Dozens compete in RiverFest ice cream eating contest

Isaac Goodwin's lunch Friday was on the house -- and all over his face.

But the 4-year-old West Chicago boy didn't seem to mind the mess much after winning first place in the Pride of the Fox RiverFest's annual ice cream-eating contest in St. Charles.

The first-time competitor with curly, dark hair gobbled up about five scoops of vanilla ice cream in just two minutes, beating out a dozen others in his 6-and-younger age group.

"He gets lots of practice," Isaac's mother, Deana, confirmed afterward. "Anytime there's free ice cream, you know, he's up for it."

In all, more than 60 children, teens and adults joined the contest at Lincoln Park. The RiverFest tradition has been sponsored by the locally owned Colonial Cafe & Ice Cream chain for decades.

Contestants were given one spoon and two minutes each to down as many two-scoop cups as they could. Winners got free ice cream from Colonial, including its legendary Kitchen Sink dish.

Isaac was among those in the younger age divisions to employ a strategy of steady digging and focused swallowing. Others winced and appeared to fight immobilizing brain freeze, while at least two youngsters cried and clutched their mothers.

"C'mon, keep going guys," Clinton Anderson, contest host and Colonial director of operations, yelled into a microphone over pulsating rock music. "Don't fight it!"

In the teen category, Richard Wiesolek, 17, emerged a victor after polishing off about six scoops. The St. Charles East High School student pumped his fist and wiped his mouth as he was named champion.

"You just have to keep your mouth to the cup as you eat it," he said afterward.

But how was he feeling?

"Right now, I'm good actually," he said. "Probably not too good later."

Even Colonial Cafe President Tom Anderson signed up in the adult category -- his first ice cream-eating contest ever, the dairy expert claimed. But Anderson appeared content to enjoy his product rather than wolf it down, savoring each large bite while folks such as Eddie Mockus, 22, devoured their servings in seconds -- then called out for more.

Mockus, a recent college graduate from Bloomington, Ill., stumbled across the contest while working at the festival's nearby rock-climbing wall and ended up taking second place. It was his first eating contest, and Mockus said he learned a lot.

"You just have to focus, keep your head down and your mouth open," he said.

Pride of the Fox RiverFest opened Friday and continues today and Sunday across downtown St. Charles. For a full listing of events, go to www.prideofthefox.com.