West Coast Oyster Shucking Competition

Insert, twist, flick, repeat. Sounds simple, right? But if you have ever attempted to shuck an oyster you will know that it is anything but easy. Just ask around – damage from shucking knives and stubborn oysters is as common as stories of ladder falls and dog bites. At the Regional Shucking Championships, with the exception of the intrepid novices, the competingshuckers know just where to insert their knife to coax the shellopen without leaving a shattered mess or a stabbed artery.

OysterFest is a great opportunity to learn a few tips on shucking, but watch carefully, they move quickly! Over the course of two days of competition from noon to close contestants vie for the title of the fastest shucker or the best half-shell shucker – or – both titles.

The championship in Shelton is a preliminary event to the U.S. shuck-off at St. Mary’s Oyster Festival (October 21-22) in Maryland. The National Oyster Shucking Championship Contest® features the fastest men and women shuckers competing for cash prizes. National winners can go on to compete in the International Oyster Festival in Galway, Ireland. In 1984, Dave (Diz) Schimke, from Bow, WA, won the West Coast

Shucking Championship at Oyster- Fest and proceeded to hold the title at the National event. Schimke’s victory in MA won him a $500 cash prize and the right to represent the United States in the oyster opening internationals. There, he received title for the best presentation laurels.

The West Coast Shucking Champion goes through more than 6,000 oysters (donated by Taylor Shellfish). A shucker draws a tray of two dozen oysters by lottery and arranges them in preparation. An appeal may be made if the contestant feels an oyster is of inferior shape. A basket of oysters is passed to each shucker from which they can choose more favorable alternates.

West Coast OYSTER SHUCKING Competition

SAT & SUN (12 - 4 PM on the hour shucking; 5 PM – finals; 5:30 PM– awards)

As the contest begins, the shuckers hold their knives at head height to indicate readiness. At the signal from the chief judge, the timekeepers start their watches and the contestants begin. The shuckers rapidly open and place each oyster, completely severed from the shell, on its unbroken half-shell on the tray. Speed is the primary factor on Saturday – with the fastest times usually coming in under two minutes!

On Sunday, speed is still a factor, but even more so is presentation in what are called the Half-Shell trials. Each contestant must not only shuck 24 oysters, but place each on its back in the half shell.

Prizes are awarded each day for the fastest times at 5:30 PM.

On Saturday the prize for first place for Speed Shucking is $400. On Sunday, the winner gets $600 for presentation at the Half-Shell competition. Prizes are given through the 6th place each day. There are also cash prizes for the fastest amateur shucker each day.