The 2025 F U Chilli Eating Competition Heats Up Waipapakauri
No Mercy, Just Heat
There’s something about watching grown adults cry into baby wipes that really brings a community together.
I arrived just after 5pm at the Waipapakauri Hotel garden bar, and the place was buzzing. The sun was out, the energy was high, and the kids' sour lolly competition was already underway. Dozens of tamariki, faces set with determination, hands planted firmly on the table, powering through round after round of lip-puckering lollies.
It felt like watching a mini army of sugar warriors. I swear, some of these kids had trained for this moment. As I stood there, surrounded by whānau cheering and laughing, I had a feeling: we were witnessing the next generation of chilli comp legends in the making.
The Heat Begins
After the kids’ face-off wrapped up, the garden bar transformed.
The F U Chilli Eating Competition was about to begin.
Tables were cleared. Tissues, baby wipes, and bottles of milk were placed like sacred offerings. Ten contestants took their seats, including last year’s winner, Laurie, back to defend his crown after conquering the Peach Bhut Jolokia in 2024. But this year… things were going to get hotter. Much hotter.
From the humble jalapeño, sitting at around 3,000 Scoville units, to the fearsome Carolina Reaper blasting in at 2 million, this wasn’t just a competition, it was a full-blown trial by fire. This was a test of endurance, of willpower, of pure grit.
For those of us not fluent in the language of chillies, the Scoville scale measures just how hot a pepper is. It’s all about capsaicin, the chemical compound responsible for that fiery burn. The higher the Scoville number, the more your taste buds are in for a serious ride.
And as the crowd gathered, one figure moved calmly through the chaos: Chris from Awanui Tyres—organiser, sponsor, and chilli hander-outer.
How It All Started – Chris’s Story
Chris laughs when asked how this fiery event came to be, now running into its third year.
"I never even liked chillies, to be honest," he says. "But my cousin Karl bought this ridiculously hot sauce off the internet, and suddenly it became a game, how hot could we go?"
That game turned into research, then fascination. But it wasn’t just about the burn.
"I’m at the age where I have zero interest in going out to massive, long events, and family time is my priority."
Chris wanted something family-friendly, short, and fun. A way to get people together, have a laugh, and support each other.
"Someone had to make it happen—so I did."
The real turning point came when a man named Pete, now known as Pyro Pete—walked into Chris’s tyre shop in Awanui.
"He mentioned he grew chillies. I told him I had this idea. He said, ‘I’ll grow them.’ The rest is history."
Every single chilli in the comp is grown by Pyro Pete’s Peria Peppers.
"Yeah, he grows every single one! Without him, the comp wouldn’t happen."
Chris admits he’s more passionate about the community and the competition than chillies themselves.
"I enjoy the challenge, working with people, the logistics, all of it really. But mostly, I love that proud feeling I get at the end when everyone’s so invested and all you can see is good times in the crowd. The world needs more positivity, so any little bit I can inject into it—I’m more than happy to put the work in."
The Brave Challenger – Kura’s Story
Among the ten contestants this year was Kura Rose, stepping up for her very first chilli-eating competition.
"I’ve watched for a few years now," she said. "And I kept thinking—could I do it? Nah. Maybe? So this year, I decided to challenge myself. And yeah… the fuel vouchers were definitely a motivator!"
Kura had never eaten a chilli in her life.
"I prepped by lining my stomach with yoghurt and creamed rice, someone told me that would help. And that part worked.
But what I didn’t prepare was my mouth, it felt like someone lit a lighter on my lips!"
Despite the heat, she did her best to stay laser-focused.
"I don’t even remember the crowd," she said. "I was trying to stay in the zone with a mind-over-matter thing. But then the MC kept saying, ‘It’s only gonna get hotter!’ That totally threw me off. I was telling myself, ‘There is no pain,’ but he was out there saying the opposite!"
Two of her girlfriends joined her in the comp, they were in it for the challenge and the fuel vouchers too.
But for Kura, it was being part of the audience afterward that stuck with her the most.
"Watching others compete, seeing everyone push themselves, the reactions, the atmosphere. It was so much fun from the other side of the table."
Would she do it again?
"Never say never. I wouldn’t be shy to give it another go… maybe with a little more training!"
The Underdog Rises – Caleb from Peria
Then, there was Caleb.
Twenty years old, the youngest in the comp. Quiet. Calm. Didn’t say much. Didn’t need to.
At first, he blended into the line-up like any other hopeful. But as the rounds escalated—and contestants began to sweat, cry, and reach for the milk, Caleb remained steady.
Unbothered. Unshaken. Unbeatable.
"Mum told me about the comp and encouraged me to enter," he said. "I love hot and spicy food, but this was my first-ever competition."
His strategy?
"I tried not to chew too much and did my best to eat them whole. I kept my body cool and I made sure I didn't touch my eyes. I wanted to win, and that’s what kept me going."
And win he did.
He outlasted them all, and just to prove his point, he ate the hottest chilli on the table even after he’d already secured the win.
Would he enter again?
"Yeah, definitely."
His advice for anyone thinking about signing up?
"Just stay focused. A lot of it is in your head."
For Caleb, it wasn’t just about handling the heat—it was a battle of willpower, and he played it cool to the very end.
“Sweet Baby Jesus!” - Tatts Takes the Mic
Tatts, the MC, kept the crowd roaring between rounds with golden one-liners and chilli commentary that could’ve stolen the show on its own.
When the red ghost chilli, clocking in at a brutal 850,000 Scovilles hit the table, he shouted, “It must be like eating a tyre on fire!” And when a particularly monstrous chilli was handed out, he pointed and said, “Look at the size of them, they look like Willy Wonka shoes!”
Every time the heat kicked up a notch, so did his signature catchphrase, “Sweet baby Jesus!” echoing through the garden bar like both a warning and a blessing. His energy made every round feel like a main event, and had the crowd laughing through the pain right alongside the contestants.
Tatts also reminded everyone that events like this don’t happen without local community support, and he is absolutely right.
Massive thanks to the local sponsors:
BP Awanui, 9TEE Mile Screen Printing, Far North Mobile Locks, Kaitaia Auto Electrical, Oxygen8 Business Consulting, Lollylab, Local Refrigeration & Airconditioning, Steeds Butchery, PGG Wrightson, Kristy’s Bookabach, and Awanui Tyre Man.
One for the Books
This wasn’t just a chilli eating competition.
Through the laughter, the tears, and the triumphs, it was about community connection—a whānau-friendly event packed with good vibes.
And for a few brave souls… heartburn with a side of glory.
Congratulations to this year’s place-getters:
3rd place – Laurie Coutts
2nd place – Pene Waitai
1st place – Caleb Hallet
Whether you’re game enough to enter or just want a night of entertainment and laughs, one thing’s for sure:
You don’t want to miss next year.
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