My Uncle is a World-Ranked Competitive Eater

[ripitupbaby]

Just thought I would share this little tid-bit with you guys.

My uncle is ranked Eighth in the World by the International Federation of Competitive Eaters.   

It's pretty crazy.  People who think bodybuilding is weird should check out the "sport" of competitive eating.  www.ifoce.com
He TRAINS for this too and prepares himself for the competitions similar to the way a BB would train and prep for a competition. 
He's a very small, skinny dude too....5-6 and about 135 pounds. 

Here are his World Records:

---24" Pizza: 7 1/2 Extra Large Bacci Pizza Slices / 15 Minutes/ July 9, 2005

---Birthday Cake: Five Pounds/ TripRewards 1st Birthday / 11 Minutes, 26 Seconds/ May 10, 2005

---Chili: 1 1/2 gallon Stagg Chili / 10 minutes

---Corn Dogs: 12 Fletcher's Corny Dogs/ State Fair of Texas / 10 minutes/ Sept. 28, 2003

---Huevos Rancheros: 7.75 lbs Huevos Rancheros / 10 minutes/March 18, 2006

---Jalapenos, Pickled, Short-form: 247 pickled jalapeno peppers/State Fair of Texas / 8 minutes/Oct. 8, 2006

---SPAM: 6 pounds of SPAM from the can/ SPAMARAMA / 12 minutes/ Apr. 3, 2004

---Tex Mex Rolls: 30 Tex Mex Rolls/ GameWorks at Great Lakes Crossing / 12 minutes/ Mar. 12, 2005

"He was originally known as a superstar in the long game who didn't care for the short, eight- to 12-minute contests of the IFOCE. Since the earliest days of his career, he has excelled in longer, 30- to 45-minute events.
However, the distance man has adapted recently, competing in the shorter contests and compiling an impressive list of victories. He has won a slew of difficult contests and seems as comfortable with a short contest as most other eaters on the circuit.

He is known for his strong jaw and for his capacity, which seems to increase, not decrease, as a contest progresses. Previously considered an outsider in the competitive eating community, he embraced the formal eating circuit for the first time in 2002, participating in hot dogs, all-you-can-eat buffet and chili. Since then his prowess and reputation have grown. His most recent and impressive victory was over Sonya Thomas and Pat Bertoletti in jalapenos. He ate 247 pickled peppers in 8 minutes to set a new world record and gain even more respect from the young guns."

 


I find the chili, jalapenos, and SPAM records to be particularly disturbing.   
I watched a video once of him participating in an all-you-can-eat buffet competition in Las Vegas and it was enough to make someone ill. 

His wife, my aunt, is also a world-ranked eater but not in the Top Ten.

[danielson]

Does he know Kobayashi? Ask him if it's a legitimate jaw injury or he's just afraid of Joey Chestnuts.

[ripitupbaby]

Does he know Kobayashi? Ask him if it's a legitimate jaw injury or he's just afraid of Joey Chestnuts.

I'm sure he knows him, as he competes against him regularly.  I'll have to ask for the inside scoop.  It's a VERY dangerous sport, you know!

New York, NY, June 25, 2007 -- Japanese eating phenom and hot dog-eating world champion Takeru Kobayashi was listed as “day-to-day” on Monday after reportedly suffering from jaw pain.

However, Kobayashi has stated that he plans to compete in the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest in Coney Island and in the Pizza Hut P’Zone Challenge on July 10 in Manhattan.

“Eater safety is our top priority and we will respect whatever decision Kobayashi makes about participating in these events,” said Richard Shea, President of Major League Eating.

[davidpaul]

Does he know Kobayashi? Ask him if it's a legitimate jaw injury or he's just afraid of Joey Chestnuts.

hahahahahahahaha

[ripitupbaby]

Who is Joey Chestnuts btw?

[danielson]

Who is Joey Chestnuts btw?

He just ate 59 hotdogs breaking Kobayashis record.

[ripitupbaby]

He just ate 59 hotdogs breaking Kobayashis record.

Ah yes, I see....he is ranked second.


Joey rose to lofty heights in record time, winning Rookie of the Year for 2005 and nearly defeating the great Kobayashi in hamburgers and hot dogs. He has not been beaten by an American in almost a year.

His career consists of the 2005 and 2006 seasons, in which he won the asparagus title twice, placed second in hot dogs on July 4 with the new american record of 52 dogs and buns in 12 minutes, placed second to Kobayashi again in bratwurst, twice beat Sonya Thomas in waffles, twice won the Chinook Winds rib-eating championship and dominated the Verizon Voice Wing chicken wing championship. His greatest career achievement however, and perhaps the greatest achievement of any American eater, was to lead Takeru Kobayashi for seven out of the eight minutes in the Krystal hamburger-eating contest. Were it not for a mis-dunk, Chestnut would have beaten the great master of Japan.

Fans look toward major upcoming events, especially the 2006 Krystal Square Off Championship, for the upset of a lifetime.

[davidpaul]

He just ate 59 hotdogs breaking Kobayashis record.

