The silver anniversary of the Malibu Chili Cook-Off is in the history books.
By Ryan O’Quinn / Special to The Malibu Times
Ninety-year-old J.R. Knudson and his wife, Margo, of Granite Bay each took the $1,000 first prize for the red chili competition on Saturday and Sunday during the silver anniversary of the Malibu Chili Cook-Off. And actor Jake Busey won the “Most Spirited Team” award as well as the “Best Booth” award for his saloon-themed “Rattlesnake Jake’s.”
The Kiwanis Club-sponsored event kicked off Friday evening with the opening of the carnival, which featured a variety of games and rides, and continued through to the Labor Day holiday, with the chili judging competitions held on Saturday and Sunday.
The Knudsons will move on to the International Chili Society World Championship in Omaha, Neb. next month.
“My wife won yesterday and I won today. I can’t believe it,” Knudson said. “We were going to go to the World Championships anyway and we weren’t even seeded until yesterday.”
Knudson said the cook-offs, especially Malibu’s event, are always fun. They have been preparing chili as a family for years and Margo won the World Championship in 1987 with her father’s recipe, the first time she entered a competition.
“There are lots of past world champions who judge the competition and we ask them to come here,” said Carol Hancock, CEO of the International Chili Society. “This event in Malibu is one of the most spacious and one of the best because there are all kinds of people, lots of kids, politicians and movie stars.”
Families from around the city were out in force having fun on the midway, playing games and riding rides as well as enjoying a variety of chilies and other foods.
“We’ve been here a couple years in a row,” said actor Ray Romano, who was with his family on Saturday afternoon. “We won about three stuffed animals last night and we’re back again today.”
Other celebrity attendees attending the weekend’s festivities included Malibu’s Gary Busey, who was a judge for the competition, and Lisa Rinna who brought her children to enjoy the carnival rides.
When asked if Rinna was having a good time, Rinna’s daughter said, “I wanna’ go again, mommy.”
“I think that pretty much says it all,” Rinna said.
Also on hand for the event was 84-year-old Ormly Gumfudgin, whose business card reads, “World Chili Ambassador.” Gumfudgin said he is the only surviving chili judge that has attended every Chili World Championship since 1967 and the only person to have judged all 25 years of the Malibu Chili Cook-Off.
“I am very proud to have been involved with the chili cook-offs from the very beginning,” Gumfudgin said. “I’m very proud to have been associated with Malibu, too. I remember the days when Larry Hagman used to go around and talk to all the cooks, go home and get a funny looking hat and come back and help judge.”
Gumfudgin is an historian of chili cook-offs. He said he had tons of stories to tell throughout the years, including one year when a cook forgot to bring his meat to the competition and the other cooks pitched in to help him and the cook ended up winning the championship.
“It’s been fun to be here and be a part of this,” Gumfudgin said. “Getting together for a cook-off is like a family reunion and that’s very important. The thing that keeps me going is having fun.”
Dana Karney of the Malibu Kiwanis Club said this year’s event featured 35 chili cooks and a variety of judges who have different backgrounds.
“There’s a lot of judges this year and there are local and ICS judges,” Karney said. “Some of them are winners at other cook-offs, and the locals call me and ask to judge and I take names. Everyone has fun and loves it.”
Among the local judges were Lt. Debra Glafkides of the Malibu/ Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station and Jefferson “Zuma Jay” Wagner.
“I think you know it when you taste it,” Glafkides said of judging chili. “Everybody has their own taste and that is good. That’s why they have so many judges.”
“I like a smooth, standard chili you can eat a lot of,” said Wagner, a cook-off regular who has judged the competition 24 of the 25 years. “If I’m sweating after eating two spoonfuls, it’s a little on the hot side for me, but some people enjoy that. After 24 years of coming here, almost every year I’ve picked at least one that is the winner, or in the top three.”
Money collected by the Malibu Kiwanis Club at the Chili Cook-Off will benefit a variety of charities, including the Malibu Celebration of Film and the Sierra Service Project.
The People’s Choice awards went to Greg Horton on Saturday and Russell Barnes on Sunday. Both won $150 and received a plaque. The Malibu Merchant and Malibu’s Favorite awards went to Russell Harvey of Casa Escobar, and Scott Silvey won the Best Showmanship/Most Spirited Award on Saturday. The second place red chili awards went to Dave Thomas and Susie Decker who won $500 each. Rick Decker won third place for red chili on both judging days. The first place Chili Verde awards went to Jim Rasey and Karen Milligan, who each received $250 and plaques, and second place awards went to Rick Decker and Brian Wolfe, who won $100 each plus a plaque. Craig Stanton and Joe Swiderski each took third place for their Chili Verde recipes. First place for salsas went to Sheila Beller and to Don Hammes; the two second place awards were won by Susie Decker and Sheila Beller, and the third place awards went to Dorothy Van Wagoner and Irene Menchaca.
The first place winners of the Red Chili, Chili Verde and Salsa competitions will advance to the ICS World Championships in Omaha, Neb. the first week of October.