Darren Gorski of Pacific Beach, a fishmonger for The Fish Market, competed in the sixth annual Oyster Shucking Competition at the International Boston Seafood Show recently. International Boston Seafood Show/Seafood Processing America is North America’s largest seafood event, featuring more than 900 exhibits of seafood and seafood products, services and equipment from across the world. Expert contestants came from across the country to participate in the fun, heated competition, where contestants pit against each other and against the clock to shuck oysters as fast as they can. “Shucking will seem difficult at first, but with a little practice, you’ll find that you can easily shuck your oysters,” Gorski said. For seafood fanatics like Gorski, there are few more satisfying feelings than working a wide-handled knife through the crease of an oyster’s shell and snapping open the watertight seal that keeps the filter-feeding mollusk safe and snug. To master the hazardous task — cleanly and repeatedly — takes a lot of practice. To do it competitively takes a special kind of talent. Although Gorski did not win, he said competing against fellow expert oyster shuckers and being the only Southern California representative was an honor and an experience he will never forget. “It’s a fun event, and I definitely plan to do it again next year,” said Gorski.