Olathe – The pile of glistening, buttered cobs at the Olathe Sweet Corn Festival’s eating contest didn’t last long.
After about five minutes of odd grunts, severe wheezing and a tremendous belch, Dan “Tiny” Parker beat out nine other contestants to take the title in the men’s corn eating contest Saturday. He cleaned off 19 cobs for a trophy and $100.
“Oh, that felt good. I could eat some more,” said Parker, 44, with bits of corn still in his beard.
Parker, of Olathe, has attended all 15 of the Olathe corn festivals and said he plans to compete in every eating contest until he can no longer chew corn.
“We put this corn festival higher than Christmas,” he said, “because of what it means to us.”
In the women’s contest, Laura Borkovec decided to enter despite recent gall bladder surgery. She didn’t tell her doctor.
“My lips are still numb,” Borkovec said.
