Peach Pit Pete falls short of repeat title

“I moved here from Georgia—that’s my secret”

Last year, Peach Pit Pete Giannini stumbled upon the Peach Pit Spit competition and came away with the title and two tickets to Blues and Brews. This year he was actually somewhat focused, admitting that he had been training and even tapering in preparation for the event.
“I took all of Burning Man off,” said Giannini.
Yet, in the end, that and some late venue adjustments completely threw him off.
Granted, he couldn’t have lost to an opponent stronger than Michael Day. Day hails from Georgia, a state known for its peaches. The fact that he’s got peach juice running through his veins may have made all the difference.
The competition was an hour away, or a half-hour away depending on the chalkboard, and potential competitors were already sizing up the venue for the Sixth Annual Peach Pit Spit on Sunday, September 8 at the Crested Butte Farmers Market.
Giannini made the first walk-by, toed the spit line and worked through a couple different stances for his spit. The question for him was whether or not to go switch with his spit.
Gerty Tunkey showed brief interest in the event with a pass-by as well, perhaps bringing some Florida secret to pit spitting. Even former runner-up Tyler Hammer was on scene, albeit briefly, to consider a spit at the title.
After a couple of venue direction changes the contest was on, with nearly 20 contestants all treated to organic peaches from Borden Farms and Delicious Orchards to eat down to the pit for the spit.
Each “athlete” got one chance at a spit and Travis Phillips set the bar far early in the contest as his pit flew and then rolled to stop at 32 feet even.
Two spitters later, Darrell “DR. J” Johnson hailing from Bailey, Colo. took the lead as his spectacular pit expectoration settled at 34 feet, four inches but he was immediately out-done by Dustin Eldridge’s pit spit of 35 feet.
All eyes were then on local iron lung Zach Guy. Guy is known for his massive lung capacity and can climb and ski several peaks in the area in one day, not to mention fire off 100-mile bike races in the summer.
But it takes more than a big set of lungs to win the pit spit and Guy’s attempt fell remarkably short.
Then it was time for Giannini. Expectations were high as Giannini removed his hat and approached the line and horked. The airtime was sufficient but the roll was where it fell apart as Giannini’s pit came up a foot short once it settled, leaving Eldridge still in the lead.
That is, until Day stepped up. With the hopes of an entire state resting on his shoulders, Day put all he had into his spit, actually losing the sunglasses off his head in his attempt. The trajectory was good but it all depends on the roll in the end—and when his pit hit on the edge, the roll was right on, sending it end over end and on past Eldridge, coming to a rest at 36 feet, six inches for the win.
“I moved here from Georgia—that’s my secret,” said Day as he was handed his prize, two tickets to Saturday at the Telluride Blues and Brews Festival next weekend.
Eldridge finished in second place and 2012 champion Giannini took third.
“I wasn’t even the first loser,” said a shattered Giannini following the competition.
Avery Conn edged out five others in the junior division to take the youth title.