With a method he dubbed “swallow first and chew later,” Kittery resident Luis Altez captured the 11th annual Charity Waffle Eating Contest sponsored by Boothbay Harbor ice cream shop Wannawaff.

Despite temperatures so high you could fry an egg (or in this case griddle a waffle), a crowd of 50 or so packed the municipal parking lot to catch a glimpse of the 15 contestants who dared take the challenge. The contest consisted of three rounds:

1. One small waffle with one sauce topping. 
2. One small of the specialty waffles with ice cream and toppings. 
3. One regular of the specialty waffles with ice cream and toppings.

During the competition, a group of the fastest contestants of each round continued on to the next round. In the third round, the contestant who finished the regular waffle the fastest won $200 cash. Down to the final four, Altez won handily and earned bragging rights for the next year. The event also featured a Silent Auction and 50/50 raffle. In all, $6,000 was donated to the Food For Thought Program, an initiative which provides food for needy families on the peninsula, said event organizer Anya Heyl.