanship prize.
Sweeping the competition decided by ballots cast by tasting kit holders was Big Foot Bar-BQ. The enthusiastic team dressed in black Big Foot T-shirts with a rustic booth won the People’s Choice award for best chili, best salsa and best booth/showmanship.
Proceeds from the sale of the tasting kits go to the Owasso FFA. Emphasis was on youth at the cook-off this year with a new People’s Choice Youth competition added. Winning this prize was the Owasso FFA with the Oologah Boy Scout Troop 119 taking second, Owasso Brownie Troop 67 “Juliet Lowe’s Favorite Cook” team coming in third and the Native American Student Association finishing fourth. All youth competition winners received cash and plaques. The youth showmanship award was won by the Owasso FFA.
Another new category was the Service Club team challenge which was won by the Owasso Sertoma Club.
“The level of excitement out here is beyond belief,” said Doug Page, one of the local People’s Choice cooks who spent the afternoon handing out samples of his chili.
“We’ll be back next year, you bet,” said Leola Warner-Boyce, head of the Office Depot team that played on the company’s sponsorship of NASCAR great Tony “Smoke” Stewart with a team name of “Smokin’ Aces Chili.”
The Owasso Sertoma Club was the lead sponsor of the cook-off. The Sertomans and the FFA members helped with set-up and tear-down and kept things running smoothly all day, according to Fenrich.
One city official estimated that the pasture directly across from Centennial Park, where the event was held, had cars filling more than 20 acres.
The tasters and cooks were entertained throughout the day by live entertainment on the chili stage including the Scott Ellison Band and Till Metro. Many were amazed at the work of Dean Anson who demonstrated his chainsaw sculpting prowess at the P&K Equipment chili booth.
Other activities Saturday at the cook-off were the Little Miss Chili Pepper and Little Mr. Hot Sauce contest sponsored by Tippi Toes Dance studio, the Cutest Chili Dog contest at the VCA/Owasso Animal Medical Center booth plus all of the Harvest Festival events including hayrides, bounce houses, face painting, train rides, the YMCA scarecrow contest, Halloween maze, safety equipment displays and fair-type food.
The competition for the ICS awards was first rate with 10 of the cooks having competed in the World Championship. Four ICS World Champions were in the field at the cook-off in Owasso Saturday.
“I’ve been judging ICS chili for 15 years,” said judge Bill Biard, owner of the famed Hammett House restaurant in Claremore. “I have never tasted so many great chilies. This was just amazing.”
OWASSO HARVEST FESTIVAL CHILI COOK-OFF RESULTS
PEOPLE’S CHOICE
Chili – Big Foot Bar BQ
Salsa – Big Foot Bar BQ
Booth/Showmanship – Big Foot Bar BQ
YOUTH PEOPLE’S CHOICE
Chili – 1st Owasso FFA, 2nd Oologah Boy Scout Troop 119, 3rd Owasso Brownie Troop 67, 4th Native American Student Association
Booth/Showmanship – Owasso FFA
INTERNATIONAL CHILI SOCIETY
Red Chili
1st Mike Mayenschein, Owasso
2nd Bob Hall, Illinois
3rd Jim Stoddard, Texas
4th Wes Carlson, Illinois
5th Clif Dugan, Texas
Green Chili
1st Wes Carlson, Illinois
2nd Bob Hall, Illinois
3rd Stuart Frye, Arkansas
Salsa
1st Bob Alexander, Tulsa
Cut line for photos:
BIG FOOT BAR-BQ WINNER – Folks line up to get a taste of the eventual People’s Choice Chili champion chili at the Big Foot Bar-BQ booth Saturday at the Owasso Harvest Festival Chili Cook-Off.
OKLAHOMA CHAMPION – Owasso’s Mike Mayenschein was declared the Oklahoma champion in the International Chili Society Oklahoma Championship Cook-Off in red chili Saturday at the Owasso Harvest Festival Chili Cook-Off. He will represent the state at the 2012 ICS World Championship Chili Cook-Off. With Mayenschein is cook-off chairman ChiliJohn Fenrich.
