IFOCE.com announced the cities for the 2006 Nathan’s Famous qualifiers. The contests will begin in mid-April, but the exact dates have yet to be determined. The cities hosting contests are essentially the same as in 2005, but a Bloomington, MN qualifier has been added and the Florida contest has been shifted to Sunrise from Pembroke Pines.

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The Whaler apparently has a rival for the title of biggest Eater X fan on the internet. After watching MTV’s True Life documentary, Amanda because smitten with the stock trader and learned he was a Presidential Scholar. Amanda is also the only female Rush (the band, not the talk show host) fan that I am aware of.

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Levi “The Prophet” Oliver has joined a running group to help train for his upcoming triathalon. One of his training partners wrote a blog entry about the experience of doing 200m sprints with Levi.

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103.1 FM in Albany has a photo gallery of Friday’s Steer Burger contest at Sutter’s Mill and Mining Company which “Gentleman” Joe Menchetti won by eating 7.5 burgers in 20 minutes. The burgers contained a half a pound of meat and Menchetti claims they are equivalent to 3-4 Doodle Burgers.

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The page for MTV’s True Life: I am a Competitive Eater has a summary and video gallery (images 84-95) with screen captures of Takeru Koabayashi, Tim “Eater X” Janus and Ian “The Invader” Hickman (Carlene LeFevre also appears in the background in one of the pictures) Flash player required to view images.

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The San Bernardino Sun has a flashback from 43 years today ago about a pancake contest for college students sponsored by the International House of Pancakes. Teams from over 50 colleges participated, including a team from Tokyo. Two San Bernardino Valley College students, Bruce James and Susan Moncrief, won the contest by eating 270 pancakes in 30 minutes. A breakdown of the amount of pancakes eaten by James and Moncrief is not provided.

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“Beautiful” Brian Seiken has a new article about Tim Janus’ new Doodle Burger record and Eric “Badlands” Booker’s previous record. Seiken was an eyewitness to Booker’s record and has some pictures and a video clip of that endeavor.

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The new poll question is inspired by The Whaler’s Eater X fan blog like the previous question. In his recent blog entry, The Whaler states that he finds the general tone of comments on this board obsequious and treacly. I am curious to see if that opinion is shared.

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Myspace sites for other competitive eaters:

Pat Bertoletti
Chip Simpson
Loren “Bubba” Yarbrough
Levi Oliver
Jason “Erbavore” Erb
Laura (Jason Erb’s girlfriend)

Thanks for the information about myspace sites. If anyone is aware of other competitive eating myspace sites, please supply a URL to it if you know it.

Updated 2/25 11:36
Brian Seiken has set up a myspace site at http://www.myspace.com/beautifulbrian

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Humble Bob Shoudt has started a myspace site at: http://www.myspace.com/humblebob

Other competitive eating myspace sites I am aware of:
Badlands Booker
Pat “from Moonachie” Philbin
Hungry Charles Hardy
Larry “The Legend” McNeil
Wing Bowl

Please inform me of any other competitive eating myspace sites.

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Both Brian Seiken and speedeat.com report that Tim “Eater X” Janus has set the record at The Doodle by eating 33 hamburgers in about two hours. The Doodle’s Wall of Fame has yet to be updated to contain Tim’s feat.

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This weekend I will be at a location where I will have limited internet access. Posting and comment approval will be sporadic and possibly non-existent until Sunday afternoon. I hope everyone has a good weekend.

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GoldenPalace.net will sponsor a corned beef and cabbage eating contest at Ned Devine’s Irish Pub in Boston on March 16. This will be the second corned beef contest in two months and the third goldenpalace holiday themed contest since Thanksgiving. Since Pat Bertoletti won the first corned beef contest in Arkansas last month, the fact that the contest is on Saint Patrick’s Eve might be an omen.

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After a top 10 finish in Wing Bowl 14, blogger steakbellie is considering making an attempt at the 12.5 pound Zeus burger from the Clinton Station Diner, which no single eater has finished. In the comments, steakbellie says he contacted Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub, who repeated their assertion that Lori Weiss tied Kate Stelnick’s time. Denny’s has not updated their website to provide information about Ms. Weiss’ feat despite having over four months to do so.

