Competitive eating

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Sonya Thomas and Tim Janus at the 2005 Midway Slots Crabcake Eating Competition.

Competitive eating, or speed eating, is an activity in which participants compete against each other to consume large quantities of food in a short time period. Contests are typically less than 15 minutes in length, with the person consuming the most food being declared the winner. Competitive eating is most popular in the United States and Japan, where organized professional eating contests often offer $10,000 or more in prize money. Competitive eaters are sometimes known as "gurgitators," a word used by those close to the sport and an assumed opposite of regurgitation.


Contents

[edit] History

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Pie-eating contest at the Jefferson School in Washington, DC, August 2, 1923.

Traditionally, eating contests (usually involving pies) were events at county fairs. The recent surge in the popularity of competitive eating is due in large part to televised coverage of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, an annual holiday tradition that has been held on July 4 virtually every year since 1916 at Coney Island. Recently, this contest has been dominated by IFOCE eater Takeru Kobayashi, who won it consistently from 2001 through 2006; he was dethroned in 2007 by Joey Chestnut. In 2008, Chestnut and Kobayashi tied at 59 hot dogs in 10 minutes (the time span had previously been 12 minutes), and Chestnut won in an eatoff in which he was the first of the two competitors to finish eating 5 hot dogs in overtime, earning Chestnut his second consecutive title. In the 1990s, competitive eating was popular in Japan but is now frowned on.[citation needed]

[edit] Organizations

[edit] IFOCE

The International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE) hosts more than 100 "Major League Eating" events worldwide every year. The IFOCE, which first established eating as a sport in the 1990s, recently launched Major League Eating to serve as an umbrella for competitive eating worldwide while also providing a recognized brand for licensing of T-shirts and other products. It features videos of contests and eaters and offers a complete online community, similar to MySpace, for eating fans. Major League Eating, as overseen by the IFOCE, is the only organization that has established extensive safety regulations for events.

The IFOCE awarded nearly $350,000 in prize money in 2006. In addition to a one-hour live broadcast of the Nathan's Famous contest for ESPN, IFOCE has produced a three-hour elimination tournament on ESPN called the Alka-Seltzer U.S. Open of Competitive Eating, plus additional hours of ESPN programming on eating for Johnsonville Brats and Krystal hamburgers. The IFOCE also recently produced a series of 30-minute television shows, "Eats of Strength," for high-definition network InHD. Spike TV is also running a series of one-hour Major League Eating events, featuring the top eaters of the IFOCE.

[edit] AICE

A smaller organized league, the Association of Independent Competitive Eaters (AICE), established by competitive eater Arnie "Chowhound" Chapman, also sanctions contests. Chapman was a former IFOCE member who defected to form an independent league after disputes over IFOCE contractual restrictions.[1]

AICE, which adopted the title "All Pro Eating" in 2008, differs from the IFOCE with its adherence to "picnic style" competitive eating rules. Picnic style rules pay "respect to the food and maintains the integrity and dignity and public reputation of that food item."[2] Under these rules, the league forbids the dunking of any contest foods in water, a practiced used by many IFOCE eaters, and one believed to speed the chewing and swallowing process.

In 2009, competitive eater Coondog O'Karma joined Chapman as a partner, and took over as Director of Operations for AICE. [3]

[edit] Other associations

Outside of the professional realm of eating challenges, amateur eating contests between friends and strangers have found their way into popular culture. Loose associations, such as the Federation of Amateur Eating Contests, have formed to provide spontaneous challenges to patrons of restaurants at any given time, with the contest loser typically paying the bill for the winner.

Other open-ended eating contests sponsored by restaurants can involve a challenge to eat large food items, including giant steaks, and hamburgers, in a set amount of time. Those who finish the item are often rewarded by not having to pay for the item, or with a t-shirt and the addition of their name and/or photo on a wall of challenge victors.

