Hot stuff in Chili Cookoff

There was plenty of chili cooking, tasting and dancing at the Sunset Beach Woman’s Club’s 16th Annual Chili Cookoff on Saturday.

“Everyone had a great time,” said Ella Rowe, the event’s chairperson. “We served about 500 chili samples for cookoff judging. Meanwhile, the Party Jones band and the emcee, Robby Armstrong, kept the spirit going.” While fun was the order of the day, the nine teams vying for the perpetual trophy, other awards and bragging rights took the competition for best chili seriously.

The nine teams included: Yacht Dogs, Blood Sweat and Beers, Safari Chili, The Single Guys, Surfing Cow Chili, Pelican Isle, Father’s (with members from Mother’s Tavern), The Cheryl Coleman Team and Hill Billy Red.

The first place in the Judges’ Choice category was the Surfing Cow Chili booth #1.

The team will go to the Huntington Beach Chili Cookoff, representing the Sunset Beach neighborhood. However, when it came to the People’s Choice award, there was an unprecedented tie.

“The Father’s team in booth #8 and Surfing Cow Chili both got 91 votes,” Rowe said. “This had never happened before and we didn’t know what to do at first. They had to share the honor so the second place trophy will get a new plaque put on for first place.”

Funds raised from the Chili Cookoff go to the Woman’s Club’s scholarships and the Sunset Beach Community Association to help finish the Noble Community Building and for property taxes.

The building next to the Community Lot is the former Sunset Beach Volunteer Firefighter station.

The Orange County Fire Authority phased out the volunteers in September of 2010. Amid the chili tasting, beer, music and happy feet, the event featured a raffle, which helped the Woman’s club raise more money as tickets sales at $1, or six for $5 and 25 for $20 added up quickly.

“A special thanks for our grand prize donators, Out-Spoke-n for the beach cruiser bicycle and Ken at Sunset Beach Kayak for the kayak,” Rowe said.

For all the fun to take place smoothly throughout the day, a cadre of volunteers and chili team members started setting up just after dawn.

“We are thankful to all the workers, donators, cooks, tasters and to all who came to our Chili Cookoff,” Rowe said. “We hope they plan on attending next year, same time, same place, on a Saturday in September.”