Air conditioning benefit disputed
A letter to the Brooklyn Paper disputes Gersh Kuntzman’s assertion that Joey Chestnut’s mark of 59.5 received assistance from the Arizona Mills air conditioning:
Gersh is spreading lies — like the one that air-conditioning has a major effect on competitive eaters. It’s false! These eaters have been training — and air conditioning, let me assure you, is not a big factor.
Capacity is the only issue, and air conditioning does not change that.
The author lives in North Carolina, so he had the ability to show off his hot weather hot dog eating expertise at Concord Mills.
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Mega Munch said
June 22, 2007 @ 8:35 am
I can’t remember if much was said on here as far as opinions on this matter. What does everyone else think? Can AC help an eater?
It makes sense that if you are more comfortable, you will perform better…although in a 12 minute contest — and after you get in “the zone” — I’m not sure if 90 degrees versus 75 degrees will make much of a difference. Guess we’ll see on the fourth.
The_Hangman said (Registered August 30, 2006)
June 22, 2007 @ 8:59 am
In reply to Brad Vincent’s letter to the editor. as a CE’er myself, air conditioners and the weather do play a part in many CE events. I have eaten high numbers in an air conditioned enviorment and eaten lower numbers with the same product in hot and humid conditions.
So my letter to the editor is that air conditioning does play a role in higher numbers as well as do other conditions including skill, training and luck. Another condition is flooding the product with as much water as you can get away with so you can drink the product instead of having too waste time by chewing dry bread. Those with higher numbers seem to flood the product more than others. If the judges continue to extend that alleged 5 second dunking rule to 10 or 15 seconds for some top eaters than the numbers will be high and higher.
Just my personal observation.
Hall "Hoover" Hunt said (Registered July 13, 2006)
June 22, 2007 @ 12:19 pm
Mega Munch is right that the temp should not really affect your comfort level once you get in the zone. However, I personally feel that the hotter temperature does affect the outcome of quantity eaten to some extent. The reason, in my opinion, that it is tougher to eat specifically hot dogs and buns in hotter temperatures is the fact that the buns seem to get tougher when they are sitting out in the hot sun. Who knows though. Maybe it is my mouth getting dryer and tougher in the heat and not the buns. Someone needs to do a study on the % difference in moisture content and firmness of the buns in different temperatures and humidity levels.
One Mad Stork said
June 22, 2007 @ 4:43 pm
I agree with Mega Munch. Expecially in the case of Joey’s record. I competed at Az. Mills, and although the enviornment was controlled, I don’t feel it made a large difference. A veteran, like Joey, who has competed in both enviornments probably does not even notice.