{"id":270590,"date":"2018-02-22T06:06:02","date_gmt":"2018-02-21T20:06:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=270590"},"modified":"2018-02-22T06:06:02","modified_gmt":"2018-02-21T20:06:02","slug":"tinian-hot-pepper-festival-just-keeps-growing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/tinian-hot-pepper-festival-just-keeps-growing\/","title":{"rendered":"Tinian Hot Pepper Festival just keeps growing"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-270590 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon '>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/tinian-hot-pepper-festival-just-keeps-growing\/pika-pix1\/'>Pika pix1<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-270591'>\n\t\t\t\tFrom right, Deenalih Crook, Amanda Haas, and a Tinian resident enjoy the 2018 Tinian Hot Pepper Festival on Feb. 18, 2018, at Tachogna Beach. The festival was held on Feb. 17-.18, 2018, in honor of donni sali, the island\u2019s famous hot pepper. (Photos by MVA)\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon '>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/tinian-hot-pepper-festival-just-keeps-growing\/pika-pix2\/'>Pika pix2<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-270592'>\n\t\t\t\tTourists snorkel and watch outrigger canoe races at the 2018 Tinian Hot Pepper Festival on Feb. 18, 2018, at Tachogna Beach. \n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon '>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/tinian-hot-pepper-festival-just-keeps-growing\/pika-pix3\/'>Pika pix3<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-270593'>\n\t\t\t\tThe island\u2019s donni sali (hot pepper) was the star of the show at the 2018 Tinian Hot Pepper Festival on Feb. 17-18, 2018, at Tachogna Beach. \n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon '>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/tinian-hot-pepper-festival-just-keeps-growing\/pika-pix4\/'>Pika pix4<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-270594'>\n\t\t\t\tCompetitors in the Hot Pepper Eating Contest at the 2018 Tinian Hot Pepper Festival on Feb. 18, 2018, at Tachogna Beach. Corey San Nicholas and Tina San Nicholas topped the event. \n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon '>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/tinian-hot-pepper-festival-just-keeps-growing\/pika-pix5\/'>Pika pix5<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-270595'>\n\t\t\t\tTubera siblings, from left, Erica, Justin, and Lawrence, perform at the 2018 Tinian Hot Pepper Festival on Feb. 18, 2018, at Tachogna Beach. \n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon '>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/tinian-hot-pepper-festival-just-keeps-growing\/pika-pix6\/'>Pika pix6<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-270596'>\n\t\t\t\tBoys blow on their entries to coax them out of their shells for the umang hermit crab race at the 2018 Tinian Hot Pepper Festival on Feb. 18, 2018, at Tachogna Beach. \n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon '>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/tinian-hot-pepper-festival-just-keeps-growing\/pika-pix7\/'>Pika pix7<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-270597'>\n\t\t\t\tJC Caf\u00e9 Team wins the outrigger canoe race at the 2018 Tinian Hot Pepper Festival on Feb. 18, 2018, at Tachogna Beach. \n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon '>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/tinian-hot-pepper-festival-just-keeps-growing\/pika-pix8\/'>Pika pix8<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-270598'>\n\t\t\t\tMikicia Castro of Tinian prepares her entry for the kadun pika (spicy stew) contest at the 2018 Tinian Hot Pepper Festival on Feb. 18, 2018, at Tachogna Beach. \n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon '>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/tinian-hot-pepper-festival-just-keeps-growing\/pika-pix9\/'>Pika pix9<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-270599'>\n\t\t\t\tIsland dish kadun pika (spicy stew) is served up for judges at the 2018 Tinian Hot Pepper Festival on Feb. 17-18, 2018, at Tachogna Beach. \n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon '>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/tinian-hot-pepper-festival-just-keeps-growing\/pika-pix10\/'>Pika pix10<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-270600'>\n\t\t\t\tAlex Harris of Georgia, right, and Dennis Borja, join the arm wrestling contest at the 2018 Tinian Hot Pepper Festival on Feb. 18, 2018, at Tachogna Beach. \n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon '>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/tinian-hot-pepper-festival-just-keeps-growing\/pika-pix11\/'>Pika pix11<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-270601'>\n\t\t\t\tBrandon Cepeda, left, and Jeddy Adriano lead their team in the boys\u2019 tug-of-war at the 2018 Tinian Hot Pepper Festival on Feb. 18, 2018, at Tachogna Beach. \n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>The 14th Annual Tinian Hot Pepper Festival held last weekend shows the event continues to grow in activities and participation. <\/p>\n<p>The festival highlighted Tinian\u2019s famously potent donni sali pepper and was held at Tachogna Beach. With inter-island transportation provided by added commuter flights, a ferry, and traditional sailing canoe, along with a shuttle from the ports to the festival grounds, visitors found it easier than ever to participate in the event. