December 23, 2013 at 4:33 p.m.
Wing challenge packed plenty of heat
Wing challenge packed plenty of heat
The islands standing in the middle of the room were covered in plastic and reserved signs were placed every few feet. It's where Tom Fondow's much anticipated wing challenge was set to take place, and the room was buzzing in anticipation.
Fondow said he was impressed with the size of the crowd.
"I was not expecting that many people," he said. "I knew it was going to be kind of big because of the alumni game, but I think there were about 80 people gathered around, just watching the wing challenge. That was incredible."
After the small group of participants, a little more than a handful, were identified, spectators purchased raffle tickets and circled the contestants, trying to spot any kind of advantage that suggested who the winner might be.
The raffle tickets were placed in cups that sat before each participant as those looking on picked their favorite to win.
Fondow said the raffle tickets were a big hit because people had a lot of fun picking their horse.
"The first place prize was a sweet Clay Matthews jersey, so that really made the tickets sell," he said. "People enjoyed taking a look at the people and deciding who they thought had a chance. It was a really fun little game."
Fondow took his seat among them. He made the sauce himself. He wasn't about to hold a competition built around his creation without participating.
Minutes before the wings were finally passed out, rubber gloves were handed out. Fondow warned his fellow competitors not to touch their eyes. The sauce was that strong.
The wings were finally unveiled and employees carried them through the crowd.
Participants had to finish 10 wings in 10 minutes. The first person to finish the wings, or the person who finished the most wings at the end of the 10 minutes, would be crowned the winner.
When the competition finally began, each competitor started fast. They coasted through the first couple of wings, but the heat proved to be a slow burn, building over time.
Fondow said even he wasn't prepared for the extent of the heat.
"It's tough to describe," he said. "It's really hot. It's a burn your lips kind of hot. The next day, there were still some oils in my beard and it was still giving me tingles once in awhile. It was really hot."
Tyler Bessa also competed. He said he knew what he was getting into from the very start.
"I didn't plan to do very well, but people started piling their tickets in my cup," he said. "People believed in me, so I had to try. The first nine went down fine, but the 10th wing was rough. I can't even describe the heat. It was literally more pain the morning after than in the moment. I've never experienced anything like that before."
Jerry Bruyette from Rhinelander was the first to finish his 10 wings. The contestants soon discovered that the pain was just beginning though.
Many participants had tears streaming down their faces and used the new T-shirts they had earned as sponges, trying to soak the remaining sauce from their tongues. Fondow said they were impressed with the sauce, but were definitely struggling to put the fire out.
"They all said it had great flavor, but it was incredibly hot," he said. "Once they hit the fifth or sixth wing, they couldn't believe how hot it got."
When all was said and done, the wing-eating contest raised $400 for charity. Half went to the Department on Aging and the other half went to the Rhinelander Area Food Pantry. Fondow described the event as an immense success, and said Bucketheads is definitely looking at turning it into an annual event, although nothing has been finalized. For now, he's looking back on Saturday's event, smiling at its succes.
"Hanson's Garden Village was incredible for donating the peppers to us," Fondow said. "Everyone had a lot of fun and we're looking forward to doing this again."
Andy Hildebrand may be reached at [email protected].
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