A strawberry odyssey
By Shannon Sollinger
While Great Country Farms celebrates the strawberry near Bluemont, Ian "The Invader" Hickman, of Herndon, will try for the third year in a row to eat as many of them as possible May 24 at another strawberry festival in Delaplane.
Hickman, 25, called Sterling home when he competed at the Delaplane Strawberry Festival in 2005 and 2006, and finished third both times.
"Strawberries may not be my thing," Hickman admitted. "The inconsistency between the bites throws me off. Each strawberry is a different size. Hot dogs are mass produced, they are all the same size – I can get into a rhythm."
He's primed and ready to go this year at Sky Meadow State Park, and will try to take the title from New England's "Eathalete" Tom "Goose" Gilbert, who downed nine pounds of strawberries in seven minutes last year. Hickman may be ready to peak and steal the title. Earlier this year, he set the national record for frozen custard (5.5 pounds in six minutes), and was first place at Rock the Tot, gobbling up 4 pounds of Tater Tots in six minutes at Bar Louie in the District of Columbia. And then there was the trip to Philadelphia – seven and a quarter 10-inch fully loaded Philly cheese steaks in 25 minutes to set a new record.
Since starting to compete in 2005, Hickman – thin and fit, and by day a Booz Allen Hamilton accountant – has set world records in chili (10-plus pounds in five minutes) and black-and-white cookie eating, and a national record for the quarter-pound hot dog.
Local amateurs can have a try at the strawberry bowl before the main event, sanctioned by the Association of Independent Competitive eaters and sponsored by the Keany Produce Co., takes the main stage at 1 p.m.
The strawberry festival is an outreach ministry of Delaplane's Emmanuel Episcopal Church, and proceeds go to local regional and national nonprofits.
The festival is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., May 24-25. Admission is $20 per car at the gate ($15 if preordered). For more information, go to www.delaplanestrawberryfestival.com .