Article by asparagus contest entrant
ContraCostaTimes.com has an article by Eric Louie about his participation in the asparagus eating contest last week. There are several quotes from winner Joey Chestnut:
“A lot of it’s building up tolerance,” says Chestnut, a down-to-earth 6-foot-1-inch 230-pound civil engineering college student from San Jose. Talking with me after the contest, Chestnut, 23, shows none of the arrogance that typifies competitors at the top of their game. He even apologizes for drinking my water during the competition.
To him, being a successful competitive eater is “really mental.” And he’s right, I learned. The food will fit, but the key is being able to resist gagging, which is kind of the body’s shut-off valve. The truth is, even as I was stuffing my face with more asparagus than many people eat in a season, my stomach was only at a third of my capacity. While the thought of eating and burps that taste of oily batter ruined my appetite until the next day, I did not throw up, or have to let loose in any way at a festival porta potty.
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