LEBANON, Tenn. (WTVF) — A sport just seen at the Wilson County Tennessee State Fair is all about hand and eye coordination. It doesn't involve a baseball bat, pickleball paddle, or tennis racket. A different something was used, something straight out of a kitchen.
All around the fair Sunday night, there was chocolate bacon, bacon cheese ranch waffle fries, caramel brown sugar bacon funnel cake, bacon cheddar pizza on sticks.
"Bacon chips!" one woman said, holding up bags from her stand.
You get it. There's a lot of bacon at the fair. This year, the fair saw something new. Airborne bacon.
Sunday night saw The Great Bacon Toss. Teams of two practiced throwing a plastic piece of bacon back and forth between skillets. Tiffany Bierer and Ryan Saller were friends and co-workers who made up Team Pig Newton.
"BOOYA!" Tiffany shouted as she caught the bacon in her skillet.
What Team Pig Newton lacked in formal bacon toss training, they made up for in good luck charms.
They both sported bacon print socks.
"Rolled out the bacon earrings," Tiffany added.
Now, how does one train for The Great Bacon Toss? Do you seek out a coach in one of the world's great bacon toss champions?
"Uhhh. I had bacon yesterday?" one competitor said.
"You just saw it!" Tiffany said, pausing the bacon tossing practice. "That's our whole training."
"This is something I've been preparing for my entire life, because I definitely knew about this my entire life," said a competitor with Team When Pigs Fly.
Team Passin' the Bacon actually had been training for this, but they'd been thrown a curve ball. They'd been practicing with actual bacon, and the competition was using a plastic piece of bacon.
"You must become one with the bacon!" said a competitor as the game began.
"You have to hold only the handle of the skillet," a woman told the crowd, going over the rules with a megaphone. "If your team drops the bacon twice, you are out! The game will continue until only one team remains! Okay, c'mon. Let's sizzle that bacon!"
Team Pig Newton made it through an initial round. They waited for the finals, sizing up their competition.
"I think that's cheatin'," Tiffany said, watching one competitor's move.
"Well, we're doin' it!" Ryan answered.
Early favorites were knocked out, including Team When Pigs Fly and Team Passin' the Bacon.
"Toss that bacoooon!" a voice shouted.
Team Bacon Bros emerged as a team to watch.
"That's our technique!" Ryan said, watching another team effortlessly toss the bacon from skillet to skillet. "If they're gonna do it, we gotta do it!"
"I'm worried about us," Tiffany answered, realizing how good some of the teams were turning out to be.
Team Pig Newton returned for the finals. All the good luck charms weren't quite enough.
"Alright, Pig Newton. See ya!" a voice shouted after the team's second bacon drop.
"Okay. Where's camera man?" Tiffany said, looking for me. "I think he's bad luck!" "
"He's cursed!" Ryan added.
Team Pig Newton, hear me out. Don't you find that spending time with a friend is just like bacon. It's pretty hard to beat.
Team Bacon Bros. took first. The top three teams got a cash prize and a Lodge Cast Iron Skillet.
"He got engaged today too," one of the Bacon Bros. said about the other. "It's double congrats."
"Which was more exciting? Getting engaged or winning The Great Bacon Toss?" I asked him.
"Winning The Great Bacon Toss!"
"We'll get em next year," Tiffany said. "Gotta go home and make some BLTs, prep for next year."
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
Music City is built on the talents of songwriters - and I can guarantee you've never seen a better collaboration than this! You'll be cheering and crying... and glad you took time to watch this story. Enjoy!
- Carrie Sharp
