- As far as the Lutefisk Eating Contest goes, like I'd eat a lot of lefse, or I'd eat a lot of sweet soup or anything like that, but I'll eat anything but lutefisk.

(crew laughs) (lutefisk sloshes) (classical music) - I have never had any bad lutefisk.

(whimsical music) - About 1982 is when a bunch of Chamber Members got together and decided they were gonna declare Madison the Lutefisk Capital of the USA.

They bought that 25 foot long giant codfish that is now named Lou T. Fisk that's out in the park, and we've been the Lutefisk Capital ever since.

I promote lutefisk but I do not eat lutefisk myself.

People haven't tried it, they're sometimes surprised by the taste and the texture of it all, and the smell.

You know, it's not like... You know, people are thinking a plate of walleye here.

I mean, don't get me wrong, it's nothing like walleye.

Lutefisk is dried cod, originally was something the Vikings or the travelers over sea voyages took cod dried it and soaked it in lye to preserve it.

And they didn't need to refrigerator it that way so they could haul on long sea voyages across and then eat it, you know, you'd soak it to get the lye out, then you could eat the fish and the fish would be preserved.

(film static crinkling) You're listening to Q92 KLQP, Madison, Dawson, 92.1 FM.

Say, we wanna remind you that our World Lutefisk Eating Champion Jerry Osteraas, is ready to take on all challengers in the Lutefisk Eating Contest coming up during Norsefest in November.

The lutefisk comes from the local grocery store.

(terrifying horror music) And it's prepared by the ladies over at the VFW.

(trolley knocking) (VFW Chef recoils) (gentleman laughs) - It tastes look so good, Norwegians love it.

- But us German's sure don't.

Phew, can you get the smell on the camera?

(VFW crew laughs) - And they're pretty good at it cause people, when they eat this lutefisk they say, "Boy, this is some good lutefisk."

- I'm worried about the texture of it, if it's gonna be okay.

- It's good and flaky, and all that.

That's what you kind of wanna, I guess go for, this flaky texture.

- Well, if they don't cure it right, process it right, when you cook it, gets like jelly and it's not very nice.

- Cause otherwise it becomes like fish jello, which is most of the lutefisk that I've seen, and it really isn't all that appealing.

- And we cook it in there.

- [Camera crew] Oh.

- It's the steam oven.

(plastic crinkling) (cod sloshes) They think...

They think they're gonna go through more than a hundred pounds, I got news for 'em, It's not my first rodeo.

She'd probably wanna put gloves on.

- [VFW Staff] Okay.

(pan shuffling) Do we wanna microwave?

(pan shuffles) - Might be dishin'.

(pan slides) Okay.

(steamer rumbles) (money shuffles) (whimsical music) - [Maynard] We have three categories, we've got the Guppies for the beginning lutefisk eaters.

And we have the Walleyes, that'd be people that enjoy it, but they don't wanna really stuff themselves with it.

And then we have the Sharks Division, which would be those who wish to take on Jerry Osteraas our Champion and eat copious amounts of of cod.

- We're the official measurement team here.

- [Maynard] The way it works, it's a timed event and if you're a Shark, you got a pound of lutefisk on your plate but you have like five minutes to eat.

If you're game for more, they'll put another pound for the sharks and that just continues on.

Then they have five minutes or whatever to eat and then take a break again.

And that's the way it continues on.

Until somebody finally says, "No, I can't take anymore."

That's, "I'm done."

And usually Jerry is still sitting there eating and wanting more but we'll see what happens this year (participants indistinctly chatting) - Thank you.

- For our 50th anniversary of Norsefest, we set a goal months and months ago of having 50 eaters for our Norsefest Eating Competition, and we have over 50 eaters for our 50th anniversary.

- [Andy] Have you had lutefisk before?

- I actually haven't, this is gonna be the first time.

- I've got my bowl of butter.

(contestant laughs) - That's all you need and a tool.

- My family just decided to sign up, so I thought I'd join them.

- It's a family tradition.

- 15 to 20 years ago, I would've made a very good attempt at first.

Now I don't think I'm gonna do it.

- I don't know of any other Lutefisk Eating Contests around.

I'm not sure that anybody could take on our champion.

I've seen him eat eight pounds in one sitting, which when you look at a pound on a plate, a pound of lutefisk on a plate really fills it up.

And to think you're going to eat eight of 'em, that's a lot.

- Okay, take a picture of us.

- Yeah.

- That guy is huge.

- Jerry Osteraas, our Lutefisk Eating Champion is a big man.

He prepares by, I think, what did he tell me one time?

That he has a little cod liver oil or something that he eats prior to the contest.

Gotta lubricate the whole system I guess, and doesn't eat a lot prior to the contest.

- [Andy] Bring the butter in here.

- [VFW Assistant] Okay.

- The only person that's ever beat Jerry was, I believe his brother-in-Law but then he had a heart attack about a week after the contest one time, and we haven't tied all that together, but he never entered the contest again.

Yeah, I suppose he didn't wanna take any chances.

So Jerry just has had the crown ever since and been...

It's been basically unchallenged.

He enjoys the glory, which is good 'cause we don't give him very much cash for this so... - The Sharks'll eat a pound at a time.

- That's intense.

- So all 50 of them will eat, start eating and we'll go through 19 pounds in the first five minutes.

- That's insane, oh gosh.

And they can smell you from South Dakota, I'm sure, yeah.

