Deep Fried Asparagus Contest Results

Results from Deep Fried Asparagus April 22, in Stockton, CA (IFOCE rankings in paranthesis)

1st - Joey Jaws Chestnut(3) 6.25 lbs.* $1500
2nd - Sonya the Black Widow Thomas(2) 6.25 lbs.* $500
*Chestnut wins in one minute overtime by eating just over one pound
3rd - Rich the Locust Lefevre(5) 5.25 lbs. $250
4th - Pat Bertoletti(4) 4.75 lbs.
5th - Erik the Red Denmark(26) 4 lbs.

This was a great contest. Not only were four out of the top five ranked eaters in the world competing, the crowd and the venue was awesome. The Stockton Asparagus festival is surprisingly large, people in Stockton love their asparagus. Joey and Sonya gave a great performance and the crowd was going crazy. I felt really good during this contest and 4 lbs is more than I have eaten in the past. The asparagus did have some variety, some plates were full of huge stocks with a large protion of breading, and other were packed with more skinny stocks with less breading. The asparagus required considerable chewing and is difficult to swallow so although I am dissapointed I didn't get in the money, I did make some big srides in my technique.

After the contest, Pat, Joey and I stand with Joey's newly acquired
oversized first place trophy/crucifix. Definitely the trophy has
to rival as one of the most elaborate and coveted on the circuit


I will post more pictures from the actual contest when I get them...

Sunrise, FL Nathan's Qualifier Results

Contest Results (IFOCE ranking in paranthesis):

1st - 21.5 HDBs - Crazy Legs Conti(12)*
2nd - 21.5 HDBs - Jammin Joe LaRue(21)*
*Conti wins in one minute overtime eating just over 3.5 HDBs while LaRue ate exactly 3.5
3rd - 19 HDBs - Bryan Miller(45) I'm not sure exactly if this was him but that is what I heard
4th - 18 HDBs - Hall Hunt(17)
5th - 13.5 HDBs - Erik the Red Denmark(26)
6th - 13 HDBs - Ed Taboada Jr(NR)
7th - 12 HDBs - Loren Bubba Yarbrough(14) (not sure exactly if this was Bubba's total)
8th - 10 HDBs - Larry the Legend McNeil(19) (not entirely sure either if this was the final total for Larry)

13.5 was way less than I was hoping for. I had never eaten a Nathan's hot dog before so the first bite was definitiely a surprise. The dogs were very meaty and tougher to chew than ones I trained with. That being said, I learned a lot from this and I am conident I will get to atleast 20 before the season ends.

I made Conti the favorite for this contest and he proved that he was. There was a large crowd in attendance outside of the Panthers game, around 300 people maybe, but there was not a huge gathering of media. There was some controversy about the final decision in overtime that Conti won - I think Crazy Legs won. Crazy did let some stuff go after the overtime was over and the contest was called in his favor. Both LaRue and Conti were courageous and ate around 3.5 hot dogs in the one minute overtime after both set personal records in regulation- I think this is probably something I would focus on rather than the controversy. Conti had less on his plate in the form of hot dogs in the end, he did have more detritus than LaRue but if you weighed it, Conti would have had less.

I understand LaRue was upset because it was so tight. As far as Crazy Legs having a reversal, he didn't, he swallowed everything he ate. Both were trying to stuff what was in their mouths at the end of overtime down and both were struggling mightily against their bodily reflexes. LaRue turned his back to the audience and had about a half a hot dog in his hand and mouth at the same time and was trying to push it down. Crazy Legs had things flying in and out simultaneously and he was holding it in with his hands and while trying to swallow. A decision had to be made though, a second overtime would not have been pretty I predict both would have had reversals.

I wouldn't be surprised to see both Conti and LaRue at the final table on the fourth, either LaRue will qualify somewhere else, maybe Atlanta (I'm not sure if he will even try) or he could get the wild card spot potentially (although traditionally this has been the person with the highest aggregate total over 3 qualifiers without winning).

These are my personal recounts, the recording of the event was rather scarce, I don't think any of the eaters were given an official total beside CrazyLegs and LaRue.

Nathan's Qualifier in Sunrise, FL Saturday, April 15

This weekend, the Road to Nathan's begins with the first qualifier of the 2006 season. This will be my first attempt at hot dogs and with this being the first qualifier, may very well be my best opportunity to make it to the final table at Coney Island on the 4th of July. I am confident with hot dogs, they go down pretty easy for me, I expect the winning total on Saturday to be between 21-24.

Here's how I would objectively set the odds for winning this qualifier (IFOCE rankings in parenthesis):

Crazy Legs Conti(12) 3-1
Jammin Joe LaRue( 21) 5-1
Loren Bubba Yarbrough(14) 5-1
Larry the Legend McNeil(19) 8-1
Erik the Red Denmark(26) 8-1
The Field 20-1

That's my objective outlook but honestly I expect to win this competition. I make Conti the favorite because he has proven that he can eat 20 hot dogs in 12 minutes and has made it to the final table the last two years. Joe LaRue has won this competition the last two years with a total of 20 but has been relatively inactive of late. Yarbrough ate 18 last year in a qualifier and McNeil could also pull out a big number. Hall Hunt (17) was expected to make this competition but I just read on the buffet that he is out.

Here are some pictures from my training last night. I ate 12 hot dogs in 6 minutes, I should be able to maintain this pace for 12 minutes - you do math...

Jalapeno Poppers Results

Here are the results of the Jalapeno Poppers competition that took place in Tucson, AZ on Saturday, April 8 (current IFOCE rankings in parenthesis):

1st - 118 Joey "Jaws" Chestnut(3) $1500
2nd - 105 Pat Bertoletti(4) $750
3rd - 96 Tim "Eater X" Janus(6) $250
4th - 63 Jed Donahue(13)
5th - 45 Erik "the Red" Denmark(26)

About 7 minutes in to the competition, I am still grinding through
the second plate of 20 while Jed Donahue (orange hat), Eater X (bending down),
Pat Bertoletti (mohawk), and Joey Chestnut (facing camera) forge ahead.
Notice how everyone else in the competition seems to have given up already.



Crap. Crap. Crap. Well, this was a tight competition, I was only 70 back. I don't know why this competition sucked like it did, but the poppers were definitely more about the breading than the jalapenos or the cream cheese.

The guy who won the college competition on Friday was a local guy (probably U of A student), Loppi Joe, who ate 41 poppers was standing next to me during the pro competition. The whole stupid crowd of dirty hippies was cheering for him as he surpassed his capacity about 6 minutes in to the competition and proceeded to projectile under the table and a little on me. It didn't really stop me from eating but it never helps to see, hear, and feel that.

Anyway, Joey, Pat, and X threw up some big numbers and just left me feeling very inadequate. But no worries, I'll come back strong this weekend in Florida. Florida is the promise land where I am hopeful that the road to Nathan's will be realized for me.