Kevin Renly won the World Famous Key lime pie eating championship in Key West, finishing a whipped cream–topped 9‑inch Key lime pie in 59.6 seconds under the contest’s strict no‑hands rule. The 62‑year‑old local pulled ahead of the field in front of hundreds of festivalgoers, using a technique he described as taking his shirt off and diving into the pie to remove whipped cream before attacking the crust.
The pie contest is a marquee event within the multi‑day Key Lime Festival in Key West, which this year drew hundreds of spectators for food stands, parades and family activities. The contest’s no‑hands rule was enforced by judges on site, and competitors were allowed to wear goggles or masks to protect their eyes from splatter.
What happened at the Key lime pie eating championship
Organizers staged the World Famous Key lime pie eating championship as part of the festival schedule, lining up roughly two dozen entrants for a round of rapid face‑first eating. Under the rules, contestants must finish their pies without using their hands; timing is visible to the crowd and judges record placements when a contestant clears the pie surface.
Renly completed his 9‑inch whipped cream–topped pie in 59.6 seconds. The finish marked a personal milestone: after finishing second in both 2024 and 2025, Renly finally took the top prize on his third close run. The result prompted cheers, laughter and applause from an audience that treated the contest like a carnival highlight.
Judges monitored rule compliance closely. Officials reiterated that any use of hands could disqualify a contestant, and they confirmed that the published winning time for Renly was 59.6 seconds.
How Renly says he won
Renly told reporters the winning approach focused on getting the whipped cream off immediately so he could access the citrus filling and the crust. “You didn’t have to eat the cream. So, I figured, ‘How am I going to get rid of the cream real fast?'” he said.
He described a short sequence that starts with taking his shirt off and using it to pull the whipped cream away. “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,” Renly said. After clearing the topping, he said he flipped the pie to make the dry crust easier to manage. “How are you going to eat the crust? That’s the worst part, because it was just so dry,” he added. “No problem. We’ll just flip it upside down and eat it that way.”
Those steps — shirt off, dive, remove cream, flip pie — are Renly’s account of the winning technique. This description is presented as his claim and was not independently verified by event officials in reporting on the contest.
Local context and runner-up history
Renly is a Keys resident and co‑owns a local business, Southernmost Bees, with his wife Julie. He noted the timing of the win made it especially memorable: the contest fell on the couple’s wedding anniversary, and Renly joked about the stakes. “I didn’t want to go home and tell her I’d lost again,” he said with a grin after collecting the trophy.
Before this victory, Renly finished second in back‑to‑back contests, building both experience and local fan support. That history made the win feel like community triumph as much as an individual achievement — several nearby vendors and attendees celebrated the local favorite holding the title in Key West rather than sending the trophy to an out‑of‑town winner.
Why this matters for Key West and the festival
The Key Lime Festival puts a spotlight on an island classic: Key lime pie was designated Florida’s official pie in 2006 and remains a culinary emblem of the Keys. Events like the pie eating championship blend lighthearted competition with measurable benefits for the local economy, giving bakeries, restaurants and small businesses increased foot traffic during the festival weekend.
Beyond economics, the contest provides a playful anchor for family visitors and food tourists, helping maintain the festival’s reputation as a draw for summertime travel to Key West. Organizers said that festival programming — from food events to parades and pageants — aims to be accessible to a wide audience, and the pie contest is deliberately theatrical to engage crowds of all ages.
Quick takeaways
- Winner: Kevin Renly, 62, finished in 59.6 seconds under the no‑hands rule.
- Technique: Renly says he removed whipped cream by using his shirt and flipped the pie to ease eating; this is his account and was not independently verified.
- Local tie: Renly co‑owns Southernmost Bees and had placed second in 2024 and 2025 before winning.
Frequently asked questions
Did Kevin Renly use his hands to eat the pie?
No. The contest enforces a no‑hands rule. Renly says he removed the whipped cream with his shirt and flipped the pie to comply while clearing the topping quickly.
What was the winning time at the contest?
Kevin Renly’s recorded winning time was 59.6 seconds for a whipped cream‑topped 9‑inch Key lime pie.
Is Key lime pie Florida’s official pie?
Yes. Key lime pie was designated the official pie of Florida in 2006 and remains closely associated with the Keys.
Source: Reporting summarized from Fox News Digital. The description of Renly’s technique is his account and was not independently verified by Fox News or by Nonstop News in this update. For the original report, see: Fox News.
