{"id":83514,"date":"2022-08-16T14:57:15","date_gmt":"2022-08-16T18:57:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.seafoodexpo.com\/north-america\/?page_id=83514"},"modified":"2026-02-25T16:03:40","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T21:03:40","slug":"oyster-shucking-competition","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.seafoodexpo.com\/north-america\/oyster-shucking-competition\/","title":{"rendered":"Oyster Shucking Competition"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Oyster Shucking Competition<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Tuesday, March 17, 2026 | 11:00am<\/h4>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Sponsored by:<\/em><\/h6>

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Make your way to the Wave Makers’ Zone for this fun, heated competition where contestants are pitted against each other and the clock to shuck oysters as fast as they can.\u00a0<\/p>

Official Rules & Regulations<\/strong><\/p>

Prizes<\/strong><\/p>

All contestants will receive free admission to Seafood Expo North America\/Seafood Processing North America on Tuesday, March 17, 2026.<\/p>

Competitor Information<\/strong><\/p>

  1. Competitors must arrive promptly at the specified orientation point (Marina Theater stage) before the event at 11:00AM in order to participate. Once your application is submitted and approved more specific information about competition day will follow.<\/li>
  2. Bring your own blade. No mechanically assisted knives will be permitted. Any additional items used including blocks, boards, bricks, hammers, etc. will need approval of the Head Judge.<\/li>
  3. Both speed and quality shucks are the key factors to winning this competition.<\/li>
  4. You will be shucking a combination of both Atlantic (Crassotrea virginica) and Pacific Oysters (Crassotrea gigas)

    Applications to compete in the 2026 Oyster Shucking Competition are now closed.<\/em><\/li><\/ol>


    Equipment, Performance and Judging<\/strong><\/p>

    1. Oyster sponsors (both Atlantic & Pacific) will select and pre-bag eight oysters for each contestant.<\/li>
    2. Shuckers are assigned one Atlantic and one Pacific oyster bag randomly. The shucker removes the oysters from their bag and arranges them for shucking. Shucker may appeal to the Chief Judge any oyster considered of improper quality for the contest. At the Chief Judge’s discretion, they may substitute another oyster taken from an additional container on hand designated for substitutions. The final number of oysters to ultimately be shucked will be announced at the orientation (estimated between 12-20 oysters total).<\/li>
    3. Shuckers may wear fingerstalls or gloves, use their own knives and carry an extra knife for use in case the first breaks. ALL knives used must have been approved by the Chief Judge prior to the start of the contest. No mechanically assisted knives will be allowed.<\/li>
    4. The shucker will poise their knife at head height to indicate readiness.<\/li>
    5. At a signal of the Shuck-Off emcee (previously demonstrated) all timekeepers\u2019 simultaneously start their stopwatches and shuckers begin shucking.<\/li>
    6. Contestants place each oyster on an unbroken half-shell and arrange all neatly on a coded tray provided. Oysters should be whole, uncut and free from the shell.<\/li>
    7. When a contestant has completed shucking and has arranged the oysters to his\/her satisfaction, he\/she will raise both hands overhead and step back from the shucking table. The timekeeper will stop his\/her watch. Once this occurs a shucker may not touch the tray of oysters.<\/li>
    8. Timekeepers will deliver the coded trays to the judges\u2019 tables in such a manner that the judges will not be aware of whose tray they are judging.<\/li><\/ol>


      Judging the Oysters<\/strong><\/p>

      Shuckers are randomly assigned one Atlantic and one Pacific oyster bag each. Oysters are pre-packaged by the sponsors, 6 oysters per bag.\u00a0 The Shucker will remove and arrange the oysters for the contest. At the chief judge\u2019s discretion, the Shucker may appeal to swap out any oyster considered to be of improper quality for the contest. Extra Oysters for swapping out will be available. The Shucker will shuck, all 12 oysters \u2013 6 East, 6 West as quickly and cleanly as possible, and present of the designated tray for presentation to the judges. If the Shucker gets a \u201cbad\u201d, \u201cdead\u201d, \u201cbox\u201d, \u201cwinterkill\u201d or otherwise normally \u201cun-serveable\u201d oyster \u2013 shuck, and present anyways \u2013 as this is not your fault, and the judges will not penalize for this. Pretend it is good to go. Make sure you shuck and present 6\/6 \u2013 all 12 oysters.<\/p>

      Penalties<\/strong><\/p>

      Judges will add seconds to each contestant\u2019s shucking time according to the following penalty table:<\/p>