Pancakes, a great breakfast treat or perhaps the center of attention at a brunch meeting. Wrong! That’s not what the people at a pancake eating contest are now thinking in Russia.

A man was accepting his first place prize for winning a pancake eating contest when suddenly he dropped to his knees and began foaming at the mouth.

Emergency people tried to save him, but were unsuccessful. He choked to death.

Understatement of the year: Someone at the festival was quoted saying

“Maybe we shouldn’t eat so much.”

Its a eating contest, the whole point is to eat more then anyone there. You’re aware of the risks going in. However it is still a tragedy, and no way to die.

The contest was part of Maslenitsa, which is of both pagan and Christian origin. It is celebrated both as a sun festival marking the end of the winter, and as the last week before Lent.