The afternoon of Monday, April 21, was straight out of a postcard: The sun was shining, cotton-ball clouds floated overhead, a slight breeze blew across the lawn in front of the HUB and there was a murmuring of happy students walking by. In other words, a perfect day to watch dozens of University of Washington students inhale heads of iceberg lettuce.
As the student announcer told the assembled lettuce eaters before starting the competition, “May the odds romaine in your favor.” And they were off.
The competition was intense, and a little hilarious, as dozens of students huddled around foldout tables tackling the orbs of greenery—purchased for $4 a head before the show—employed every possible tactic. Some bit straight into the lettuce, others cut it into pieces, others shredded it on a paper plate, some used salad dressing, many didn’t, all to the cheers and support from pals and puzzled onlookers.
In the end, it was Ewan Lister, a first-year master’s student in electrical engineering, who made his head of lettuce go down the gullet in a mere 3 minutes, 37 seconds, to earn the crown of Sultan of Salad.
A couple of fans asked Lister for selfies after he was honored with the construction-paper crown. “This is the closest to fame I’ve been,” said Navya Mangipudi, another electrical engineering master’s student and a big fan of Lister’s even before he took down the iceberg.
Lister had been eyeing this day for years, as this was his third lettuce-eating competition. Two years ago, he finished 11th. Last year, he was runner-up. His secret to success? “Drink lots of water,” he explained. But a bit later, he admitted, “I almost blacked out.”
It was another huge success for the club and a fun afternoon, and more than one competitor said they were already planning for next year.
Jon Marmor is the editor of UW Magazine.