update Nov 1 NotoriousBob.net has a quote that did not appear in the article

update Oct 31 Some observations and links about the article follow:

• Ronson asserts that the 1916 origin story for Nathan’s hot dog eating contest is “(almost certainly) untrue”, which Mortimer Matz, Nathan’s promoter of the 1970s and 80s confirmed in a 2010 NY Times interview. The claim that the first contest took place on July 4, 1972 is incorrect; a contest was held on Memorial Day weekend of that year and a competition took place in 1967 to honor the centennial of the hot dog.
• 2009 is listed as the year of Takeru Kobayashi’s final IFOCE sanctioned contest. He competed against Joey Chestnut in a contest in Singapore in May 2010.
• Emcee Dave Keating says that the cupcakes used in the shortened cupcake contest were lighter than those used in 2011, which explains why 7th place finishers Maria “Edible” and Michelle “Cardboard Shell” Lesco ate more in 6 minutes (48) than the previous year’s winner Tim Janus ate in 8 minutes (42). (Video of the contest).

If you need something to read due to Hurricane Sandy related disruptions, Jon Ronson’s article about competitive eating for the November 2012 issue of GQ is now available online. The article includes mini profiles of Joey Chestnut, Pat Bertoletti, Matt Stonie, Bob Shoudt and Maria “Edible” and contains reports from the Nathan’s finals, TooJay’s corned beef sandwich eating contest, and a behind the scenes look at the shortened cupcake contest held at the Isle of Capri casino in Waterloo, Iowa where Bob Shoudt offered these thoughts on cheating:

“I’ve seen everything,” he says. “People throwing hot dogs under the table. People making the biggest messes you can imagine.”

My eyes widen. “So there’s such a mess under the table it’s impossible to determine what counts as an eaten thing?” I ask.

“Oh, there’s techniques,” says Bob. “People suddenly get happy feet.” He mimes an eater dropping an item of food and then covertly stamping it into the ground. I’m appalled. Cheating makes everything pointless. And then Bob confesses that—if need be—he will be one of those cheaters. When his wife is in the crowd, they use pre-arranged signals. “If the eaters are dropping stuff like crazy, she’ll give a meaningless cheer. I’ll understand. Suddenly the food gets very slippery for me.”

He gives me a look that says: Don’t judge me until you’ve walked in my shoes. Leave the Gandhi-like behavior to the fools who don’t mind losing to the cheaters.

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update May 2 DallasObserver.com has a slideshow (starting at picture #9)

update May 1 Someone claiming to be Gary Klucken has posted the following on the MLE facebook

As a competitor in mesquite, texas the true results were: Eric;B.O.B.;Nasty Nate;Gary K.;Bam Bam.

update Apr 29 Erik Denmark posted a picture of the score sheet which listed weights. Apparently the individual trays were not weighed before the contest. The original weight was assumed to be 20 multiplied by the average weight of a wing.

update SCNTX.com has an article (via HootersTexas)

The top 3 in today’s Hooters qualfier in Mesquite, TX:
1) Bob Shoudt 120 wings
2) Erik Denmark 117 wings
3) Nate Biller 100 wings. (It is rather strange that weights are not being announced for a contest that is based on mass consumed and not wing count.)

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update Dec 14 SHRHollywood has a video

update Dec 12 Jim The Candle Man has videos of the contest and LA Beast’s introduction and BrandoFoto has a gallery.

update Results
1) “Notorious” Bob Shoudt 52, breaks Joey Chestnut’s 2009 record of 50
2) Adrian Morgan 48
3) Kevin “LA Beast” 31
4T) Yasir Salem 24
4T) Mike Katz 24
6) Andrew Kogutkiewicz 21
7T) Sean “Wrecking Ball” Brockert 15
7T) Bruce Ollis 15
9) Michael Parris
DQ) Steve Piccolo

The contest is expected to start around 5 or 6 pm eastern and Bob Shoudt, Adrian Morgan, Sean Brockert, Yasir Salem, Andrew Kogutkiewicz, Bruce Ollis and Kevin “LA Beast” are expected to compete. Steven Piccolo will attempt to follow up on his 3rd place finish in last months pickle contest.

This will be the fourth IFOCE contest in Broward or Palm Beach county in 2011 (Sweet Corn Fiesta, TooJay’s, Pompano Park Pickles and Martorano’s meatballs)

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update Oct 25 DwyerMichaels has a contest video

update Oct 23 AdrenalKrome has a video of Jessie Aguilar at the contest

The MLE facebook has full results for today’s Maid-Rite Sandwich Eating Championship at Isle Casino in Bettendorf, Iowa:
1) Bob Shoudt 20 sandwiches in 10 minutes
2) Aaron Osthoff w/15
3T) Ben Taylor 12
3T) Mark Williams 12
5) James Roberson 10
6T) Matt Raible 8
6T) Andrew Kogutkiewicz 8,
8T) Andrew McCormick 7
8T) Kelson Weig 7
10) Jess Aguiliar 5
11 Michael Sorenson 3

QCTimes has an article about the contest

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(Bumped & Modified originally posted June 27)

The following people won a slot in the 2010 Nathan’s finals by winning a qualifier. The second column is the number of hot dogs eaten in the qualifier (click on the names to see their contest history)

Allen Goldstein received a slot by leading the wild card standings. Here are the wild card standings according to results in the eatfeats datbase (qualifier winners not listed):

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update #3 Press of Atlantic City has an article and gallery

update #2 Morey’s Piers facebook has a gallery

update George Shea has the top 3:

1) “Notorious” Bob Shoudt, 7.9 lbs. in 10 minutes
2) Pat Bertoletti 7.8 lbs
3) Sean Gordon 6 lbs.

The contest is expected to start around 1pm. An amateur contest might precede the professional competition.

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update May 30 BeautifulBrian.com has an article and contest video

Pat Philbin has uploaded to youtube his appearance on News 12 on Friday.

update NBC40 has an article and Bill Myers has entered full results – the top 7 below have been updated. Atlantic City Weekly has a video

George Shea has the top 3 and a commenter has some other results
1) “Notorious” B. O. B. Shoudt 40
2) “Buffalo” Jim Reeves 25
3) Pat Philbin 24.5
4) Allen “Shredder” Goldstein 23
5T) Dave “US Male” Goldstein 20
5T) Brian “Dud Light” Dudzinski
7T) Eric “Steakbellie” Livingston 17
7T) Brian Subich 17

The Nathan’s qualifier at Trump Plaza in Atlantic City is expected to start around 2pm. The Trump Casinos facebook might have some updates.

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“Notorious” Bob Shoudt offers the Des Moines Register some of his competitive eating tips:

When you get to the contest (or the counter at B&B Deli), be confident and act like you know what you’re doing. Move your cups and plates around (in eating contests, there are usually a few cups of water for each competitor, and a couple of plates of food), and eat your food out of order. For example, if you and a friend are racing through the Combine at the Machine Shed, don’t eat the tenderloin, then the medallions, then the sausage. Work your way through all three at the same time, so your opponent can’t figure out exactly how much you’ve eaten. “Give as much misinformation as you can,” Shoudt said.

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