[edit] Notable competitive eaters

Pat “Deep Dish” Bertoletti (2004-present) – Ranked #2 in the world by the IFOCE. More than $130,000 in career winnings.[4] Winner of 50 career eating contests with 26 second place finishes.[4] Holds 23 IFOCE eating records, including corned beef and cabbage (10.63 pounds in 10 minutes), calamari (6.6 pounds in 10 minutes), ice cream (1.75 gallons in 8 minutes), jalapeno peppers (266 in 15 minutes), and strawberry shortcake (15.25 pounds in 8 minutes).[5] His record of 21 pounds of grits eaten in 10 minutes at the 2007 Louisiana Downs World Grits Eating Championship stands as the most food by weight ever consumed in a competitive eating contest.[5]

Eric “Badlands” Booker (2001-present) – Career winnings total more than $20,000.[6] Holds IFOCE eating records in candy bars (two pounds in 6 minutes), corned beef hash (4 pounds in 1 minute 58 seconds), glazed doughnuts (49 in 8 minutes), and matzo balls (21 baseball-sized balls in 5 minutes, 25 seconds). [5]

Joey “Jaws” Chestnut (2005-present) – Currently the #1 ranked competitive eater in the world by the IFOCE. Best known for defeating Takeru Kobayashi in the 2007 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Contest, ending Kobayashi’s six year championship reign. Winner of 55 career eating contests (25 second place finishes), including Wing Bowl victories in three consecutive years (2006-2008) and three consecutive Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest wins (2007-2009). [7] Featured on a Topps sports card in the 2008 Allen & Ginter set featuring baseball players and notable athletes from other sports. Career winnings total more than $200,000, not including two vehicles and a motorcycle for his Wing Bowl wins.[7] Holds 15 IFOCE eating records, including pizza (45 slices in 10 minutes), chicken wings (182 in 30 minutes), Krystal burgers (103 in 8 minutes), jalapeno poppers (118 in 10 minutes) and hot dogs (68 in 10 minutes).[5]

Jason “Crazy Legs” Conti (2002-present) – Ranked #14 in the world by the IFOCE. Is the subject of a competitive eating documentary, “Crazy Legs Conti: Zen and the Art of Competitive Eating.” More than $10,000 in career winnings.[8] Holds five IFOCE eating records, including green beans (2.71 pounds in 6 minutes) and sweet corn (34.75 ears in 12 minutes).[5]

Peter Dowdeswell (1970s) - Set many Guinness Book of World Records eating speed records. The Guinness Book has since stopped tracking and publishing eating records.[citation needed]

Tim “Eater X” Janus (2004-present) – Currently ranked #4 in the world by the IFOCE. More than $70,000 in career winnings.[9] Holds six IFOCE eating records, including burritos (11.81 pounds in 10 minutes), sushi (141 pieces in 6 minutes), and tamales (71 in 12 minutes).[5]

Ed “Cookie” Jarvis (2001-2006) – More than $15,000 in career winnings.[10] Holds 11 IFOCE eating records, including cannoli (26 in 6 minutes), Chinese dumplings (91 in 8 minutes), and grapes (8 pounds, 15 ounces in 10 minutes).[5]

Takeru “The Tsunami” Kobayashi (2001-present) – A resident of Nagano, Japan. Once the ranked #1 eater in the world (now #3). His 50 hot dogs eaten in the 2001 Nathan’s contest nearly doubled the previous record. Competed in and lost a hot dog eating contest against a Kodiak bear on the Fox television show Man vs. Beast in 2003. More than $75,000 in career winnings[11], despite only appearing in a handful of U.S. contests each year. Holds four IFOCE eating records, including bratwurst (58 with bun in 10 minutes), cow brains (17.7 pounds in 15 minutes) and rice balls (20 pounds in 30 minutes).[5]

Rich “The Locust” LeFevre (2002-present) – Ranked #8 by the IFOCE. His wife, Carlene, was also once a ranked IFOCE eater (retired in 2005). More than $50,000 in career winnings.[12] Holds eight IFOCE eating records, including chili (1.5 gallons in 10 minutes), huevos rancheros (7.75 pounds in 10 minutes), and Spam (6 pounds in 10 minutes).[5] Finished the Big Texan 72 ounce steak challenge a record 11 times.[11]

Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas (2003-Present) - Once ranked #2 in the world by the IFOCE. Has amassed over $100,000 in career winnings.[13] Featured in a 2008 Mastercard Paypass commercial with Takeru Kobayashi. Winner of the 2004 Wing Bowl[14]. Holds more than 20 world records, including chili cheese fries (8 lbs, 2 oz in 10 minutes), crab cakes (46 in 10 minutes), hard boiled eggs (65 in 6 minutes, 40 seconds), and oysters (46 dozen in 10 minutes).[5]

[edit] Contest Structure

[edit] Food

The type of food used in contests varies greatly, with each contest typically only using one type of food (e.g. a hot dog eating contest). Foods used in professional eating contests include hamburgers, ice cream, chicken wings, asparagus, pizza, ribs, whole turkeys, among many other types of food.

[edit] Rules and overview of events

Competitive eating contests often adhere to an eight, 10, 12 or 15 minute time limit. Most contests are presided over by a master of ceremonies, whose job is to announce the competitors prior to the contest and keep the audience engaged throughout the contest with enthusiastic play-by-play commentary and amusing anecdotes. A countdown from 10 usually takes place at the end of the contest, with all eating coming to an end with the expiration of time.

Many professional contests also employ a series of judges, whose role is to enforce the contest rules and warn eaters about infractions. Judges will also be called upon to count or weigh each competitor's food and certify the results of the contest prior to the winner being announced.

[edit] Chipmunking

Many eaters will attempt to put as much food in their mouths as possible during the final seconds of a contest, a practice known by professionals as "chipmunking."[15] If chipmunking is allowed in a contest, eaters are given a reasonable amount of time (typically less than two minutes) to swallow the food or risk a deduction from their final totals.

[edit] Dunking

In many contests, except those adhering to "picnic style rules" mentioned previously, eaters are allowed to dunk foods in water or other liquids in order to soften the food and make it easier to chew and swallow. Dunking typically takes place with foods involving in a bun or other doughy parts. Professional contests often enforce a limit on the amount of time competitors are allowed to dunk food.

[edit] Debris

Competitors are expected to maintain a relatively clean eating surface throughout the contest. Excess debris after the contest may result in a deduction from the eater's final totals.

[edit] Vomiting

If, at any point during or immediately after the contest, a competitor regurgitates any food, he or she will be disqualified. Vomiting, also known as a "reversal", includes obvious signs of vomiting as well as any small amounts of food that may fall from the mouth deemed by judges to have come from the stomach. Small amounts of food already in the mouth prior to swallowing is excluded from this rule.

[edit] Training & Preparation

Many professional competitive eaters undergo rigorous personal training in order to increase their stomach capacity, speed and efficiency with various foods. Stomach elasticity is usually considered the key to eating success, and competitors commonly train by drinking large amounts of water over a short time to stretch out the stomach. Others combine the consumption of water with large quantities of low calorie foods such as vegetables, salad or pasta.

Prior to a marquee event like the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, some eaters, like reigning contest champion Joey Chestnut, will begin training several months before the event with personal time trials using the contest food. [16] Retired competitive eater, Ed "Cookie" Jarvis, trained by consuming entire heads of boiled cabbage followed by drinking up to two gallons of water every day for two weeks before a contest. [17]

Due to the risks involved with training alone or without emergency medical supervision, the IFOCE actively discourages training of any sort.

[edit] Pre-contest preparation

Many competitive eaters will fast for as much as 48 hours prior to a contest in order to empty their stomachs and digestive systems and increase their appetite. Others contend that fasting prior to a contest will cause the stomach to "tighten up" or shrink and therefore choose to consume large quantities of food the night prior to a contest, similar to their normal training regimen. Some eaters who follow the fasting practice will drink a liter or more of water on the day of the contest to stretch the stomach. It is believed the water leaves the stomach faster than solid food, thus leaving it empty in time for the contest.

[edit] Televised Contests

The Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest is televised live on ESPN each year on July 4.

