Poughkeepsie Man is a Shucking Legend

Dave Mahnken from Poughkeepsie is in his glory after shucking himself to victory in front of 75,000 people.

The 60-year-old Hudson Valley man's triumph was just part of the excitement at the 34th annual Oyster Festival in Oyster Bay, Long Island. According to Newsday, the festival took place at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park on the North Shore of Long Island over the weekend.

Those in attendance chowed down on oysters and tons of other delights such as blackened alligator and Manhattan clam chowder. But the real draw was the mother of all shucking competitions.

That's where Poughkeepsie's Mahnken showed off his skills, shucking 37 oysters in just four minutes, claiming this year's oyster shucking title. The winner beat out another little shucker, almost half his age, who fell short with just 34 oysters.

Mahnken is credited with a big comeback. The ten-time title winner traveled all the way from Poughkeepsie this year just to see if he could win one more time. And the trip was well worth it.

Who knows, maybe Mahnken will move on to the oyster eating contest next year. He'll have his work cut out for him though. 58-year-old Sean Leonard from Long Island gulped down 108 slimy mollusks in just two minutes to claim this year's title.