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If you are having a competitive eating television withdrawal after two shows on consecutive nights, go see the fifth episode of “Beautiful” Brian Seiken’s video podcast. Brian starts by reiterating the details about the “No Mas” affair and offers his anonymous critic a phone interview on his next television show. Brian does his first in-person interview with a competitive eater at Don “Moses” Lerman’s home. Don shows off his vast collection of eating trophies and paraphenalia, including what is most likely the world’s largest collection of competitive eating themed embroidered jackets. In addition to attempting 18 jalapeno peppers in under a minute, Don also does his standup routine and sings Sinatra. Don says “for the record” that he is going to come back better than ever and take the 2007 Laredo jalapeno contest.

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IFOCE.com announced that goldenpalace.net will sponsor two eating contests open only to college students that will be held at the Spring Break destinations of South Padre Island, TX and Panama City Beach, FL. The food item and duration have not yet been determined, but the first place prize will be $1000. If graduate students are allowed entrance, Hall Hunt will be the probable favorite for the Florida contest if Joey Chestnut and Pat Bertoletti stay at home. Contests at other Spring Break destinations are expected.

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The Attack of the Show! website has a video clip of Badlands Booker eating a 100×100 burger from In N Out Burger in a one minute contest with a show employee.

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The first Tim Janus segment of MTV’s True Life: I am a Competitive Eater begins with footage from the TripRewards birthday cake eating contest at Grand Central Station. The next location is Eater X’s workplace where he works as a day trader. Childhood pictures of Tim are displayed. Janus then goes to Nathan’s to train with Crazy Legs Conti (wearing an outfit inspired by Angus Young of AC/DC) for Nathan’s French Fry contest. Brian Seiken, Charles Hardy, Allen Goldstein, Cookie Jarvis, Badlands Booker make cameo appearances. Cookie Jarvis wins the contest.

We are then transported to Ian Hickman’s apartment in Lexington, KY. Hickman does not consider himself a “metrosexual”, he views himself as a “straight man with good taste.” Then a montage of childhood pictures of Hickman eating is displayed. Hickman will appear in his first contest after some impressive performances in restaurant challenges. “The Invader” prepares for the contest by eating massive amounts of lettuce (3 to 5 pounds) to stretch his stomach.

The next segment is filmed in Takeru Kobayashi’s hometown of Nagoya, Japan. Kobayashi is eating massive amounts of food in a restaurant which has a conveyor belt to deliver food. He cleans at least 100 small plates and claims he is not near his maximum. He is notably bloated after his meal. His apartment appears to be about the same size as an American walk-in closet. Some footage of Japanese eating contests is displayed. Kobayashi then goes to the gym and shows off his stomach which he claims sits lower than the normal person so it has less impediments to expansion. He builds his muscle to increase his metabolism and calorie consumption. The Tsunami watches a tape of last year’s contest and tries to see how he can improve. He has a goal of 55 hot dogs, one more than the previous year.

Tim Janus then prepares for Nathan’s by eating 11 pounds of food and drinking 2 pounds of water. He eats a variety of foods but no hot dogs.

Hickman trains for the Spicefest chicken wing contest by going to Hooters and is served by a Britney Spears lookalike. He eats 135 wings. Driving back from the restaurant, Ian suffers a “reversal of fortune.”

Kobayashi goes to the supermarket with a white umbrella. He says that competitive eating is healthy if you pay attention to your health. The Japanese equivalents of hot dogs does not look like Nathan’s offerings.

Tim travels to the Nathan’s qualifier in Hartford, CT and stands next to Brian Seiken at the contest. A mark of 22.5 hot dogs gives Eater X victory and a trip to Nathan’s finals.

Kobayashi goes to a restaurant called Mountain because of its large portions. In Japan, chefs challenge great eaters to consume huge amounts of food. The chef of Mountain gives Kobayashi a huge plate of pasta and an iceberg of shaved ice flavored with chili peppers. The Tsunami receives two more giant plates of pasta. Kobayashi says that it is possible to die eating competively, but “to be professional, you don’t die.” The chef congratulates Kobayashi and says he consumed 22 pounds.