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThrough the continued strong partnership of the Marianas Visitors Authority, Tinian Mayor\u2019s Office, Tinian Municipal Council, and the community, this year\u2019s festival was better than ever,\u201d said MVA managing director Christopher A. Concepcion. \u201cIn particular, we thank this year\u2019s Extreme Pika sponsors, Bridge Investment Group and IT&amp;E, for providing the financial and in-kind support that allowed us to expand the event, offer great cash and phone prizes, and share the festival worldwide via on-site WiFi access.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Cory San Nicholas and Tina San Nicholas were crowned Hot Pepper Eating Contest king and queen for the men and women contests, respectively. Each were the first to polish off three pieces of mild peppers, followed by two pieces of hot donni sali, and topped by a bowl of soba with two tablespoons of ground donni sali mixed in. <\/p>\n<p>In the JC Caf\u00e9 Burger Eating Contest, Byron Dela Cruz was the first to finish a one-pound hamburger pasted with ground donni and a side of fries sprinkled with donni powder. <\/p>\n<p>Tina San Nicholas served up the best kadun pika (spicy stew) in beating last year\u2019s champion, Luis Mundu and Mikicia Castro, all Tinian residents. <\/p>\n<p>For the first time, arm-wrestling was introduced to the festival lineup of contests. Alex Harris of Georgia good-naturedly agreed to use his left arm against southpaw Tinian native Dennis Borja. The title ultimately went to Benjamin Borja, who towered over both his opponents. <\/p>\n<p>An outrigger canoe race pitted four teams against each other in the warm, turquoise water of Tachogna Beach. Pika Punket Pie was making good time until the canoe capsized when rounding the turn buoy. With the Department of Public Safety Boating Safety Division also nearby, Tinian Sen. Jude Hofschneider mounted a rescue party in a spare canoe when Pika Punket Pie filled with water due to a faulty plug and could not be flipped upright to finish the race. Despite this unfortunate \u201cturn\u201d of events, the Pika Punket Pie crew cheered on the other teams from shore, with last year\u2019s winner JC Caf\u00e9 Team eventually recapturing their title. <\/p>\n<p>The shade of pine trees framed Pika Pika in their beach volleyball win over High Flyers, while JM Pika House presented the best entry in the Booth Decorating Contest. <\/p>\n<p>For the children, a large but late-starting crab won Anita Cameron top place in the umang (hermit crab) race for girls, while Branden Cepeda\u2019s entry won the boys\u2019 race. A co-ed sack race saw boys and girls jumping\u2014in one case, tumbling\u2014their way to the finish line. <\/p>\n<p>Tug-of-war provided to be a crowd favorite for the weekend. As grounds crew watered down the dirt turned dusty by the tropical heat, three teams of boys prepared themselves. The first team of obviously younger boys put up a brave effort against their stronger opponent. In round two, another group of boys put up an unexpectedly strong fight before eventually succumbing to the champions. Later, the men took the rope for a strength struggle. <\/p>\n<p>The road\/off road 65K Pika Bike Race at 6am on Saturday morning attracted 26 riders, many of who brought their bikes over via ferry the prior day. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy all accounts, this year\u2019s Tinian Hot Pepper Festival was a success. Even the weather was perfect!\u201d said MVA Community Projects manager Martin Duenas. \u201cWe look forward to welcoming even more visitors in 2019.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>The Tinian Hot Pepper Festival is held every President\u2019s Day weekend on the island of Tinian, accessible from Saipan in 10 minutes via commuter flight. (MVA)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The 14th Annual Tinian Hot Pepper Festival held last weekend shows the event continues to&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":270591,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[20194,20195,9124,20196],"class_list":["post-270590","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-biba-marianas","tag-benjamin-borja","tag-pika-punket-pie","tag-tachogna-beach","tag-tina-san-nicholas"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/270590","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=270590"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/270590\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/270591"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=270590"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=270590"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=270590"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}