3 Sept 2021 - Written By
The Red Bird – Photo: Haico Krijgsman
2021 has been a huge year for competitive chilli-eating. As we write, there is an official Oceania Regional champion, named Jesse Painter, who can walk to his local grocery store proudly wearing ‘The Green Bird’ strapped around his waist! Also, there is a World Title Belt Match, The Scream In Cheam, scheduled for September 12th in Surrey, UK. There are also plans to crown an official European regional champion later this year!
However, our focus today is strictly on the 4th of September 2021, when a NEW champion will be awarded the League Of Fire’s ‘Red Bird’ – an affectionate name for the regional ‘Americas’ Championship Belt! This champion will represent the American region, covering the North, South & Central countries of the Americas!
Unfortunately, the global pandemic has caused some travel constraints. This brutal chilli-eating contest will feature mainly Canadian Chilli-Heads, but what a place to have the first ever ‘Red Bird’ event! Canada has burst into the limelight in the competitive chilli-eating community and has some of the most fearsome Chilli Heads on the planet lined up to battle each other for this prestigious title!
And this is only happening because of one man, Haico Krijgsman, the owner of Haico’s Hot Sauce Co. and the organiser of the Heating Up The Capital festival taking place this coming weekend in Ottawa, Canada. You can see Haico chatting to a major Canadian news television show about the event, below:
When we asked Haico about the pod line-up for the chilli-eating contest, he could not give us an exact answer because he will “know on Friday (the day before the expo)! They will be picked on Friday, so it depends on what will be ready”, he explained. You know what this means… fresh, crisp, piquant pods, specially selected ripe and ready for the contest! After pushing Haico just a little bit for a more information on the pods, he replied that “there will of course be the Carolina Reaper along with a more unusual variety of pepper, the Madame Janette!”
Ladies & gentlemen, this is a Reaper Beast Peach, weighing in at just under 20 grams! Photo: Haico Krijgsman
He also showed us this absolute cracker of a pepper, which he explained was grown by a friend of his in Germany, Tobias Dorf, who consequently gave Haico some seeds so he could grow some in Ottawa.
Heating Up The Capital is less than a day away! Please check out the website >>HERE<<
FenyxFyre will be entertaining the crowd with his ‘Strange or Danger Thrill Show’ at 12pm EST
This is not just a historic event for the League Of Fire, but promises to be a great, fun day out for all the family. A League Of Fire hero, Christopher ‘FenyxFyre’ Campbell will be performing his amazing Thrill Show at 12 noon, and the Barmy Farmy Farmer will give a quick guide on how to grow your own peppers… presented by Sorry Sauce and the Garden of Apologies at 3pm! Check the website link we have shared above because there is so much more to enjoy besides the aforementioned! If you are in or around the Ottawa area you would be mad to miss out!
The chilli-eating contest is scheduled for 4pm, Eastern Standard Time (9pm UK time)! There will be live-streams available for the global audience on the Heating Up The Capital Facebook page, as well as the Haico’s Hot Sauce Facebook page! See you in the live chat!
Finally, we would like to wish good luck to ALL the competitors! We can’t wait to announce a new Americas Regional LOF Champion!
