The most recent blog entry by Takeru Kobayashi has some very sad news (automatically translated by Google):

The mother died on the 19th.
Entering into this month, the way of weakening of the mother even excessively was sudden.
The night opening, at each time it wakes up, it means that [gakutsu] and condition keep deteriorating.
It was heroical.

You observed at that every morning, it waits for the fact that the mother wakes up, is attached to sleep if the fact that among other things you deliver, usual we feared the thing of casual expectation, very, is.

What doing, and others without being, in this way, the eternal separation.

It does not have to be regretful.

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The “Stuff Yo’ Face” Hot Dog Eating Contest to be held at Penn State on April 29 will have both individual and team events. The contest page describes the prize for the individual contest:

Each person will be competing to qualify for an official Nathan’s sponsored event to qualify for the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest this July 2007. We will have a representative from Nathan’s coordinating this category to make sure the rules and regulations are in cooperation with Nathan’s.

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A letter to the editor critical of the hot dog eating contest at the University of Mary Washington won by Sonya Thomas appears in today’s edition of the Fredricksburg Free Lance Star.

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ctnow.com has an article about a qualifier for a team bar bite (mini-hamburger) relay contest called “Munch Madness”. The finals for that contest will be held on March 29. The author is apparently unaware of Tim Janus’ victories in the East Hartford Nathan’s qualifiers:

It’s what draws the masses to New York for Nathan’s Famous hot dog competition. It’s what’s helped build Philadelphia’s Wing Bowl from a local radio station stunt to an international event. Maybe Hartford will find itself on the competitive eating map with Munch Madness.

“At this point, I don’t see why not,” says Kienle, who deems the event a big hit for its first year. “If we become known as the place in the state to get little hamburgers, even better for us.

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I would like to second Allen “Shredder” Goldstein’s wishes to “Beautiful” Brian Seiken for a Happy Birthday.

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The current Controlled Labs eating contest entails eating as much fat free cottage cheese in 2 minutes. Participants have until April 1 to submit a video to youtube or Google video documenting their cottage cheese eating.

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ComicBookBin.com reports that the third issue of the comic book based on Sakura, a character in the street fighter video game, featured a hot dog eating contest. The fourth issue, currently on sale, deals with the aftereffects of that competition:

However, as seen last issue, Karin cheated by getting one of her aide to munch all the hotdogs from the hotdog eating contest. Sakura, filled with wieners and buns cannot sustain the fight. To make matters worst, Dan wants to exact his final vengeance against Sakura, proving that he is the best Street Fighter of all.

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Brian Seiken has posted his response to the feedback he has received from his “State of the Union” video at http://hometown.aol.com/beautifulbrian43/page10.html

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A blog about the Moonpie Madness contest to be held at Virginia Commonwealth Univerisity has been set up at http://moonpiemadnessdave.blogspot.com/. The blogger describes the event:

MoonPie Madness stands to be the largest MoonPie eating contest to ever be held. Ever. At VCU at least. But for the record, we haven’t heard of any other eating contests to have over 64 people competiting on the same day, and we’re estimating to have at least 84 “gurgataters” so I’d say we’re safe in making that claim. 84 gurgataters! MoonPies!?! How’s this all going down? Well, here’s the deal:

There’s 2 competitions going on the sacred day of April 1st. An exhibition (a classic eating contest where everyone has 5 minutes to out eat each other, and try to break the unofficial record of 15 in 5 minutes), and as I like to call it, The Grand Tourney” (a March Madness themed eating contest where 64 students will go through 6 – 2 minute rounds and work their way through the bracket.)

I think some Japanese contests have had more than 84 entrants, but I am not aware of any US contests with that large a field. The contest is restricted to VCU students only.

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Goose Gilbert’s cash winnings in 2007 have been updated with information provided by Mark Lyle. Please email me or modify the contests in the database (click on edit) with all unlisted prizes. There is $10K unaccounted for from the St. Pat’s Chowdown alone.

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From an email from Brian Seiken:

unofficial results and winner from the stadium arena PR firm Chip Simpson wins with 39

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The Nathan’s qualifier predictions are now closed since the Sunrise, FL qualifier is scheduled to begin in a few minutes. Thank you for voting.

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The University of South Carolina has an article about restaurants in the Columbia, SC area that have eating challenges or contests. The article describes an attempt to break The Whig’s 40 taco record held by Joseph Tolbert:

Self-proclaimed taco-lover Patti Carson aspires to surpass Tolbert’s record some day.

“I’m positive that I have a chance,” 28-year-old Carson said.

She gave it a try earlier this year and managed to eat 24 tacos, 16 shy of Tolbert’s record.

She said she had trained by eating loads of hamburgers, cheeseburgers and eggplant parmesan the week before her attempt. She even created jerseys and foam fingers for her friends reading “Team Taco,” and crafted a homemade taco-shaped hat for herself. She is commonly referred to at The Whig as the “Taco Mascot.”

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Brian Seiken has uploaded a scan of an article about Sonya Thomas winning the 2003 Molly Pitcher qualifier.

