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.