The annual Krystal Square Off hamburger eating contest has been televised on ESPN and, in 2008, on the FSN South network.

In 2002, the Fox Network aired a two-hour competitive eating contest called the Glutton Bowl.

Spike TV has broadcast several IFOCE-sanctioned competitive eating competitions as part of its "MLE Chowdown" series, including the St. Patrick's Day Chowdown in 2007 (corned beef and cabbage), the "Turkey Bowl" on Thanksgiving day in 2007 (whole turkeys with an undercard cranberry sauce contest), "Wedges 'n Wings" in 2007 (chicken wings and potato wedges), and "Ham 'n Eggs" during Super Bowl halftime in 2008.

[edit] Popular Culture

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[edit] Film

In the 1967 film, "Cool Hand Luke," Paul Newman's character Lucas Jackson wins a bet by eating 50 hard boiled eggs in one hour.

A scene involving a blueberry pie eating contest, told as a fictional story by Wil Wheaton's character Gordy Lachance, was featured in the 1986 film "Stand By Me."

The culture of competitive eating is portrayed in the 2005 documentary film Crazy Legs Conti: Zen And The Art Of Competitive Eating, directed by Danielle Franco and Chris Kenneally.

Competitive eating is the basis for the 2009 film Nacho Mountain, a comedy about a down-and-out man who finds fame as a successful competitive eater.

[edit] Television

A 1999 episode of "The Simpsons" entitled "Maximum Homerdrive" sees Homer Simpson enter a steak eating contest. Homer is unable to finish the 16 pound steak, but his opponent does and promptly dies of "beef poisoning."

The 2002 program, "Gut Busters," on the Discovery Channel, followed several competitive eaters as they attempted to qualify for the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest while examining some of the physiological and scientific aspects of competitive eating.

A 2002 episode of the Anna Nicole Show, a reality show featuring Anna Nicole Smith was entitled "The Eating Contest" and featured Anna Nicole and friends engaging in an eating contest in an Italian restaurant. Anna is accused of cheating by vomiting in the bathroom during the contest.

In 2004, the Fox television show "Man vs. Beast" featured a hot dog eating contest in which six time world hot dog eating champion, Takeru Kobayashi, lost to a Kodiak bear.

In a 2005 episode of "King of Queens," Kevin James' character, Doug, becomes jealous of his best friend Deacon's new friend and attempts to win back Deacon's affection by entering and winning a wing eating contest.

A 2005 episode of "Grey's Anatomy" entitled "Tell Me Sweet Little Lies" includes a competitive eating patient suffering from a tear in the lining of her esophagus. In the same episode, the interns engage in a hot dog eating contest in the hospital cafeteria.

Takeru Kobayashi was featured as a competitive eating superhero who uses his eating skills to rescue people in danger in an animated skit by Robert Smigel on "Saturday Night Live."

Competitive eating was the backdrop for a game show on the G4 network called "Hurl!" In the show, contestants alternated between eating large quantities of food and enduring extreme physical activities with the winner being the last contestant to not vomit.

A 2005 Channel 4 documentary called "The Big Eat" produced by Twofour, followed the search for and training of a British Champion to compete in the Competitive Eating World Championships in New York.

In 2006, MTV aired "True Life: I'm a Competitive Eater." The documentary featured Tim "Eater X" Janus, Takeru Kobayashi and Ian "The Invader" Hickman.

The Travel Channel show Man v. Food (2008-present) follows host Adam Richman as he travels the nation attempting eating challenges at various restaurants.

The January 23, 2009 episode of Monk on the USA Network, "Mr. Monk and the Lady Next Door," includes a character whose competitive egg eating figures into the plot.

[edit] Literature

The book "Eat This Book" was published in 2006 and written by Ryan Nerz. The book chronicled Nerz' year as an IFOCE eating contest emcee, a position he maintains today. That same year, Nerz discussed his book and the sport as a guest on The Daily Show With Jon Stewart.

In 2006, the book "Horsemen of the Esophagus" was published. The book, written by Jason Fagone, followed three professional competitive eaters during a year on the eating circuit.

