Poutine eating contest raises awareness for BrainWaves Halifax

Eating poutine: good for your brain and the ocean. (Clark Jang photo)

A poutine-eating contest hosted by BrainWaves Halifax and sponsored by Smoke’s Poutinerie took place Saturday, Oct. 13.

“The competition raises awareness for BrainWaves and Smoke’s at the same time,” says Andrea Civitarese, the founder of BrainWaves.

BrainWaves is a movement started at Dalhousie that aims to connect the fields of neuroscience and marine biology, and show why the brain needs the ocean.

Four trios—Rage Against the Poutine, Big Booty Bitches, Team Kuzniar, and the Poutine Punishers—faced off in a relay-style eating competition at Smoke’s. The fastest team to have all three members finish six ounces of fries, four ounces of gravy, and one ounce of cheese curds each would be declared the winner.

Nearly 30 supporters packed into Smoke’s to cheer on their friends and lend support for BrainWaves.

In the end Team Kuzniar reigned victorious. Jenna Kuzniar and her brothers Taylor and Carson devoured their poutine in just over seven minutes.

“I really gave it 110 per cent. At one point I hit the fork and the prong fell off in my mouth. It really slowed me down,” says Jenna Kuzniar, who at one point used her hands after dropping her fork on the floor.

Big Booty Bitches came in second, followed by Rage Against the Poutine.

The top three teams took home a bunch of swag, including Smoke’s shirts, stickers, and gift cards.

After the team competed, the BrainWaves team then completed a time trial which would be sent to Smoke’s headquarters in Toronto, and go towards their overall score in the World Poutine Eating Competition: Campus Edition.

BrainWaves hosted the eating contest as a requirement for the competition. They are scored on their poutine-eating time, and the amount of publicity spread for their organization and Smoke’s.

BrainWaves is competing with 11 other teams across Canada for sponsorships of $2,500, $1,500, and $1,000 which would go towards promoting their cause on campus.

“The sponsorship would help us throw other events in the future. We’re planning a kayaking trip, a surfing trip, and events that would connect people with the ocean,” says Civitarese.