The ferdsters could do that, easily, Dr jean grey told me.

[danielson]

The ferdsters could do that, easily, Dr jean grey told me.

Can you believe that 95% of NZ is going to pay to talk to the ferdster?

[davidpaul]

Can you believe that 95% of NZ is going to pay to talk to the ferdster?

I can actually believe that, I would pay to talk to him, hes a legend.

[danielson]

I can actually believe that, I would pay to talk to him, hes a legend.

I'd call him and up and comer, not a legend.

[The Squadfather]

that first post made me hungry.

[ripitupbaby]

that first post made me hungry.

There's some pizza place in St. Louis or maybe Kansas City....they have an 11 pound pizza and they will pay you $500 if you can finish it in less than 30 minutes.  They had never had anyone actually finish it...My uncle finished it in like 14 minutes and ordered a second one.   

The owner has his picture on the wall, I think.

[The Squadfather]

There's some pizza place in St. Louis or maybe Kansas City....they have an 11 pound pizza and they will pay you $500 if you can finish it in less than 30 minutes.  They had never had anyone actually finish it...My uncle finished it in like 14 minutes and ordered a second one.   

The owner has his picture on the wall, I think.

yeah that place is on The Hill, it's St. Louis's Italian neighborhood, i think the pizza is called The King of The Hill or something like that.

[danielson]

Whats his name Rip? Crazy legs Conti?

[ripitupbaby]

Whats his name Rip? Crazy legs Conti?

Who, my uncle?  In the world of competitive eating, he is known as "The Locust" ...

[Bast000]

how does he keep his weight so low?  Does he eat really low calorie on most days?  Does he vomit most of the food he eats?

[davidpaul]

how does he keep his weight so low?  Does he eat really low calorie on most days?  Does he vomit most of the food he eats?

Are you suggesting you like the penis bast?

[ripitupbaby]

how does he keep his weight so low?  Does he eat really low calorie on most days?  Does he vomit most of the food he eats?

LOL....

He's always been a small skinny dude his whole life.  It's not so much the size of the person, I think it's more about the volume that the stomach can handle.  Competitive eaters train by drinking TONS of water and expanding their stomachs.  The top dude there is a little guy too, and I think he even has abs.

Not sure what he does these days, but I remember when I was a kid, he and his wife would not eat much at all during the week and then we would go out for dinner on Friday night, and they would order enough food for like 10 people.   
But that was well before his competitive eating days.   I guess he always just had it in him.

[corinth]

I just wonder how many of these guys vomit this stuff back up after the contest is over.

I can't even imagine what it must be like to digest that much spam or chili.

My stomach hurts just thinking about it.

[ripitupbaby]

I just wonder how many of these guys vomit this stuff back up after the contest is over.

I can't even imagine what it must be like to digest that much spam or chili.

My stomach hurts just thinking about it.

He lost the all-you-can-eat buffet contest because he puked up the caesar salad.   

[trab]

He lost the all-you-can-eat buffet contest because he puked up the caesar salad.   

Is the trick just keep'n it down long enough? I dont see how a small dude can not puke that at some point.
Its amazing someone that small can do that. A 320lb guy is one thing, but 135lbs?
It cant be healthy to do that.

[ripitupbaby]

Is the trick just keep'n it down long enough? I dont see how a small dude can not puke that at some point.
Its amazing someone that small can do that. A 320lb guy is one thing, but 135lbs?
It cant be healthy to do that.

I'm pretty sure you gotta keep it down long enough to be declared the winner and take the trophy, although I am not sure what the exact rules are. 
I know he doesn't puke it up very often.  It just happened to be that with the all-you-can-eat buffet contest, they had to go through a breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffet, and puking at the table was an automatic DQ.  He didn't make it through the tub of caesar salad at lunch, but he said it was not so much the volume as it was that he was just having a hard time getting the salad down.  Can you imagine trying to scarf down a tub of caesar salad?  That hurts my throat to think about it...   

[Al-Gebra]

Is the trick just keep'n it down long enough? I dont see how a small dude can not puke that at some point.
Its amazing someone that small can do that. A 320lb guy is one thing, but 135lbs?
It cant be healthy to do that.

I read somewhere about some people not being able to tell that they were full b/c of some physical condition . . . wonder how many of these people are like that.

[ripitupbaby]

I read somewhere about some people not being able to tell that they were full b/c of some physical condition . . . wonder how many of these people are like that.

There is a disease called Prader-Willie Syndrome.  People with PWS do not have the chromosome or whatever it is that tells the brain when the stomach is full, so they are constantly hungry and always looking for food. 

PWS is actually a form of down syndrome or mental retardation, I think...so it's kinda obvious when someone has the disease, as there are other physical signs. 
People with PWS usually have to live in group homes to have their food controlled for them, or else they will eat themselves to death.  They also have other behavioral problems.
I think there was an episode of CSI where a dude with PWS was found in a dumpster.  I can't recall the story line, but he did eat himself to death.