Competitive Eating: It's Not Just Pies and Hot Dogs Anymore

Competitive eaters Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas and Tim "Eater X" Janus eating crab cakes. Photo: Brian Chu


We've all seen those wacky eat-as-much-as-you-can contests, such as pie-eating contests at rural fairs or the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on the 4th of July. But competitive eating has moved from the fringe to the mainstream, with a number of regular contests around the country, a kind of "circuit" of competitions, and even a few associations devoted to the "sport."

And the food in competitive eating runs the gamut from hot dogs and pies to chicken nuggets, fruitcake, and even regional favorites such as jambalaya, Maine lobster, crab cakes, and tacos.

The main organization in competitive eating is the International Federation of Competitive Eating, www.ifoce.com, which sponsors contests, sets forth rules, has safety regulations, and more. At the IFOCE's Web site you can learn about upcoming contests and even how to participate yourself, if you dare.

The IFOCE has established a "brand" name with its slogan Major League Eating, which also makes a catchy byline for a t-shirt or bumper sticker.

The best-known competitive eaters these days are Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi, primarily because between them they have won the last eight Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. (Read more about Chestnut's exciting win over Kobayashi today in overtime: www.xomba.com/joey_chestnut_retains_nathans_hot_dog_eating_crown_in_thrilling_ot_eat_off)

It's not an all-male sport, though. In fact, one of the most successful competitive eaters is Sonya Thomas, "The Black Widow," a petite woman of 105 pounds who in the last few years has achieved these feats of eats, according to the IFOCE:

* 8.3 pounds of Armour Vienna Sausage in 10 minutes
* 8.4 pounds of baked beans in 2 minutes, 47 seconds
* 65 hard boiled eggs in 6 minutes, 40 seconds
* 80 chicken nuggets in 5 minutes

And if you think you eat too much on Thanksgiving, Sonya Thomas once ate 7.75 pounds of turducken in 12 minutes in a contest.

I'm not sure if the IFOCE provides statistics on how many tablets of Alka Seltzer its members consume in a year.