It was a long, tough battle. But in the end, Mohawk Superette was declared the winner of the Keweenaw Pasty Challenge after defeating Toni’s Country Kitchen of Laurium this past Monday.

Running from Apr. 13 to May 18, the Keweenaw Pasty Challenge is an online voting competition patterned after the NCAA’s March Madness college basketball tournament. 10 pasty making contestants were pitted against each other in a series of head-to-head, single elimination matchups. The winner of each match was determined through online voting polls on the Keweenaw Convention & Visitors Bureau Facebook page and website.

Like any great sporting event, the Keweenaw Pasty Challenge was not without controversy. In the semifinals match-up between Mohawk Superette and Roy’s Pasties & Bakery, the online voting was hacked, causing the event organizers to review thousands of votes. Eventually, the vote outcome was declared unreliable and a new vote under additional security restrictions was held with Mohawk Superette advancing to the final round.

“Despite a few hic-ups, the Keweenaw Pasty Challenge was an overwhelming success,” explained Brad Barnett, Executive Director of the Keweenaw Convention and Visitors Bureau. “The event reached over 300,000 online viewers through social media, and best of all, we brought a lot of positive attention to several of the Keweenaw’s small businesses. That means a lot during these challenging economic times.”

The Kewenaw Pasty Challenge was organized by the Keweenaw Convention & Visitors Bureau (KCVB), the Keweenaw Chamber of Commerce, and Mainstreet Calumet.