A collage of pictures showing scenes from the 2022 King of the Wing event on St. Thomas on Saturday, June 11, 2022. Photo Credit: KING OF THE WING.
The annual King of the Wing event returned to Magens Bay in St. Thomas on Saturday with headlining artist Method Man and over 8,000 people in attendance, according to the V.I. Police Department.
In its 11th year, the annual culinary event is organized by Alpine Security and White Bay Group with a goal of raising funds for nonprofit organizations in the Virgin islands. This year, King of the Wing supported the Virgin Islands Children's Museum, which "creates an environment that fosters explorative learning and creates a lifelong passion for seeking knowledge," according to a description on the nonprofit's Facebook platform.
Regarding the competition itself, this year's winner was the Barefoot Buddha restaurant in St. Thomas. "They will be traveling to New York this September for the National Buffalo Wing Festival during Labor Day Weekend," King of the Wing wrote on Facebook. "We know they will represent the Virgin Islands well in the national competition."
Basketball superstar and USVI native Aliyah Boston was among the celebrity judges, as well as Michelin Star-winning chef Simon Kim. Mr. Kim is a Korean-American restaurateur who owns and operates COTE Korean Steakhouse, a restaurant with locations in New York and Miami. COTE New York has received a star from the Michelin Guide each year since opening in 2017.
The V.I. Dept. of Tourism was the event's main sponsor, according to King of the Wing.
