COSTA MESA : Reading as Easy as Pie at Victoria School

Raising his syrupy, blueberry-caked hands into the air, 11-year-old Martin Moran of Costa Mesa smiled victoriously and tried to catch the drops of sweet purple juice dripping down his beaming face.

That was the scene Tuesday morning at Victoria School, where students pigged out in the campus’ first-ever pie-eating contest.

The event marked the conclusion of a program that encouraged students to read books in their spare time. The students were promised a special event when they read 20,000 books. Upon reaching the goal, they voted in favor of the pie feast.

Martin won the contest that pitted him against a handful of other, mostly younger, students, as well as Principal Judy Laakso.

Martin and his friends insisted it was training and not age that propelled him to the top. “He ran around a lot and starved up for a while,” said pal Shane Ontiveros, 10, of Costa Mesa. “That’s what made him win.”

His classmates said they knew Martin should enter the contest after they timed his eating a cupcake in 33 seconds.

The more than 100 children who observed the contest had the zeal of World Cup soccer fans. They loudly chanted the names of the participants and sprung up from the lawn to surround the contestants as soon as the event began.

The Just Read program began in January with the goal of having the school’s 325 students read 20,000 books by June. Each time the students read 5,000 books, the school played host to a special event, such as an ice cream sundae party and barbecue.

Moran said he read about a dozen books this term, including one horror novel called “Monster Blood.”

Laakso said stuffing her face in a pie was worth the trouble, if it encouraged students to read.

But she did prepare for the event, ensuring that while the student participants all dug into messy blueberry pies, she got to munch on a sugar-free apple pie.