Crowds packed into Pike Place Market on Friday, phones held high and elbows out, to watch a fish fly.

Former Seahawks wide receiver Jermaine Kearse teamed up with longtime fishmonger Sam Samson, taking turns hurling slippery fish through the air in front of cheering tourists and curious onlookers.

“I’ve caught a lot of footballs in my life,” Kearse says, “but throwing a fish? That’s something else.” He practiced with wet footballs to prepare. “It’s different out here at the Market — more intimate, a little nerve-wracking, but I’m excited. It’s fun.”

Friday’s event was part of TikTok’s new “Shop Local” campaign, which features small businesses with strong local ties across the U.S. The company kicked things off in Seattle by partnering with Pike Place Fish Market, its first seafood seller.

Nearly a century old, Pike Place Fish Market is no stranger to spectacle, but co-owner Ryan Reese says even by their standards, this one brought out a special kind of energy. “We see 20,000 people a day come through here in the summer,” he says. “A lot of them are cruise passengers. They fly into Seattle, stop at the market, watch us toss fish, then head off to Alaska. A week later, they come back — and the first place they stop? Right here again. Having Jermaine here today just adds to the excitement.”

Reese, who helped lead the market’s push to start selling through TikTok Shop, says it’s a way to connect the in-person and online worlds. Now, when someone sees a fish toss TikTok video on their phone, they can tap to order. Fresh seafood is shipped overnight from the market stall.

TikTok Shop, which launched nearly two years ago, is under pressure to prove itself. Amid concerns about scams and counterfeit sellers, the campaign’s focus on established, locally rooted businesses appears aimed at rebuilding consumer trust and carving out a space in the crowded world of online retail.

Reece says the push to modernize came naturally. “We’ve always tried new things. We had a website back in the early ’90s,” he says. “And being in Seattle, you’re surrounded by tech. It rubs off on you. A lot of our customers are tech people. You don’t want to be the next Blockbuster.”

It’s not a huge leap — Pike Place Fish Market has shipped seafood for years. TikTok Shop just gives customers another way to order.

As for the competition, Kearse came out on top, edging out Samson with a clean toss caught at the counter. Now he can add fish throwing to his list of victories — somewhere after that Super Bowl win.