With chopsticks poised for attack and a Japanese bandana tied tight around his head, undeclared freshman Ken Tran eyed his plateful of Smarties.
Seemingly undaunted by a blaring Star Wars theme and 50 fans jockeying for a better view, he sought to bring one world record back to the United States on Friday night.
Ken emerged from the candy dust three minutes later as the new Guinness World Record holder for the most Smarties eaten with chopsticks in under three minutes. His 190 shattered the previous record of 138, held by England's Kathryn Ratcliffe, a soft-spoken 14-year-old.
Ken's father, Chau Tran, quickly embraced his son, unable to hide his pride and excitement. But the younger Tran's joy was immediately tempered with a hint of disappointment.
"I was hoping to bust 200," he said.
Ken said he broke 200 in his three weeks of training, but because of health concerns, he was only able to spend three minutes per day practicing.
"Eating that many Smarties does a number on your digestive system," he said.
Ken said he developed a slight case of acne and gained about three pounds.
He said it didn't take long to develop his signature "side-scooping" style.
"I like to go from the side, because the angle of attack is better," Ken said. "The goal is to get as much wood on the Smarties as possible."
Once Ken's number is certified by Guinness, it will replace one that is less than a year old. Ratcliffe ate 138 on Oct. 25, only 24 days after Jim Hager of Oakland, Calif., set the bar at 115. Ratcliffe had been the champion with 112 for about 10 months before that.
Ratcliffe took the news of Ken's attempt calmly and said she will probably try again in November, but Hager said he is finished with trying to beat the record.
Ken said he will not attempt the feat again unless his number is beaten, but he does not expect that to happen soon.
He said much of his advantage lies with his Chinese ethnicity.
"I've been using chopsticks my whole life," he said.
Hager agreed that experience is a major factor in the competition.
"I had chopsticks as a second language, but I thought if an Asian person tried it, they could really blow that number out of the water," Hager said.
All three said they attempted the feat mostly on a whim. Hager said he stumbled upon the contest at a street fair, and Ratcliffe said she saw a Guinness advertisement when she was 12 and decided to "have a go at it."
But Ken said he had visions of becoming a world champion from the moment he saw the record.
"I just looked at the number, which was 138, and I was like, 'You know what, I can beat this,'" Ken said.
His father had a slightly different explanation.
"I think he has too much extra time," Chau said.
The three candy warriors each said they do not hold any other records and have no immediate plans to go after others.
After Ken contacted Guinness about his attempt, the World Book of Records publishers sent him a page of rules and official documents to be submitted. The contestant must keep one hand behind his back and pick up only one candy at a time. In addition, the attempt requires two counters, two signed witnesses, one timer and a video cameraman.
Amid cheers and a chant of "190," the new champion looked around his kitchen for the perfect item to complete the victory - a pint of Guinness.
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