MLE International Trips
The results of the pro-am soba noodle eating contest at Yokosuka Base in Japan:
1) Team Joey Chestnut 17.5 bowls
2) Team Adrian Morgan 14 bowls
3) Team Crazy Legs Conti 11.5 bowls
Here is a list of MLE international trips I am aware of with two or more competitive eaters:
- July 2008, Singapore, Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi
- August 2008, Czech Republic: Pat Bertoletti, Hall Hunt
- September 2009, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba: Crazy Legs Conti, Pete Davekos, Tim Janus
- April 2010, Australia: Pat Bertoletti & Hall Hunt
- May 2010, Singapore, Joey Chestnut, Takeru Kobayashi, Juliet Lee
- August 2010, Atsugi Base, Japan: Crazy Legs Conti, Tim Janus, Bob Shoudt
- September 2010, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba: Micah Collins, Sean Gordon, Hall Hunt, Eric Livingston
- August 2011, Yokosuka Base, Japan: Joey Chestnut, Crazy Legs Conti, Adrian Morgan
updated Singapore contests added
In Memoriam / 2008 losses
- January, Eddie “Bozo” Miller – listed as the “world’s greatest trencherman” in the Guinness Book of World Records, lived to be 89 despite a daily calorie consumption that reportedly reached 25,000
- February, Adam Deely of Birmingham, UK. This was one of the BBC’s top 10 Welsh stories.
- August – unnamed Ukrainian varenik dumpling contest participant
- September – Paul Newman – his egg eating scene in Cool Hand Luke is probably the most famous eating challenge in cinematic history
- October – unnamed graduate student at Dayeh University in Taiwan
- November – Saurav Sabbarwal – solutions engineer at Nokia Siemens in Guragon, India
- December – Carson “Collard Green” Hughes – the top eater from southern Virginia in IFOCE history. The author of the 2003 New York Times article about Hughes has a blog entry from 2006 about it
2008 Nathan’s registration opens
Registration for the Nathan’s qualifiers is now open on nathansfamous.com. The list of qualifiers contains 3 contests outside the United States:
June 1, London England
June 17, Hanover, Germany
June 24, Tokyo, Japan
Nathan’s qualifiers outside the USA
Erik “the Red” Denmark received a T shirt listing all the 2006 Nathan’s qualifiers inside and outside the United States and he wrote a blog entry with a picture of his shirt. The qualifiers outside the USA are:
June 3 London, England
June 20 Pattaya Chonburi, Thailand
June 21 Hanover, Germany
June 25 Tokyo, Japan
It will be interesting to see if the German qualifier continues in 2007 given the tensions following Bayer’s cancellation of the 2006 US Open. In any case, one European qualifier would probably suffice given that the Europeans usually finish last or near last.
If anyone is considering traveling to the Thailand qualifier, thailand.com claims that Pattaya Chonburi is known for its “riotous and intoxicating nightlife” Some Japanese eaters might try to qualify in Thailand if it is allowed.
The Tokyo qualifier will provide an opportunity to see how the new wave of Japanese competitive eaters measures up. Hopefully most of the top Japanese gurgitators will enter.
Erik Denmark also notes that inconisistent dates are listed for the Tempe qualifier; the shirt says June 3 while Nathan’s website lists June 4.
The new poll question asks what city outside the United States is most deserving of a Nathan’s qualifier.