Family dominates pit-spitting event
Family dominates pit-spitting event
EAU CLAIRE, Mich. (AP) — When it comes to pit-spitting in southwestern Michigan, it’s tough to beat the Krause family, who on Saturday maintained their dominance in the 41st International Cherry Pit-Spitting Championship.
Brian Krause took top honors with a distance of 80 feet, 8 inches, said Monica Teichman, who runs the market at Tree-Mendus Fruit Farm in Eau Claire, just north of the Indiana state line.
Coming in second this year was Brian’s father, Rick, with a spitting distance of 77 feet, 7½ inches. Kevin Bartz took third with 64 feet, 8 inches.
Last year’s big winner was Matt “BB Gun” Krause with a distance of 41 feet, 6½ inches.
The Krause family has won 26 of 41 of the contests since farm owner Herb Teichman launched the tournament in 1974 as a lark — but also to mark the region’s tart cherry harvest.
Brian Krause holds the record spit of 93 feet, 6½ inches, set in 2003.
More than 100 people tried to qualify Saturday for the championship round. A strong breeze may have accounted for the long distances after organizers changed the direction of the spitting, Monica Teichman said.