Waves & Flames Pepper Fest debuts in Huntington Beach with chili-eating competition
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Gastrointestinal gladiators crammed millions of Scoville heat units down their gullets during the recent debut of Waves & Flames Pepper Festival in Huntington Beach.
Held at My Place Sports Bar & Grill, Saturday’s competition brought together professional eaters, artisan chili pepper growers and hot sauce makers as well as foodies of all spice-tolerance levels. It featured competitions for kids and adults, with a belt match sanctioned by the League of Fire, the official governing body and ranking system for competitive chili-eating.
For the record:
3:49 p.m. Aug. 25, 2026The original version of this story misspelled the first name of co-host Caley Versfelt and misstated the title of festival organizer Annee Boyer.
Waves & Flames marked the league’s return to Southern California after several years without any events in the region, according to co-founder Paul Ouro. He said the West Coast is home to a thriving community of spice aficionados that includes some of the finest hot sauce makers in the world
When I think a lot of the very best (hot sauce) companies, some of the very best come from Southern California,” Ouro said. “... In America, I think they’re leading the way when it comes to small family hot sauce producers.”
Both eye-watering hot sauces and raw peppers specifically bred to light palettes ablaze were part of the gauntlet Saturday, with top finishers earning a spot to compete in October for the pan-American title in Gettysburg, Pa.
European belt-holder Carmelo “Il Gladiatore” Francavilla, of Italy, outlasted eight other contestants to claim first place as well as his first American title. He was followed closely by newcomer Britney Amber “Spicy Creator” Rizzo of Beaumont.
Rizzo streams herself taking on spicy eating challenges on Twitch and TikTok, and has always had a high tolerance for heat. But Saturday was her first time attempting a pro-level competition. As runner up, Rizzo will gain the spot in the LOF Pan-American Belt Match in Gettysburg due to LOF regional rules.
“It’s millions of Scoville [heat] units, definitely more capsaicin than I normally take in,” Rizzo said. “I did start to feel it in my arms, they were starting to get stiff and tingly, and that was unusual. But I did still get that euphoric tingly feel. I do actually enjoy that feeling, when you get so much capsaicin overload that you start floating.”
Rizzo and other first-time competitors Alex “The Slime” Michael and Ashley “Chi-Li Hot” Dang said the Waves & Flames festival was one of the first times they’d encountered a group of people with the same level of tolerance and appreciation for spicy foods. Dang, who is also preparing to debut her own line of hot sauce, called the experience “humbling.”
“The spicy community is there, it is growing and it’s thriving,” Dang said. “It’s so good and so nice to be able to share these genuine experiences and connections. I was sitting down in the competition, and my neighbors in the competition, they were telling me ‘You can do it; it’s OK, you got it,’ and, ‘I feel that pain with you.’”
Saturday’s festivities were also a fundraiser that netted $1,500 to support Best Buddies Citizen’s — Southern California, a local chapter of Best Buddies International, an organization that provide people with intellectual disabilities with mentorship, training and opportunities to socialize. Coyote Grill, Spice Quest Labs and El Perro Picante were among the day’s main sponsors.
Actress and Best Buddies citizen Caley Versfelt co-hosted the event, alongside another League of Fire co-founder, Shahina “The UK Chilli Queen” Wassem. Balloon decorations were also supplied by a member of Best Buddies.
“It’s not just an event for them, it’s an event with them,” Waves & Flames Festival organizer and League of Fire belt-holder Annee “The Reaper Teacher” Boyer, said.
Boyer is also a credentialed teacher of students with intellectual disabilities,a former teacher at Jordan High School in Long Beach where she advised the on-campus Best Buddies Chapter for 14 years, and the creator of one of the Best Buddies Citizens~Southern California sub-chapters. She said while putting together the weekend’s festivities was a challenge, she enjoyed seeing community blossom between food lovers of all spice tolerances and walks of life.
