Santa Monica, Calif. – Major League Eating and Wonderful® Pistachios have teamed up to host the “Wonderful Pistachios Get Crackin’ Eating Championship” on World Pistachio Day, February 26, 2023. World Champion Competitive Eater Joey Chestnut and other top-ranked Major League Eating athletes will vie for a world record for pistachio-eating at the inaugural event taking place at 10:00 A.M. at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, Calif.
Wonderful Pistachios, America’s #1 Nut®, will Get Crackin’ like never before. Competitors will have eight minutes to crack open and eat as many Wonderful Pistachios as possible in a battle for the championship title and $10,000 in cash prizes. The pistachio-eating championship, featuring shell cracking, is unlike any Major League Eating contest ever held.
Chestnut will face fierce competition from other top-ranked eaters in attendance, including:
● Number-two-ranked competitive eater, Geoffrey Esper from Oxford, Mass.
● Number-three-ranked competitive eater, Miki Sudo from Tampa, Fla.
● Number-four-ranked competitive eater, Nick Wehry from Tampa, Fla.
● Number-seven-ranked competitive eater, Gideon Oji from Morrow, Ga.
“This contest will reveal who is a tougher nut: Joey Chestnut or a Wonderful Pistachio,” said Sam Barclay, emcee at Major League Eating. “In order to make World Pistachio Day history, Chestnut must perfect his pistachio-crackin’ technique while also outperforming his fellow competitors with his eating skills.”
“What better way to celebrate our favorite holiday, World Pistachio Day, than to crown the world champion of pistachio-eating amongst the iconic backdrop of the Santa Monica Pier?” said Diana Salsa, associate vice president of marketing, Wonderful Pistachios. “If Joey Chestnut wins, maybe he’ll even consider changing his name to Joey Pistachio!”
In addition to viewing the competition, spectators and attendees can enjoy complimentary giveaway items including branded merchandise, and, of course, bags of Wonderful Pistachios.
For more information about the “Wonderful Pistachios Get Crackin’ Eating Championship,” visit https://majorleagueeating.com/contests, and learn more about Wonderful Pistachios at www.GetCrackin.com.
About Wonderful Pistachios
Wonderful Pistachios is the world’s largest vertically integrated pistachio processor and marketer. Located in California’s Central Valley, our nuts are Non-GMO Project Verified, providing a smart, healthy choice for consumers around the world. Our nuts can be found in stores nationwide and online under the flagship brand, Wonderful® Pistachios. For more, visit: wonderfulpistachios.com, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Wonderful Pistachios is part of The Wonderful Company, a privately held $5 billion company that also has iconic brands such as Wonderful® Halos®, FIJI® Water, POM Wonderful®, JUSTIN® Wine, and Teleflora®. To learn more about The Wonderful Company, visit www.wonderful.com, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To view the current Corporate Social Responsibility report, visit www.wonderful.com/csr.
About Major League Eating
Major League Eating is the world body that oversees all professional eating contests. The organization, which developed competitive eating and includes the sport’s governing body, the International Federation of Competitive Eating, helps sponsors to develop, publicize and execute world-class eating events in all varieties of food disciplines. MLE-sanctioned eating contests provide dramatic audience entertainment and offer an unparalleled platform for media exposure. Major League Eating holds approximately 70 events annually, including the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, NY. For more information, visit MajorLeagueEating.com and follow us on Twitter @eatingcontest.
About Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier
Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier, LA’s only admission free amusement park, offers 12 amusement rides, 14 midway games, an oceanfront food plaza and seaside retail shopping. For more information, please call 310-260-8744, visit pacpark.com, and go to Facebook.com/pacificpark, Instagram.com/pacpark or Twitter.com/pacpark.