[edit] Music

Professional eater Eric Booker produced two competitive eating-themed rap albums, "Hungry and Focused" and "Hungry and Focused II."

[edit] Criticisms & dangers

[edit] Criticisms

The chief criticism of competitive eating is the message the gluttonous sport sends in an age of rising obesity levels among Americans[18] and the example it sets for today's youth. [1]

Others, like actor Ryan Reynolds in a scathing editorial on The Huffington Post, contend that competitive eating is yet another example of Western gluttony at a time when so many others around the world are starving. [19] In the same article, retired competitive eater Don "Moses" Lerman foreshadows the dangers of competitive eating when he admits "I'll stretch my stomach until it causes internal bleeding."

[edit] Dangers

The argument that competitive eating can cause weight gain[20], which may lead to obesity and elevated cholesterol and blood pressure is a common one, but the theory that competitive eating can cause damage to the stomach and digestive system was the subject of a 2007 study by the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. The study observed professional eater Tim Janus, who ate 36 hot dogs in 10 minutes before doctors intervened. It was concluded that through training, Janus' stomach failed to have normal muscle contractions called peristalsis, a function which transfers food from the stomach down the digestive tract.[21]

Other medical professionals contend that binge eating can cause stomach perforations in those with ulcers and gulping large quantities of water during training can lead to water intoxication, a condition which dilutes electrolytes in the blood. [22]

Gastroparesis, also known as stomach paralysis, is also a concern among those who routinely stretch their stomachs beyond capacity. The condition may lead to the stomach's inability to contract and lose its ability to empty itself. Side effects of gastroparesis include chronic indigestion, nausea and vomiting. [23]


[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Vasel, Kathryn. "Competitive Eating Contests Bring in the Dough." FoxBusiness.com. January 31, 2008. Retrieved on July 4, 2009.
  2. ^ AICE Official Website
  3. ^ AICE Official Website
  4. ^ a b "[1]."
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "IFOCE Records."
  6. ^ "[2]."
  7. ^ a b "[3]."
  8. ^ "[4]."
  9. ^ "[5]."
  10. ^ "[6]."
  11. ^ a b "[7]."
  12. ^ "[8]."
  13. ^ "[9]."
  14. ^ Carlson, Peter. "A Tough Act to Swallow." Washington Post. January 31, 2004. Retrieved on June 30, 2009.
  15. ^ Force Fed Creative Loafing blog May 9, 2007. Retrieved on June 30, 2009.
  16. ^ Dworkin, Andy. "Champion competitive eater shares his training, victory" The Oregonian online. July 15, 2008. Retrieved on June 28, 2009.
  17. ^ Gullapalli, Diya. "You Have to Be in Good Shape To Eat 4.21 Hot Dogs a Minute" The Wall Street Journal. August 15, 2002. Retrieved on June 28, 2009.
  18. ^ "Some find competitive eating hard to swallow." MSNBC.com. November 21, 2007. Retrieved on July 4, 2009.
  19. ^ Reynolds, Ryan. "Competitive Eating." Huffingtonpost.com. June 6, 2007. Retrieved on July 4, 2009.
  20. ^ Burbach, Cherie. "Health Risks of Speed Eating." Blisstree.com. July 3, 2009. Retrieved on July 4, 2009.
  21. ^ Park, Madison. "Speed eaters gain weight, clog arteries but have few regrets." CNNHealth.com. July 3, 2009. Retrieved on July 4, 2009.
  22. ^ Sine, Richard. "Competitive Eating: How Safe Is It?." WebMD. Retrieved on July 4, 2009.
  23. ^ Sine, Richard. "Competitive Eating: How Safe Is It?." WebMD. Retrieved on July 4, 2009.

[edit] Further reading

  • Eat This Book (2006)
  • Horsemen of the Esophagus (2006)
  • A Short History of the American Stomach (2008, Frederick Kaufman)
  • Clemens Berger: Die Wettesser. Roman, Skarabäus 2007 (The Competitive Eaters. A Novel)

[edit] External links

Search Wiktionary Look up gurgitator in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
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