Cheer on the competitors as they vie for chance to hold the PEI oyster shucking title championship. The PEI Oyster Shucking Championship will promote the highest standards for shucking and presentation of PEI oysters on the half shell. This event is presented by Irish Point Oysters.
REGISTRATION FOR THE 2022 IRISH POINT OYSTER SHUCKING CHAMPIONSHIP IS NOW CLOSED!
Overview
- Must be a resident of Prince Edward Island
- First 18 participants to register will qualify to compete
- The committee reserves the right to grant special entry
- Competition will take place on main festival stage
- Contestants will open and present 12 PEI oysters on the half shell
- Winner receives automatic bye to compete in the Raspberry Point International Oyster Shucking Championship
What is provided?
- Each contestant will receive 14 oysters from which they will select their 12 competition oysters.
- A platter of coarse salt
What to bring?
- Contestants must supply handwear, shucking knives, cutting board, and any other related equipment required
- Contestants may wear finger stalls or gloves
- Contestants may use a towel to hold oysters in place
- Contestants may carry one back-up shucking knife
- All equipment must be approved by the judges
Attire
- Must be presentable keeping with the occasion and representing themselves, the province, and any sponsoring organization to the best advantage
Disqualification
- At the discretion of the judges and timekeepers
- If Contestant does not comply with the rules of the contest
- If Contestant distracts another competitor by vocal or physical interference during the competition
- If Contestant is deemed to have committed a flagrant and/or unseemly impropriety during the competition
Judging
- There will be 3 judges
- Each shall have considerable experience and/or knowledge of the half shell oyster service
- Each contestant will have a timekeeper and back-up timekeeper
- Contestants will be provided with 14 choice PEI oysters and must open and present 12 oysters
- Contestants will poise his/her shucking knife at head height to indicate readiness
- At signal of Master of Ceremonies, all timekeepers simultaneously start their watches and contestants begin to shuck
- Contestants must tap the table or raise both hands overhead and step back from the shucking table when shucking is complete and oysters are presented to his/her satisfaction
- The timekeeper will immediately stop the watch
- Contestants may not touch tray of oysters after he/she has signalled completion
Penalties
To be determined by the 3 judges
The following conditions render an oyster not presentable and are subject to the following penalties:
- Presented less than 12 opened oysters on the completed platter. Penalty Time: 30 seconds/oyster
- Not presented upright or meat out of shell. Penalty Time: 10 seconds/oyster
- Presented on flat shell. Penalty Time: 10 seconds/oyster
- Presented with blood on oyster meat. Penalty Time: 30 seconds/oyster
- Presented with a broken (in two pieces) undershell. Penalty Time: 10 seconds/oyster
- Presented with shell, grit, mud or other extraneous material. Penalty Time: 2 seconds/oyster
- Presented with meat cut or mangled. Penalty Time: 2 seconds/oyster
- Presented with oyster meat not completely severed from the shell. Penalty Time: 3 seconds/oyster *If more than 6 oysters are penalized for this reason, penalty time increases to 10 seconds/oyster)
Scoring
- Judges will provide the tally each contestants overall penalty scores
- Penalties will be added to the shucking time for each contestant to determine actual shucking time
- Overall score determined by a combination of actual shucking time, shucked appearance, presence of shell, grit, broken shell cup, meat cut etc.
- The winner is that contestant who has the lowest total seconds score and has not been disqualified
- Master of Ceremonies will announce the results of the competition on main stage
Prize
- 1st Place: $500 Cash and automatic bye to compete for $2,000 in the Raspberry Point International Oyster Shucking Championship on Saturday
- 2nd Place: $250 Cash
- 3rd Place: $100 Cash
- Cleanest Plate: $100 Cash
- Fastest Female Oyster Shucker: $1,000
(Please Note for the Fastest Female Oyster Shucker Prize: There is only one (1) cash prize to be awarded from the combined results of the Irish Point Oysters Shucking Championship and the Raspberry Point International Oyster Shucking Championship.)