And for something completely different ...

If you'll be down in Kasilof for the start of the Tustumena 200 on Saturday, stop by the Kasilof Mercantile at 4 p.m. for the spaghetti eating contest. The reigning spaghetti king, Joseph Robertia, has invited one and all to take a chance at knocking him off his throne.

"He was impressive the first time but I know there's been a lot of talk around Kasilof and Clam Gulch," said Rocky Laster, who runs Rocky's Cafe. "There's some guys around here that I've personally witnessed eat a whole bunch. I know that they could give Joseph a run for his money."

In his crowning contest, Robertia competed for seven minutes and ate approximately four pounds of spaghetti. Saturday's contest will be 10 minutes long and Laster expects the winner to eat between six and seven pounds.

The contest if free to all participants and the winner will receive $100 and five two-topping pizzas from Rocky's Cafe.

Laster has been trying to get the contest sanctioned by the International Federation Of Competetive Eating (IFOCE). If it does get sanctioned, the winner will hold the official world record for spaghetti with meat sauce through the IFOCE, but Laster said that it may be too late.

"If not this year, we're going to be sanctioned for next year," he said. With extra time for planning, the IFOCE could send an M.C. to Kasilof as well as a few bigger names in the competetive eating circuit.

Hannahlee Allers