Ian Hickman travels to the Spicefest hot wing eating contest. He sits next to a large heavily tatooed man. He says the wings are hard to eat because they are so dry. Chowhound Chapman emcees the contest (no mention is made of IFOCE vs. AICE issues) and announces that Hickman came in third place.

Kobayashi goes to a pizzeria after arriving in New York. He describes his precontest eating plan. The eaters assemble in Central Park for the weigh in. Janus is impressed with Kobayashi’s muscularity. George Shea says that the goal of Nathan’s is glory and the mustard belt and not money. Pat Philbin, Sonya Thomas, Rich and Carlene LeFevre appear briefly. Gersh Kuntzman of the New York Post interviews Tim Janus who says that the only way he can win the contest is by Kobayashi vomiting or dying. Tim Janus does a hot dog sprint with a goal of 6 hot dogs in 75 seconds (He takes 110 seconds) He then tries to eat 13 pounds in 30 minutes to stretch his stomach. He is disappointed in the practice with both his speed and his perceived stomach capacity.

Hickman then attends the spoonbread contest where his major competition will be senior citizen Margaret Rappart. Hickman eats with hands while Rappart uses a spoon. Hickman wins, but Margaret (who is the only female competitive eater quoted) says she could have given Ian a stronger challenge if she were younger.

Janus wakes up at 7:15 the day of Nathan’s contest. His goal is 27 hot dogs. The competitors take the bus to Coney Island. The contest begins. Tim finishes with 22.5 hot dogs which puts him at 9th place. Kobayashi finishes with 49 hot dogs and fails to break his record which he blames on his jaw getting tired. He says it takes 12 hours for his stomach to digest whatever is inside it. Tim Janus signs autographs and poses for photographs after the contest despite being disappointed in his performance.

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“Dog” Davis, the last place finisher in the Queen Mary chili cheese fries contest, wrote an article for LA Weekly about his experience in that event.

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Erik “The Red” Denmark has started a blog at http://erikdenmark.blogspot.com/
which will document his quest to qualify for Nathan’s and become the best eater in the northwest. He has pictures from the chili cheese fries contest, the Laredo Jalapeno Festival and his attempt during Super Bowl 40 to join Sharon Scholten in the 40+ hot dogs in four hours club.

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If you miss tonight’s (at 10pm eastern) showing of MTV’s True Life episode about competitive eating, it will be rerun several times over the next week:

# True Life – I’m a Competitive Eater, MTV Feb 23 09:00pm
# True Life – I’m a Competitive Eater, MTV Feb 24 02:30pm
# True Life – I’m a Competitive Eater, MTV Feb 25 07:30pm
# True Life – I’m a Competitive Eater, MTV Feb 26 01:30am
# True Life – I’m a Competitive Eater, MTV Feb 26 01:30pm
# True Life – I’m a Competitive Eater, MTV Feb 26 06:30pm
# True Life – I’m a Competitive Eater, MTV Feb 28 01:00pm
# True Life – I’m a Competitive Eater, MTV Feb 28 11:00pm
# True Life – I’m a Competitive Eater, MTV Mar 01 09:00pm

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The new poll question is courtesy of The Whaler and asks which Olympics, if any, should competitive eating be added to?

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The Laredo Morning Times’ article is now available in .pdf format: Part 1 (with Menchetti picture), Part 2

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East Asia has not only produced the planet’s greatest human competitive eater, it has also produced the world’s greatest feline gurgitator. A cat in Qingdao, China eats 6 pounds of pork and chicken every day, about 20% of its body weight and a greater percentage of bodyweight than Kobayashi or Sonya have ever eaten in a contest. Unfortunately the cat does not share Kobayashi’s ability to consume massive quantities and remain at a normal weight. He (or she) weighs 33 pounds and has a larger waist measurement than Kobayashi’s at 31 inches.

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Two contests in late April have been added to the IFOCE schedule, the asparagus contest in Stockton, California and the Sweet Corn Contest in Palm Beach, Florida.

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