Sushi Skills Put to the Test During "Maki Madness" at RA Sushi

People take sushi seriously, so it came as no surprise that the 1st Annual Maki Madness contest on Saturday, March 26, was a total showdown.

RA Sushi was prepared with DJ beats, fun basketball games, 4 Orange Premium Vodka tastings, and, of course, more than 75 Tootsy Maki rolls waiting to be consumed. As the competitors came in, each received a RA Sushi T-shirt, sweatbands and a number to pin to their shirt, on which competitors wrote monikers like “Trashcan,” “Kamikazeeee,” “Sushi Anonymous,” and even “Not A Good Idea.” When the competition began, they soon found out that they needed more than a clever name to win.

The rules of the competition were simple: Each contestant receives two Tootsy Maki rolls and a glass of water. The first to finish their two rolls (down to the very last piece of rice) move on to the next round. After scarfing down Tootsy Maki rolls at top speed, the top four who finished in each heat moved on to the second round.

The competition was getting intense, with two heats of four letting the top two move on to the placing rounds. The competition was now down the top four speediest sushi eaters.

We were soon going to find out who was moving on to the final championship round. Contestant number 7, Chris “Trashcan”, and number 8, “Hartzey,” were beating out the competition. For the time it took other contestants to finish one roll, they finished two. When it came down to the championship round, we knew the competition would be fierce. Or so we thought.

The final round rules were different. The last two contestants were given three glasses of water, three minutes and unlimited rolls (starting with a plate of eight). Whoever ate the most sushi in the time allotted was RA Sushi’s 1st Maki Madness Champion. Keep in mind, these men have already eaten SIX sushi rolls before the final round. That, it turns out, is all some people can handle.

The timer began, with half a sushi roll down, this so-called “Trashcan” wasn’t looking so hot. After a mere 30 seconds, the “Trashcan” slid the mountain of sushi before him over to his opponent and forfeited the Maki Madness title. The hulk of a man, “Hartzey,” became RA Sushi’s Maki Madness Champion, earning the grand prize of “Sushi for a Year.” He could put sushi away at astronomical speeds and even asked if he could have the leftovers after the competition was done!

If you lost out on your chance to compete this year, don’t sweat it. RA Sushi will continue its Maki Madness next year. So, if “Hartzey” comes back to claim his title, you'd better be prepared. He is the official sushi king, and a force to be reckoned with.

RA Sushi

The Shops at Pembroke Gardens

201 SW 145th Terrace, Pembroke Pines

Tel: 954-342-5454

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Visit: http://www.rasushi.com/