Competitive Eating

[dougery]

How can anyone eat 10 pounds of baked beans (let alone a person who weighs in at 100lbs)? How can anybody fit that much into their stomach? If I ate 10% of my body weight in beans I think I would go into a coma!

Amazing...

[Gifted Gourmet]

How can anyone eat 10 pounds of baked beans (let alone a person who weighs in at 100lbs)?

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There is, if you read (or even want to) read that website carefully, a method to do this activity which need not lead to gastronomic distress ...

[dougery]

I think I'll just observe this one from a safe distance

[Gifted Gourmet]

this from Sports Illustrated ...

O.K., there is no human the dreaded Black Hole of Kofu can't outeat, unless maybe you're counting Gilbert Brown. Men travel days just to quiver at the terrible things he can do to a menu. Shopkeepers see him coming down the street and immediately start hand-cranking down the steel shutters.  You look at him, this 23-year-old man, not even filling out his shirt, born without benefit of a butt, his belt notched lightly at the first hole, and immediately you think, Two Happy Meals, he's done.

[mikeycook]

As a related topic, here is is one of my favorite articles on eating competitions, in this case not a multi-person event like the Nathan's Hot Dog contest but more of a standing challenge.

[Pumpkin Lover]

Belated congratulations--and noice shades!

[handmc]

How on earth does Sonya Thomas do it? Take a look at those records... 65 hard-boiled eggs in 6 minutes, 40 seconds. Damn.

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I'm crushed Cool Hand Luke no longer has meaning for me. Paul Newman must be crushed.

Great story.

[divalasvegas]

This stuff always simultaneously fascinates and repulses me. One of the people that absolutely fascinates me is Takeru Kobayashi. He is the undisputed master of this "sport" and weighs something like 125 lbs., I think. I remember seeing a food network special on this (surprise?) where he shared his explanation as to why he can beat guys 2 to 3 times his size. As I recall, his theory is that the larger the person, the less space for their stomachs to expand while the opposite is true for the much smaller person. They showed him eating positively inhuman quantities of food and beer while he was in "training." Here then, are words from the Master:

Kobayashi's Words of Wisdom

[KOK]

At the Krystal Burger champoinship, Kobyashi ate 67 in eight minutes. I doubt I could eat 67 in one day.

Thanks,

Kevin

http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?sid=627883&nid=104

[chappie]

A great article in today's Washington Post, titled "Down the Hatch, Then What?", explores some of the theories behind competitive speed eaters' abilities. It also mentions a second organization for competitive eaters, the Association of Independent Competitive Eaters (www.competitiveeaters.com).

[Ninjai Fanatic]

these people make me wonder sometimes.. i mean, I know people usually get into contests for some sort of prestige, but is it really worth it- will it really be later on, "I won 10 eating championships" ..