EAU CLAIRE — Unbeknownst to the gallery at the 38th International Cherry Pit Spit Saturday at Tree-Mendus, Rick “Pellet Gun” Krause, 57, had been stripped of his 16th title for the rules infraction of spitting from his knees.

So the official winner for 2010 was his son Brian “Young Gun” Krause of Dimondale, who repeated with 66 feet, 1 1/2 inches. He’ll be 33 on July 6.

“With 64 (feet, 11 inches), I thought Kevin (Bartz) had it, to be honest with you,” Brian said afterward, following his “one and done” first effort for the win on a hot, sticky day.

Brian’s brother, Matt Krause, a mechanic from West Olive, Mich., returned to competition and managed 62 feet, so both sons eclipsed their dad at 60 feet, 6 inches.

“I thought I had a shot today,” said Bartz, a Niles resident who teaches and coaches for Edwardsburg.
Pellet Gun Krause won the Pit Spit in 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2006, 2007 and 2009.

For a decade the father and son have traded the title back and forth.

Brian, 2010 runner-up with 40 feet, 2 1/2 inches, became the winner of record.

“I had 50, but I stepped over the line on purpose,” Brian taunted his dad last July.

“Then I’ll spit the first one from my knees,” Pellet Gun fired back.

While Pellet Gun was heckled some for showboating when he won on his first try spitting on his knees, to Krause his winning flip of 51 feet, 3 inches, resulted from a strategic move to slip under the wind on a breezy afternoon.

A review of the rules afterward, however, determined that his trash-tossing disqualified him.

Tree-Mendus Fruit Farm, home of the 38th Annual International Cherry Pit Spit, is just west of Indian Lake.

This year is Eau Claire’s sesquicentennial.

Dignitaries

Miss Teen Blossomtime Alexis Teichman, 16 feet, 8 inches.
Eau Claire Mayor Dave Kurtz, rolled out of bounds.
Marta Devis of Spain, 13 feet, 11 inches.
Diana Bernstein of Israel, 39 feet, 2 1/2 inches for first place.
Sarra Jahedi, 26 feet, 9 inches.
J.R. Honeycutt of Texas, 17 feet, 4 inches.
Victor Jones, 35 feet, 2 inches.

Youth 5 and under

Reid Gillis, Granger, 9 feet, 1 inch.
Zachary Bennett, Berrien Center, 6 feet, 4 inches.
Joshua Hester, Coloma, 4 feet, 5 inches.

Youth, 6-8

Zach Bartz, Niles, 24 feet, 3 1/2 inches.
Jack Cook, Naperville, Ill., 20 feet, 3 1/2 inches.
Ava Gillis, Granger, 14 feet, 8 inches.
Teagan Wendt, 10 feet, 1 1/2 inches.

Youth 9-12

Chloe Bartz, 10, Niles, 36 feet, 10 1/2 inches.
Joshua Bennett, Berrien Center, 32 feet, 10 inches.
Claire Bartz, Grandville, 31 feet, 10 1/2 inches.
Brodie Stevens, 12, Sister Lakes, 30 feet, 4 inches.
Grant Gillis, 12, Granger, 29 feet, 11 1/2 inches.

Women

Tracy Miner, a banker from Valparaiso, Ind., 39 feet, 6 inches.
Kelly Flenor, a teacher from Niles, 38 feet, 1 inch.
Dana Bender, an occupational therapist from Chicago, 31 feet, 7 inches.
Leona Foster, Ann Arbor, 27 feet, 11 inches.
Mary Hester, Coloma, 27 feet, 6 inches.
Nancy Woolsey, a registered nurse from LaPorte, Ind., 22 feet, 7 1/2 inches.
Mary Szerkerdi, South Bend, Ind., 22 feet.
Lila Sloane, Evanston, Ill., 21 feet, 5 inches.

Championship

Josh Bernstein, a writer from Long Beach, Calif., and the husband of the dignitaries champion, 24 feet, 11 inches.
Brodie Stevens, 12, of Sister Lakes, 32 feet, half inch.
Dave Bender, a fund development director from Chicago, 33 feet, 10 inches.
Walt Frank from Farm Bureau Oil Co. and Berrien Center, 42 feet, 10 1/2 inches.
Kevin Hester, a pastor from Coloma, 43 feet, 6 inches.
Frank Duff, a construction worker from Ann Arbor, 31 feet, 3 inches.
Randy Luthringer of Niles and Dowagiac Union Schools, 44 feet, 3 1/2 inches.
Kevin Bartz of Niles and an Edwardsburg teacher and football coach, 64 feet, 11 inches.
Matt Krause, a mechanic from West Olive, 62 feet for third.
Curtis Fitch of Gaines, Mich., 58 feet, 5 inches.
Five-time international champion Joe Lessard from Canada, 32 feet, 3 inches.
Dick Bartz, the 1977 champion with 47 feet, 3 1/2 inches, 45 feet, 9 1/2 inches.
Rick “Pellet Gun” Krause, 15-time champion, 60 feet, six inches.
Brian “Young Gun” Krause, who set the world record of 93 feet, 6 1/2 inches, in 2003, 66 feet, 1 1/2 inches.