A barefoot chef from Asheville, North Carolina won the Oyster Shucking Competition in Charleston, South Carolina. Tres Hundertmark, owner of The Lobster Trap, shucked an average of onoe raw oyster every 2.6 seconds.
The Greater Charleston Restaurant Association hosted its 25th annual Oyster Festival at the Boone Hall Plantation on Sunday January 27th. The group sponsored a nationally ranked competitor for its afternoon oyster speed shucking competition and fully expected her to win overall. But Asheville’s very own Tres Hundertmark of the Lobster Trap had different plans.
Hundertmark was in Charleston for a Board of Directors retreat with the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association (AIR). One of AIR’s objectives was to attend the Oyster Festival and meet with its organizers to learn how they’ve developed an event that attracts over 10,000 guests.
“I had just placed in a shucking competition in Connecticut,” Hundertmark commented. “So I felt I would at least rank in the top 5.” But even Hundertmark didn’t expect to take 1st place. It was a great surprise to the competitor and to the delight of the Asheville based supporters.
The Oyster Shucking Competition entailed opening as many raw oysters as possible in 3 minutes. Hundertmark blasted the opposition away with an amazing 69 oysters in 3 minutes. That’s 1 oyster every 2.6 seconds, beating the five times champ by 5 oysters. The key to his success: focus, organization and bare feet.