the smooching contest at 5:40 p.m. Wednesday - 11 hours and 40 minutes into the contest.
"If you quit now, there's no shame. We'd like to go on with our lives," said WIIL-FM morning show host Tom Kief as the station's third annual Longest Lip Lock entered its third hour. Lip-locking would be the best way to define the activity, with each of the couples keeping their mouths together but not really looking as if they were, well, making out.
Most guessed that they could last about 14 hours, but Lauren Gille of Libertyville and her partner, Drayton, boldly predicted 20 hours.
"It's supposed to go on until 8 or 9 tonight, but I don't see that happening. I've been up since four in the morning, so I don't know how long I'm going to last," said store manager John Posner, watching the men and women try to stand and entwine in such a way that their mouths would stay in contact.
He was right. And by the eleventh hour -- 11 hours and 40 minutes to be exact -- the couples were about puckered out.
"We have a winner!
" WIIL promotions director Cassandra Clark announced. "The contest ended approximately 5:40 p.m.
when the remaining two couples struck a deal. Deb and Kevin of Woodstock stopped kissing on the promise that Terry and Jason of Gurnee would give them the Red Hot Chili Pepper tickets. So I would say that our winners are Terry (Larson) and Jason (Somerville) of Gurnee, runners up Kevin and Deb of Woodstock.
"
Such a deal. Whoever could keep this up the longest stood to win a prize package that included dinner for two, movie tickets to any Regal Cinema and a pair of VIP tickets to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers at Milwaukee's Bradley Center.
The capper was a 1.
25-carat marquis-cut diamond ring on a 14-carat white gold band, a bauble valued at $3,000 that was stored in a Super Pawn glass case overlooking the competition.
All of these kissing couples were pretty serious. Some of them had brought makeshift platforms to line up their faces more closely.
Others tucked their hands in each other's back pockets to anchor themselves. Most were able to check their cell phones without breaking the lip lock.
Shop owner Larry Glassman said the 2006 Lip Lock took place at the neighboring Lovin' Oven Bakery and went 14 hours, staying active longer than the bakery was open.
Each couple was given a five-minute break every four hours, but Kief engaged in what he called "general taunting" to try to get them to either break contact on accident or on purpose.
He also made a point of announcing his own bathroom breaks, and mentioned that he might take up smoking so he could enjoy "some sweet, sweet nicotine" in front of any deprived smokers.
But no one bailed as the morning wore on.
When some lips lock up, they apparently stay that way.
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