The oldest online article about Sonya is probably this Washington Times article from June 30, 2003 about Sonya’s preparations for the Coney Island finals:

Miss Thomas’ seemingly bottomless pit has earned her an all-expenses-paid trip to Coney Island to square off against gluttonous giants from around the globe. Despite her inexperience in competitive eating, Miss Thomas said butterflies in the stomach will not be a problem. Her biggest concern, she said, will be pacing herself.

“My stomach doesn’t hurt, and I don’t get sick, but eating so much so fast takes getting used to,” said Miss Thomas, an employee at Bolling Air Force Base. “Twelve minutes is not a lot of time. But I think I’ll do OK because after the first contest, I wasn’t full.”

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Roland Liwag, a writer for CBS sportsline.com, wrote an article about competing in the Nathan’s qualifier in Sunrise, Florida tomorrow:

The best way to answer your own questions is to experience them first hand. That’s why this summer, SPiN will attempt to participate in as many fringe sports as possible. What better way to start things off than participate in a competitive eating contest?

Saturday afternoon, I will join a group of “junior varsity” and veteran competitive eaters in the 2007 Hot Dog Circuit — a series of 13 qualifying contests held across the country that will determine who will compete in the annual Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, N.Y. on the Fourth of July.

The object? Attempt to eat as many hot dogs one can stomach in 12 minutes. I think I’m in trouble. While I can hold my own at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, all-you-can-eat buffets and family picnics, I have OCS — Only Child Syndrome.

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The student newspaper for New York University has an article about the current trend in competitive eaters with a quote from Pat Bertoletti:

Shattering the misconception many have of “competitive eaters,” Bertoletti claims a smaller, younger generation of eaters is sweeping the sport.

“I would say that the big man is an extinct dinosaur and that the younger, fitter eaters are taking over,” Bertoletti told me.

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FloridaPanthers.com has a page about the Nathan’s qualifier to be held tomorrow:

The event begins at 6 p.m. with the Kids Neat Eating Contest, which will be immediately followed by the Adult Competitive Eating Contest at 6:30 p.m. Face-off for the Panthers-Devils game is set for 7:30 p.m.

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There will be a lot of independent contests this weekend. See the sidebar for more details. There will be two vegan contests in New England. The Houston hot dog contest awards $10 per hot dog to the winner. Last year’s winner ate 9 hot dogs in 10 minutes.

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Brian Seiken’s “State of the Union” address has been uploaded and can be viewed at http://hometown.aol.com/beautifulbrian43/speech.html

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(From BrooklynRecord.com) The New York Daily News reports that a gefilte fish eating contest held in Brooklyn has a new champion:

Sanchez, 21, chomped his way through 3-1/2 pounds of gefilte fish to take the top prize in a recent eating contest – leaving his Jewish competitors in the dust.

“I never had it before today,” he said. “I like it. I like all food, though. I like to eat.”

Courier Life and a kosher restaurant message board have previews of the contest, which state the first place prize was a trip for two to the Czech republic.

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I have set up a form for predicting Nathan’s qualifier winners and their amounts at qualifiers07predictions.php I have placed all the ranked IFOCE members and the more notable unranked eaters in the choice for eaters, but you would like to vote for an eater not present in that list, select “Unlisted Eater” at the top of the list.

The scoring system has not been finalized, but the current points values are:
10 points, selecting a qualifying eater at the right qualifier with an amount eaten in the actual range
5 points, selecting a qualifying eater at the right qualifier with an amount eaten outside the actual range
2 points, selecting a qualifying eater at the incorrect qualifier with an amount eaten in the actual range
1 point, selecting a qualifying eater at the incorrect qualifier with an amount eaten outside in the actual range

You can select an eater more than once, but you will only receive one score for an eater (If you select an eater who qualifies 13 times with an incorrect amount, you will receive 5 points and not 17 (5 + 12 * 1))

Voting will close before the start of the Sunrise, FL qualifier. You are allowed to vote as many times as you want. There will be no prize for the most accurate prediction other than recognition on this website.

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pressconnects.com has some information about the pancake eating contest to be held at the Central New York Maple Festival in Marathon, NY on Saturday:

The 11th annual Pancake Eating Contest, billed as a “‘Fun’ Raiser with Sweet Profits,” will start at 9 a.m. sharp Saturday in the Marathon High School auditorium. A field of 10 — one woman and nine men — is competing for the title; non-profit organizations solicited pledges per pancake for their “eater.”

The record holder, Joe LaRue of Florida, is coming back to defend his title and perhaps best his record of 30 pancakes. Joe stands 6 feet 8 inches and really knows how to put those pancakes down. This year, he will be eating pancakes for the Peck Memorial Library in Marathon, which is seeking funds for a major renovation and restoration projects.

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Some videos from January’s Pretzel Twister contest can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=pretzeltwist

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beautifulbrian.com announces that Brian Seiken will make a statement about his issues with IFOCE/MLE on Thursday, March 22.

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From a recent comment about the debut of the Canadian Competitive Eaters Association:

hey there i am trying to get in touch with you In-Ting. I am a casting director in Montreal and looking for local or canadian competitite eaters to appera in a tv commercial. could you reach me at mgiroux@canadfilm.com?
Thanks
Maxime Giroux

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