Pi Day may have started as a nod to the mathematical constant by the same name, but it has evolved into a day full of fun for more than just mathematicians. At Cars For Sale, Pi Day was celebrated with, you guessed it, pie! It started with everyone gathering for a free pizza pie lunch, but after that is when the real fun began. 

For the second year in a row, eager and a few nervous volunteers took part in a pie eating contest. Last year, John H. took home the victory. He joined again this year, hoping to get another win. One dozen chocolate cream pies, topped with whipped cream and sprinkled with chocolate powder, were set out on covered tables. 

The participants geared up by pulling their hair back, putting on ponchos, and covering their eyes with goggles. Each Cars For Sale employee had a different strategy going into this pie eating contest. One of them had a cup of coffee. Another had water and coffee ready to drink to wash down the filling, too. Others had no plan at all. 

After each pie was weighed to determine the starting weight, the countdown occurred, and the competition began! For three minutes and fourteen seconds, the 12 contestants ate as much pie as they could. Without using their hands, they dug in! 

Some took a few breaks, but the clock didn’t stop for them. A full crowd of onlookers were cheering, laughing, and taking all kinds of photos, but the entrants in this contest were focused. They didn’t get distracted even as their coworkers provided them with some friendly banter and good-natured teasing. 

Just minutes later (though some of the contestants said it felt like a lot longer than that) the clock ran out and participants took their last bites of the competition. While the pies were weighed again, one thing was clear: it was a messy event! Whipped cream covered their faces. Chocolate pie was in their nostrils and, in some cases, their facial hair. 

Several wet napkins and paper towels later, they were all cleaned up enough to get the results. It was announced that the winner ate 26 ounces of chocolate pie in those three minutes and fourteen seconds. So, who won? 

John H. successfully defended his pie-eating title! That’s right, John took home another victory (along with his half-eaten pie and a certificate to document his achievement). The other contestants also got to keep their mangled desserts. 

Now, with a 2-0 record behind him, John has sights on extending that streak. 

Oh, I’ll be back again next year. I think I’ll need a bigger pie. I’ll probably use a similar strategy as I did in preparation for this year: eat a little extra for a few days prior to stretch out my stomach a bit, as well as a practice pie. 

– John H., Product Design