(accordion music) (folks indistinctly chatting) (accordion music) (folks indistinctly chatting) There's one of 'em.

(accordion music) (folks indistinctly chatting) (contestants applauding) - Okay, we wanna thank you for everything you've done to be our representative over all these years as Lutefisk Eating Champion.

You're gonna have some good challengers tonight, so hopefully you can hang on your record this evening.

- [Andy] Guppies get this portion.

- [VFW Staff] There's butter on here.

- [Maynard] Here Adam, run that out to him.

♪ I got goes and I'm ♪ gonna go get him ♪ ♪ And he got to do this then ♪ ♪ I'm gonna shred him up ♪ (fast indistinct singing) ♪ Make him take (indistinct) ♪ ♪ Once and for all ♪ you Jack and Jills ♪ ♪ Gonna find out ♪ what makes you tick ♪ ♪ Hopin' this song it ♪ brings you thrills ♪ ♪ Get you moving last quick ♪ ♪ If you're havin' ♪ trouble catching fire ♪ ♪ This song's gonna ♪ make you sprint ♪ Alright, we're gonna count down this first round with audience participation.

Five, four, three, two, one.

- [Maynard] Let's dig in.

- [Supporter] Come on, Sam, let's go!

(polka music) ♪ On the birds and the bees ♪ and the cigarette trees ♪ ♪ The lemonade springs ♪ where the bluebird sings ♪ ♪ In The Big Rock ♪ Candy Mountain ♪ ("Big Rock Candy Mountain" by Harry McClintock) - Five... - [Maynard] Four, three, two, one.

Okay, time's up on the first one - Eight, nine, 10, 22, 23?

(lively polka music) - [Maynard] Excuse me.

Here you go, Jimmy.

- [Maynard] Five, four, three, two, one, dig in.

- Three minutes remaining!

Hey, you gonna keep going?

- Yeah.

(Andy laughs) - [Maynard] We have the bags just in case.

(zany music) (crowd indistinctly chats) - 18 guppies, 18 guppies.

Three Sharks, four Sharks.

- [Maynard] Are we running low on Lutefisk?

Really?

(lively music) (crowd indistinctly chats) Yeah, we got enough now, guys?

- [VFW Staff] We only needed... - 10, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four... Hey!

- All the Lutefisk in Madison is just about gone, so we're gonna cut off the Guppies of the Walleyes.

(crowd booing) However... - You have consumed 80 pounds of lutefisk.

- We did put 80 pounds of lutefisk and we've gone and got more, and we've cooked all the lutefisk we can find.

So the Guppies, we're gonna draw for those first, second, and third.

For the Walleyes, same thing.

We're gonna have them registered first, second, and third and give away the trophy to somebody in the Walleye division.

And here's what's gonna happen to the Sharks, we're gonna dish up what lutefisk we have left and it's gonna be first one done.

- He wasn't backing down, he was gonna win it baby.

- It was good, it was good.

It sucks, they had to cut it off.

- Maybe next year if they have it, I'll practice.

- [Andy] Okay, we ready to start?

- [Maynard] Count 'em down.

Count 'em down, here we go, five, four, three, two, one, go!

- [Supporter] Come on, Jerry!

- [Andy] First empty plate takes the belt!

(polka music) (indistinct chatting) Winner!

(audience applauds) - There you go.

(contestant laughs) - Thank you.

- You know, I'm proud of you.

- [Andy] Gentlemen, do you wanna have a second place?

Do you wanna keep going for a second?

Or you wanna be done?

- [Viewer] Go for it!

- [Audience] Second, second!

- [Maynard] Andy, do we have a second and third?

- [Andy] No, we're washed out, they're all done.

(everyone laughs) We have a winner.

- [Maynard] Hey, (indistinct) all right!

- Well, thank you sweetheart.

- [Maynard] Congratulations, you did well tonight.

- We have a new champion, woo!

- [VFW Staff] You ate two plates, yeah.

- You can touch if you want.

- Really?

- You can touch if you want.

(Jimmy laughs) ♪ Forevermore ♪ - After 2023, I think it's maybe time.

I think Jerry's probably getting close to retirement.

He is been slowing down a little bit the last couple of years as have the rest of us involved with the contest.

So I think there's a great future for lutefisk with the younger generation coming up.

I think, you know, they'll see what Jerry has accomplished over the years and maybe will latch onto this.

We're hoping, you know, so we can keep this going.

- It is definitely a unique heritage for Madison, Minnesota.

It's not my favorite meal but I think it's really cool that we have something that we can lay claim to as the Lutefisk Capital of the USA.

- [Interviewer] Perfectly diplomatic answer.

(Andy laughs) (upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) - [Narrator] "Postcards" is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.

Additional support provided by Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies.

Mark and Margaret Yackel-Juleen, on behalf of Shalom Hill Farms, a retreat and conference center in a prairie setting near Windom, Minnesota.

On the web at shalomhillfarm.org.

Alexandria, Minnesota, a year-round destination with hundreds of lakes, trails and attractions for memorable vacations and events.

More information at explorealex.com.

The Lake Region Arts Council's arts calendar, an arts and cultural heritage funded digital calendar showcasing upcoming art events and opportunities for artists in West Central Minnesota.

On the web at lrac4calendar.org.

Playing today's new music, plus your favorite hits, 96.7 KRAM, online at 967kram.com.

(upbeat music)