Eat Like a Champ: The World of Competitive Eating

Every July 4th thousands descend on Nathan's Famous in Coney Island for the annual Hot Dog Eating Contest. The event, sanctioned by the International Federation of Competitive Eating, is definitely the most prestigious of all the eating competitions. In fact, more sports enthusiasts tune in to the Hot Dog Eating Contest than any Major League Baseball game ESPN broadcasts that same day. That doesn't surprise us. Major League Eating has all the right ingredients to satisfy our American appetite for sports: it requires skill, speed, strategy, and of course an iron stomach.

What does it take to be the eater to beat? Find out the rules (and the ringers) for some of the most popular professional eating contests on the consumption circuit.

What: Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest, Coney Island, NY

Prize Money: $20,000

Rules: Using both hands, "gurgiators" have 10 minutes to consume as many hot dogs (plus the obligatory buns) as they can. Competitors may drink any beverage of their choosing and use condiments (though most don't).

Eater to Beat: The five-time reigning champion Joey “Jaws” Chestnut kept his winning steak going on July 4, 2011. He downed 62 dogs. The guy in second place? He only got to 53.

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What: World Cannoli Eating Championship, Little Italy, New York City

Prize Money: A championship belt and divine respect from the Italian community

Rules: The Feast of San Gennaro is one of New York City’s most famous Italian street festivals. For good reason: The sidewalks are packed with classic red-sauce joints, old-school pastry shops, and vendors serving up the fair favorite, fried zeppole. But for the professionals, they are there to eat as many cannolis possible in six minutes flat.

Eater to Beat: Eater X (yes, "X") set the record in 2006 inhaling 26 of the sweet treats. X is there to defend his four-time winning streak. Mangia!

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What: La Costena "Feel the Heat" Jalapeño Eating Championship, San Antonio, TX

Prize Money: $6,250

Rules: Speed eaters are challenged to wolf down as many spicy jalapeños (seeds and all) in eight continuous minutes.

Eater to Beat: Pat Bertoletti set the world record in April 2011, eating a whopping 275 jalapeño chilies. He has won the event four out of the last five years. In 2010, Bertoletti got the top spot by beating out Sonya Thomas in double overtime by just one chile pepper stem!

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What: Sports Slurping Championship, Sydney, Australia

Prize Money: A year’s supply of Slurpees and the official Sports Slurpee trophy

Rules: This contest is considered the “ultimate test of endurance in below freezing conditions.” As such, slurpers are permitted to wear mittens to hold their icy beverages. The race requires drinkers to use 7-Eleven's iconic spoon-straw (spraw?) to consume at least half of the Slurpee. Which means in about the time the first cold head comes on, racers can ditch the straw and chug the remaining glowing frozen treat.

Eater to Beat: Tied for first place, Australian competitive eaters Billy Vanderent and Stephen Askin both downed the 22-ounce frosty beverage in just 15 seconds!

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What: World Oyster Eating Contest, New Orleans Oyster Festival, New Orleans, LA

Prize Money: $1,750

Rules: Normally fans of this aphrodisiac slurp and suck, but at this tourney contestants must use a fork to pull the oyster from its shell. How civilized! Competitors must clear each tray before moving on to the next one. Water and other beverages are allowed to help wash down the opalescent mollusks.

Eater to Beat: The ladies have this one. At last year’s tournament, Sonya Thomas sucked down 37 dozen oysters, that’s 444 (gulp!) in the eight minutes allotted.

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What: The Krystal Square Off, Chattanooga, TN

Prize Money: $20,000

Rules: The challenge: to consume as many hamburgers (and buns) in eight minutes — or at least it used to be. To great collective surprise, in 2010, the Krystal organizers decided to pull the plug on this popular burger battle in order to focus on other marketing efforts.

Eater to Beat: Joey Chestnut crushed the competition in 2008, consuming 103 burgers in the eight-minute time period. Let me say that again: one-hundred-and-three. That’s one burger every four seconds and just under 13 burgers a minute. That's more burgers than most of us eat in one year. Hopefully, the folks at Krystal will fire up the grill again so that Chestnut can defend his astounding record.

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What: World Pizza Eating Championship, New York, NY, and Fort Pierce, FL

Prize Money: $2,000, plus $500 for breaking the previous record

Rules: Most of us eat our pizza one slice at a time, but that’s not required of these eaters. The winning strategy has proven to be grabbing the pie and piling slice upon slice on top of each other, then shoving in as many mouthfuls as possible before the ten minutes are up.

Eater to Beat: Patrick “Deep Dish” Bertoletti. He consumed 47 slices at the Famous Famiglia World Pizza Championship in 2008 in Times Square. Bertoletti holds more records than any other competitor in the league, which includes his 2010 feat of chowing 38 Mars candy bars in 5 minutes flat.

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What: U.S. National Buffalo Wing Eating Championship, Buffalo, NY (Where else?)

Prize Money: $2,550

Rules: With 12 minutes on the clock, competitors chow on Buffalo wings by the handful until the time runs out. Bones must be licked clean.

Eater to Beat: In this corner, weighing in at 105 pounds, reigning champion Sonya “Black Widow” Thomas will defend her title. In 2010, Thomas (who reportedly weighs just 99 pounds) consumed 4.86 pounds — or 180 — saucy wings.

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What: World Deep-Fried Asparagus Eating Championship, Stockton Asparagus Festival, Stockton, CA

Prize Money: $2,750

Rules:Every April champion eaters head west to Stockton to savor the spears of spring. Deep-fried succulent asparagus is consumed by the truckload in under 10 minutes.

Eater to Beat: Who else but Joey Chestnut? He’s won this veggie competition 5 out of 6 years running. In 2011, he broke his own record consuming, 9 pounds 5.2 ounces of asparagus. Pat Bertoletti scarfed a respectable 7 pounds 3.5 ounces, but clearly asparagus is not his strong suit.

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What: Niko Niko World Gyro Eating Championship, Houston Greek Festival, Houston, TX

Prize Money: $4,000

Rules: During 10 minutes, competitors fight to eat as many gyros — the Greek pita sandwich filled with thinly sliced, spit-roasted lamb and traditional toppings — weighing about 12 ounces each.

Eater to Beat: In 2010, the competition was a photo finish for Joey Chestnut, who beat Pat Bertoletti by just one gyro! But that wasn’t the case in 2011, Chestnut was just able to pull it off, eating only half of a gyro more, making him the reigning champ. Only time will tell if Chestnut will hang onto his title in 2012.

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