Leo Sun Repeats as Champion of 2nd Annual Dole Peel-and-Eat Banana Contest at Great American Banana Split Celebration; William Goldfield Comments

CHARLOTTE, NC - Latrobe, Pa., resident Leo Sun is the winner of the 2nd Annual Dole Great American Banana Challenge after peeling and eating 11 ½ bananas in the 125-second competition on Aug. 23, topping his own record of 11 bananas set during the inaugural event last year.

One of the signature events of the Great American Banana Split Celebration, the annual three-day festival marking the invention of the iconic dessert in Latrobe in 1904, the challenge was created by Dole Food Company in 2024 to honor its 125th year in the banana business. The produce leader has committed to sponsoring the competition through at least 2027.

According to Banana Challenge rules, the banana fan who peels and eats the most DOLE® Bananas on the Robindale Main Stage of the Great American Banana Split Celebration receives the Dole Banana Challenge Championship Belt, created by Latrobe-based Wildcat Championship Belts, Dole, and event organizers exclusively for the competition.

Sun, 19, is enrolled in the aviation management program at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe.

The Great American Banana Split Celebration has been an annual destination for banana and dessert fans since 2013, when the Pennsylvania Historical Society unveiled a marker at the downtown Latrobe site where the banana split was invented. Dole helped organize the inaugural celebration in conjunction with Aug. 25’s designation as National Banana Split Day, and sent Bobby Banana, the company’s 7-foot mascot and healthy-eating ambassador, as representative.

“Dole is proud to sponsor both the three-day Celebration and Banana Challenge and congratulates Leo Sun for bringing home the Dole Banana Belt for the second year in a row,” said William Goldfield, Dole’s director of communications, in the recent release. “It’s rewarding to see this small event that we helped start 13 years ago to honor Latrobe and National Banana Split Day grow into a destination celebration that draws tens of thousands annually.”

Also making an appearance at the three-day festival was Dole’s Bobby Banana, its 7-foot healthy eating mascot, and Punxsutawney Phil of Groundhog Day’s fame.

Banana split lovers wanting to celebrate with a more wholesome version of the famous dessert are directed to Dole’s Berry Banana Splitz and Honey Pomegranate Banana Split recipes, and to a how-to blog post by Melanie Marcus, MA, RD, Dole’s health, wellness, and communications manager.