VIDEOS
IMAGES
See below for images from the 2024 Pizza Expo & World Pizza Games in Las Vegas, Nevada.
See below for images from David’s competitions in the U.S. Pizza Games at the PIZZA SUMMIT in Orlando, FL on November 9-10, 2022.
Photo credit: DANA NEIMEIER, NEIMEIER PHOTOGRAPHY
BC Pizza at the World Pizza Games
“It all started when we used to have races at the company Christmas parties- back when there was just a handful of BC Pizza locations in Northern Michigan. I realized then that I had a special talent,” David Whisker recalls. With 28 years working for BC Pizza, he certainly has made his share of pizzas and folded even more pizza boxes.
David began competing at the 2011 World Pizza Games in Las Vegas. He has competed in several events including Fastest Box Folding, Fastest Dough Stretch, Largest Dough Stretch, and the Pizza Triathlon, which is a combination of all three.
So far, his favorite accomplishments have been:
- 2013 World Pizza Games in Las Vegas: This was the first time David brought home a First Place medal. It was for the Pizza Triathlon, and this was the first year for the event.
- 2016 World Pizza Games in Las Vegas: David won First Place for Fastest Box Folding, and he was chosen to be a member of the World Pizza Champions team.
- 2017 David competed in Parma, Italy with the World Pizza Team: Then in June 2017, he helped build the World’s Longest Pizza (about 1.3 miles) in Fontana, CA.
- 2019 U.S. Pizza Games in Columbus, Ohio: David won First Place for Fastest Box Folding in a competition that was broadcast on ESPN.
- 2023 World Pizza Games in Las Vegas, NV: David set a NEW WORLD RECORD for Fastest Box Folding! He folded 5 pizza boxes in just 17.038 seconds!
All About the World Pizza Games Event
World Pizza Games is just one of the events that take place at The International Pizza Expo. The Pizza Expo is an annual event and also an international one. It is the world’s largest pizza show and in 2020 it celebrates its 36th year.
The World Pizza Games is a 5 event test of pizza-making skills. The games start with individual event trials and end with the finals, which take place at a huge block party. The event is known to bring a lot of excitement and energy to the pizza expo and is one of the spectators’ favorite parts. The crowd is usually quite large for this final event.
Each of the five events has a crowned winner. The events are:
- Freestyle Acrobatic Dough Tossing
- Fastest Dough
- Largest Dough Stretch
- Fastest Pizza Box Folding
- The Pizza Triathlon
Contestants are vying for the buzz around their pizzeria following the games as well as a cash prize. The three top finishers also receive medals to commemorate their exemplary participation in the event.
Achievements at the Annual Pizza Competition: World Pizza Games
David first entered the games in 2011 and in his first attempt, he made it home with a 2nd place finish in the Fastest Boxes event and 4th place in the Fastest Dough event.
- In 2012 he again entered and placed 9th in the Fastest Boxes event. This, however, did not deter him from returning to the games in 2013.
- It was at the 2013 games that Whisker earned his first championship title. He was awarded 1st place in the Pizza Triathlon. That year he also placed 4th in the Fastest Dough Event and 5th in the Fastest Boxes event.
- In 2014 David entered not only the World Pizza Games events but also competed in the US Pizza Games. He came away with titles from both events. In the world games he placed 3rd for the Fastest Boxes event, 4th for the Pizza Triathlon and 6th for the Fastest Dough. In the US games, he finished 1st for both the Fastest Boxes and Fastest Dough event.
- In 2015 Whisker again entered both the World Games as well as the US games. In the World Games, he won 3rd place in the Pizza Triathlon, 6th place in the Fastest Dough event and 10th place for Fastest Boxes. In the US games, he came in 2nd in the Fastest Boxes event and 3rd for both the Fastest Dough and the Largest Stretch events.
- David made the World Pizza Team in 2016. He finished 1st place in the Fastest Boxes event, 3rd in the Pizza Triathlon and 10th in the Fastest Dough event.
- In 2017, not only did David compete at the International Pizza games but he also had the honor of participating in Parma Italy with the World Pizza Team for the first time. His World game standings were 2nd place in the Fastest Boxes event, 3rd in the Pizza Triathlon and 10th for Fastest Dough.
- 2018 saw David enter the World Pizza Games in what has become the customary fashion. He was awarded 3rd place in the Pizza Triathlon, 11th in the Largest Dough Stretch event and 12th place in the Fastest Box Folding event.
- In 2019 David competed at both the US Pizza Games and the World Pizza Games. In the US event, he was awarded 1st place for Fastest Box Folding. In the World Pizza Games, he placed 5th place in the Pizza Triathlon, 6th in the Fastest Boxes event and 8th for Fastest Dough.
- The 2020 Pizza Expo in Las Vegas was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so there was no World Pizza Games that year.
- In 2021 David returned to Las Vegas for the World Pizza Games and won 3rd place in Fastest Boxes, 4th place for Fastest Dough, and 4th place in the Pizza Triathlon.
- For 2022, David won 1st place in Fastest Boxes, 3rd place for Fastest Dough, and 4th place in the Pizza Triathlon at the World Pizza Games in Las Vegas. He also captured 1st place in Fastest Dough at both U.S. Pizza Games in Chicago and Orlando.
- 2023 was a huge year for David. Not only did he win 1st place for Fastest Box Folding at the World Pizza Games in Las Vegas, but he secured A WORLD RECORD in doing so. He folded 5 pizza boxes in just 17.038 seconds! He also finished 4th in Fastest Dough and the Pizza Triathlon. Later in 2023 he won 1st place finishes in both Fastest Box Folding and Fastest Dough at the U.S. Pizza Games in Orlando, FL.
- In 2024 David returned to Las Vegas for the World Pizza Games and won 1st place in Fastest Boxes, 2nd place for Fastest Dough, and 9th place in the Pizza Triathlon. Later in 2024, David captured First Place in both Fastest Dough and Fastest Boxes at the U.S. Pizza Games in Los Angeles, CA.