LONG BEACH — The weather was perfect, the clamming was sensational and a new, undisputed chowder champ was crowned.

The annual Long Beach Razor Clam Festival returned over the weekend in dramatic fashion, delighting thousands of attendees who descended upon Long Beach and neighboring towns for two days of clam-related revelry.

Cool, calm and clear conditions greeted clammers on Saturday and Sunday during the morning digs, resulting in fast limits for recreational clammers seeking to collect their 20-clam limit. Approximately 7,400 diggers participated in Saturday and Sunday combined, harvesting an estimated 144,800 clams, an average of about 19 clams per person, according to figures from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Clam Chowder Cook-offThis year’s festival continued a tradition launched in 1940. It’s the first major event of the year for the Long Beach Peninsula, and is considered an unofficial start to the busier spring and summer season for businesses and restaurants.

Among the marquee events of a weekend of entertainment and clamming-related festivities was the Clam Chowder Cook-Off, including two categories — one for restaurants and another for amateurs.

Following a rare tie in 2021, an undisputed chowder champion was crowned Sunday.

The Cove Restaurant was voted the top chowder in the cook-off, featuring a recipe created by Krista Lessenden and Debbie MacAlleson. The Cove tied The Chowder Stop for first place in 2021, but didn’t have to settle for a draw this year.

“I’m really excited,” Lessenden said after receiving the trophy, “and glad we didn’t tie this year.”

In the amateur chowder cook-off, Julie Griffin was awarded first place, winning $200 and a coveted clam trophy.

“I just wanted this so bad,” Griffin said, clutching the clam-shaped wood trophy. “It’s all I wanted.”

Griffin, who had previously won a couple of amateur chili cook-off competitions, said this was her first chowder contest and she was thrilled to win the award.

Among the other clam-related competitions was the WDFW-sponsored biggest and smallest clam contests. First-time digger Piper Langworthy, 12, of Albany, Oregon, took the top prize in the biggest clam competition after digging a nearly six-inch behemoth around 6 a.m. Saturday morning near Oysterville.

“It was like the fourth clam I pulled out,” Piper said, sitting next to her mother, Jessica Slaght-Langworthy, at the award ceremony at Veteran’s Field. The award-winning clam officially measured 5.94 inches and was among the 20-clam limit each family member collected “almost immediately.”

In the smallest clam competition, Barrett Muth took first place with a clam measuring only 1.95 inches.

As the morning digs concluded, many found their way to Veteran’s Field, where live entertainment featuring the Oyster Crackers was followed by Texas Tribute, a ZZ Top tribute band, which roused attendees with an energetic performance that covered several classic rock hits as a pirate dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow mingled among the crowd.

Meanwhile, others found their way to the ‘Giant European Slide’ and ‘Una The Mermaid,’ both equally popular attractions, particularly among the kids. Meanwhile, members of the Peninsula Saddle Club prepared hundreds of razor clam fritters in a colossal steel frying pan to pass among the growing crowd.

“I think it’s freaking awesome,” first-time Razor Clam festival attendee Jeremy Bentley, of Vancouver, proclaimed.

Port of Peninsula sponsored the oyster-shucking contest at the festival. Jorge Silva was the winner, finishing one oyster and one second ahead of Marcos Mendoza. Silva received a $150 cash prize. Both work for Jolly Roger Oysters at the Port of Peninsula in Nahcotta. Other participants included Dante Negrete, Mario Medina, Alfredo Gutierrez, Jose Luis Aguilar and Tyler Madsen.